The positivist perspective conceives of skills as unitary, measurable traits of individuals and holds strong assumptions about a person's ability to transfer skills from one context to another. The situative perspective assumes that skills are larger than an individual's behavior and cognitive processes. Individuals act in social systems that partly determine skill requirements, distribution of work, and other factors. From this perspective, direct transfer of skills across settings is rare. Neither the positivist nor the situative perspectives, however, provide a complete picture of the place of skills at work.
Educators grapple with changing skill needs in various ways.
The literature indicates that curriculum in academic disciplines is becoming more interdisciplinary and is placing more emphasis on the application of academic knowledge to solve real problems. Educators search for relevant applications or problem situations that will engage students and also help them understand underlying academic concepts. They see value in project-based learning activities, in providing learning experiences outside of classrooms, and in making more explicit connections between school and work. In general, employers seem less concerned about academic skills. The case studies and analysis of these jobs followed the situative approach and assumed that skills must be viewed from the perspective of individuals in the working community.