Instruction should emphasize generic skills as much as it does occupational or domain-specific skills. Generic skills enable people to: (1) cooperate and communicate for group problem solving; (2) identify and define problems in complex environments; (3) seek, acquire, and synthesize new information; and (4) adapt to changes in the problem-solving environment. To teach these skills, schools must formulate clear educational policies and practices. This is difficult because the term is not clearly defined in the academic literature or in research. This prevents educators from examining several important questions: What generic skills are needed? Are they being taught? Can these skills be taught? and How can schools be structured to develop these skills? A field study collected observational data from four vocational education programs that claim to develop generic skills through their curriculum, and an intensive case study of one class was conducted. The study found that: (1) teachers taught problem-solving skills, often embedded in cooperative working arrangements; (2) project-centered course design and a nontraditional classroom environment supported teaching of dispositions; and (3) student-centered instruction meant that teachers had high expectations for students that extended beyond the classroom. Findings have implications for research on generic skills, for educating diverse student populations, and for reforms advocating the integration of academic and vocational education. (Included in this report are 2 tables, a matrix summarizing selected literature, and a 92-item bibliography.) (NLA)