Pub Date : 2023-03-03DOI: 10.21153/jtlge2023vol14no1art1576
O. S. Pitan, C. Muller
The emergence of the 4th industrial revolution workplace and its accompanied disruptions across all industries require that Higher Education (HE) strategically aim at equipping graduates with transferable skills to navigate the disruptive workplace. This study aims at assessing the extent by which two identified strategies (experiential learning and career guidance activities) of equipping students with transferable skills are being used by HE in preparing graduates for the disruptive workplace. The study analysed perceptions of students (n=865) from six universities in two African countries, Nigeria and South Africa; on their level of engagements with the two strategies of experiential learning and career guidance activities. Mann–Whitney U tests of comparisons was used to compare the findings from the two countries while hierarchical regression analysis was employed to control for influence of gender and type of university on students’ perceived level of preparedness for work. Findings reveal gaps in students’ engagements with the two strategies; differences in employability perceptions between students in the two countries and; the role of contextual factors on the development of employability. This paper contributes to existing debate on employability by highlighting the extent at which the two identified strategies are adopted in universities in Nigeria and South Africa and, by interrogating the extent to which institutional strategic approaches to employability differ across different regional contexts. More importantly, suggestions on how to address the identified gaps in the provision of these strategies were made.
{"title":"Assessment of Strategies for Preparing Graduates for the Disruptive Workplace: Evidence from Nigeria and South Africa","authors":"O. S. Pitan, C. Muller","doi":"10.21153/jtlge2023vol14no1art1576","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21153/jtlge2023vol14no1art1576","url":null,"abstract":"The emergence of the 4th industrial revolution workplace and its accompanied disruptions across all industries require that Higher Education (HE) strategically aim at equipping graduates with transferable skills to navigate the disruptive workplace. This study aims at assessing the extent by which two identified strategies (experiential learning and career guidance activities) of equipping students with transferable skills are being used by HE in preparing graduates for the disruptive workplace. The study analysed perceptions of students (n=865) from six universities in two African countries, Nigeria and South Africa; on their level of engagements with the two strategies of experiential learning and career guidance activities. Mann–Whitney U tests of comparisons was used to compare the findings from the two countries while hierarchical regression analysis was employed to control for influence of gender and type of university on students’ perceived level of preparedness for work. Findings reveal gaps in students’ engagements with the two strategies; differences in employability perceptions between students in the two countries and; the role of contextual factors on the development of employability. This paper contributes to existing debate on employability by highlighting the extent at which the two identified strategies are adopted in universities in Nigeria and South Africa and, by interrogating the extent to which institutional strategic approaches to employability differ across different regional contexts. More importantly, suggestions on how to address the identified gaps in the provision of these strategies were made.","PeriodicalId":37004,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45379688","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-02-12DOI: 10.21153/jtlge2023vol14no1art1462
Tanya Richardson, Eunice Lumsden
The importance of embedding employability skills in English Higher Education has received increased attention since the introduction of tuition fees and employers claiming that graduates lack the necessary skills for the workforce. This paper considers how these employability skills align with students’ aspirations, when there is uncertainty around their career trajectory, an area that appears unexplored in current literature. Using an interpretative approach this small-scale study (n=25) sought views of first year students within an HE institution in the East Midlands of England. This paper reports on students’ career aspirations and motivations for studying, and working in, the field of Early Childhood, at the commencement of their studies. Through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, students reflected on their aspirations and motivations to follow this degree trajectory. This paper purports that students embark on this degree with a generic interest in working with children but are uncertain about career directions. They welcome the breadth of opportunities the degree could lead to. It is therefore argued that “it’s ok not to know what I want to do”. It is the role of academic and professional staff to embed a breath of opportunities for exposure to the range of career pathways available.
{"title":"“It’s ok not to know what I want to do”: An exploration into the aspirations of Early Childhood Studies students","authors":"Tanya Richardson, Eunice Lumsden","doi":"10.21153/jtlge2023vol14no1art1462","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21153/jtlge2023vol14no1art1462","url":null,"abstract":"The importance of embedding employability skills in English Higher Education has received increased attention since the introduction of tuition fees and employers claiming that graduates lack the necessary skills for the workforce. This paper considers how these employability skills align with students’ aspirations, when there is uncertainty around their career trajectory, an area that appears unexplored in current literature.\u0000Using an interpretative approach this small-scale study (n=25) sought views of first year students within an HE institution in the East Midlands of England. This paper reports on students’ career aspirations and motivations for studying, and working in, the field of Early Childhood, at the commencement of their studies. Through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, students reflected on their aspirations and motivations to follow this degree trajectory. This paper purports that students embark on this degree with a generic interest in working with children but are uncertain about career directions. They welcome the breadth of opportunities the degree could lead to. It is therefore argued that “it’s ok not to know what I want to do”. It is the role of academic and professional staff to embed a breath of opportunities for exposure to the range of career pathways available.","PeriodicalId":37004,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42568262","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-12-22DOI: 10.21153/jtlge2022vol13no1art1502
Kelly M. Clanchy, C. Minahan, E. Cardell, A. Bialocerkowski
Pre-professional identity (PPI) aims to provide an understanding of, and connection to, the skills and knowledge contained in a degree and the intended profession of the student. Investigation into PPI is of importance to higher-education institutions as it provides a means of understanding a student’s orientation and motivation behind degree and career selection. Developing learning activities that capitalise on these motivations is proposed to increase student engagement, reduce attrition, and enhance employability. Using the growing, but relatively new profession of Exercise Science as an example, this study describes a workshop based on theoretical models relating to the concept of PPI, adult learning and self-reflective practices that can be integrated into programs to enhance students’ understanding of their professional identity. One hundred and seventy-three final year Exercise Science students participated in and evaluated the workshop. The workshop was evaluated using a theoretical framework specifically designed for the evaluation of training activities. The combination of the evaluation and feedback from students were synthesised to develop a model for the application of PPI activities across a three-year undergraduate degree.
{"title":"Development and Evaluation of a Tailored Pre-Professional Identity Workshop: A Case Study in Exercise Science","authors":"Kelly M. Clanchy, C. Minahan, E. Cardell, A. Bialocerkowski","doi":"10.21153/jtlge2022vol13no1art1502","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21153/jtlge2022vol13no1art1502","url":null,"abstract":"Pre-professional identity (PPI) aims to provide an understanding of, and connection to, the skills and knowledge contained in a degree and the intended profession of the student. Investigation into PPI is of importance to higher-education institutions as it provides a means of understanding a student’s orientation and motivation behind degree and career selection. Developing learning activities that capitalise on these motivations is proposed to increase student engagement, reduce attrition, and enhance employability. Using the growing, but relatively new profession of Exercise Science as an example, this study describes a workshop based on \u0000theoretical models relating to the concept of PPI, \u0000adult learning and self-reflective practices that can be integrated into programs to enhance students’ understanding of their professional identity. One hundred and seventy-three final year Exercise Science students participated in and evaluated the workshop. The workshop was evaluated using a theoretical framework specifically designed for the evaluation of training activities. The combination of the evaluation and feedback from students were synthesised to develop a model for the application of PPI activities across a three-year undergraduate degree.","PeriodicalId":37004,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45995264","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-11-24DOI: 10.21153/jtlge2022vol13no1art1539
B. Dean, Sarah Ryan, Tracey Glover-Chambers, Conor West, M. Eady, V. Yanamandram, T. Moroney, Nuala O’Donnell
Career development learning (CDL) is an approach to developing student employability that enables students to reflect on and plan their future careers through engaging in activities outside or within their degree. Building on literature arguing for the benefits of integrating CDL within curriculum, this study examines academics’ perceived roles facilitating CDL. Informed by the principles and processes of Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), 55 academics were interviewed from one institution, enabling responses to be examined through a common lens of teaching, policy and governance structures. Findings demonstrate that while some participants broadly understood the value of CDL, the term CDL is not well known. Further, while CDL strategies within teaching contexts occur, they are mostly unplanned or dialogic. This paper presents a taxonomy of current practice, featuring 11 diverse roles for facilitating CDL within curriculum grouped as absent, implicit and explicit approaches. The paper offers recommendations for a university-wide agenda for employability that features CDL strategies embedded across core curricula.
{"title":"Career development learning in the curriculum: What is an academic’s role?","authors":"B. Dean, Sarah Ryan, Tracey Glover-Chambers, Conor West, M. Eady, V. Yanamandram, T. Moroney, Nuala O’Donnell","doi":"10.21153/jtlge2022vol13no1art1539","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21153/jtlge2022vol13no1art1539","url":null,"abstract":"Career development learning (CDL) is an approach to developing student employability that enables students to reflect on and plan their future careers through engaging in activities outside or within their degree. Building on literature arguing for the benefits of integrating CDL within curriculum, this study examines academics’ perceived roles facilitating CDL. Informed by the principles and processes of Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), 55 academics were interviewed from one institution, enabling responses to be examined through a common lens of teaching, policy and governance structures. Findings demonstrate that while some participants broadly understood the value of CDL, the term CDL is not well known. Further, while CDL strategies within teaching contexts occur, they are mostly unplanned or dialogic. This paper presents a taxonomy of current practice, featuring 11 diverse roles for facilitating CDL within curriculum grouped as absent, implicit and explicit approaches. The paper offers recommendations for a university-wide agenda for employability that features CDL strategies embedded across core curricula.","PeriodicalId":37004,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49195703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-11-20DOI: 10.21153/jtlge2022vol13no1art1463
G. Nudelman, C. Kalil, E. Navarro-Astor, J. English
Teamwork is a fundamental employability skill and, as such, is fostered in professional programmes. This study presents a comparative analysis of higher education students' perceptions, development, and experiences of teamwork at two universities: one in South Africa and the other in Spain. These study sites provided a fruitful opportunity for comparison, given their contextual similarities. Through a survey of 395 3rd and 4th-year students of professional degrees, the authors explored how these students developed the teamwork skills required within their curricula. The findings showed that respondents from both institutions perceive teamwork similarly, but there are significant differences in how these skills are developed. While most South African respondents had participated in courses focused on team functioning, the Spanish had learnt to function in teams during project work. Furthermore, the South African sample was more aware of the impact of socio-cultural factors on team functioning than the Spanish one. The former reported feeling marginalised due to their race, gender and language to a greater extent than the Spanish. The paper outlines the potential benefits of successful teamwork, such as improving social cohesion. The results could be useful to policymakers and lecturers designing context-specific interventions to develop students' teamwork skills.
{"title":"Student teamwork in professional programmes in higher education: a comparative study of Spain and South Africa","authors":"G. Nudelman, C. Kalil, E. Navarro-Astor, J. English","doi":"10.21153/jtlge2022vol13no1art1463","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21153/jtlge2022vol13no1art1463","url":null,"abstract":"Teamwork is a fundamental employability skill and, as such, is fostered in professional programmes. This study presents a comparative analysis of higher education students' perceptions, development, and experiences of teamwork at two universities: one in South Africa and the other in Spain. These study sites provided a fruitful opportunity for comparison, given their contextual similarities. Through a survey of 395 3rd and 4th-year students of professional degrees, the authors explored how these students developed the teamwork skills required within their curricula. The findings showed that respondents from both institutions perceive teamwork similarly, but there are significant differences in how these skills are developed. While most South African respondents had participated in courses focused on team functioning, the Spanish had learnt to function in teams during project work. Furthermore, the South African sample was more aware of the impact of socio-cultural factors on team functioning than the Spanish one. The former reported feeling marginalised due to their race, gender and language to a greater extent than the Spanish. The paper outlines the potential benefits of successful teamwork, such as improving social cohesion. The results could be useful to policymakers and lecturers designing context-specific interventions to develop students' teamwork skills.","PeriodicalId":37004,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44322045","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-11-13DOI: 10.21153/jtlge2022vol13no1art1487
J. Hart, E. Bone
Interdisciplinary projects are reported to facilitate the development of both disciplinary and generic skills. They vary in their design and implementation, but the effectiveness of different project models has not been studied. The aim of this study was to determine student satisfaction, engagement with learning and development of employability skills across interdisciplinary projects with different delivery models. This scoping review appraises interdisciplinary projects implemented in science-based undergraduate degree programs. Projects with varying models of delivery, interdisciplinarity, authenticity and external partner involvement were examined, and the reported student learning and satisfaction ratings compared. Descriptive statistics and cross tabulation using Fisher’s Exact test were used to analyse the data. The interdisciplinary project model had little effect on engagement with learning, but student satisfaction improved if the project task was rated as authentic (p<0.05). Improved learning was reported in about half of the projects reviewed. Improved employability was reported in projects where students used discipline-based skills to provide a consultancy (p<0.05), and those where an external partner was involved (p<0.05). The interdisciplinary project model did not affect disciplinary or employability skill development, apart from interdisciplinary competence, which was significantly improved in a truly interdisciplinary project (p<0.01). Interpersonal skill development was significantly improved where projects had integrated rather than sequential tasks (p<0.05). Overall, interdisciplinary projects that were authentic and/or involved an external partner generated better student satisfaction and real-world experience. These results inform the future design of interdisciplinary project-based learning tasks and encourage involvement of external partners in project design and delivery.
{"title":"Authenticity ahead of interdisciplinarity – a scoping review of student experiences in interdisciplinary science projects","authors":"J. Hart, E. Bone","doi":"10.21153/jtlge2022vol13no1art1487","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21153/jtlge2022vol13no1art1487","url":null,"abstract":"Interdisciplinary projects are reported to facilitate the development of both disciplinary and generic skills. They vary in their design and implementation, but the effectiveness of different project models has not been studied. The aim of this study was to determine student satisfaction, engagement with learning and development of employability skills across interdisciplinary projects with different delivery models.\u0000This scoping review appraises interdisciplinary projects implemented in science-based undergraduate degree programs. Projects with varying models of delivery, interdisciplinarity, authenticity and external partner involvement were examined, and the reported student learning and satisfaction ratings compared. Descriptive statistics and cross tabulation using Fisher’s Exact test were used to analyse the data.\u0000The interdisciplinary project model had little effect on engagement with learning, but student satisfaction improved if the project task was rated as authentic (p<0.05). Improved learning was reported in about half of the projects reviewed. Improved employability was reported in projects where students used discipline-based skills to provide a consultancy (p<0.05), and those where an external partner was involved (p<0.05).\u0000The interdisciplinary project model did not affect disciplinary or employability skill development, apart from interdisciplinary competence, which was significantly improved in a truly interdisciplinary project (p<0.01). Interpersonal skill development was significantly improved where projects had integrated rather than sequential tasks (p<0.05).\u0000Overall, interdisciplinary projects that were authentic and/or involved an external partner generated better student satisfaction and real-world experience. These results inform the future design of interdisciplinary project-based learning tasks and encourage involvement of external partners in project design and delivery.","PeriodicalId":37004,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49168720","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-10-10DOI: 10.21153/jtlge2022vol13no1art1555
James Thompson, P. Soccio
This article presents findings from a recent study of academic perspectives towards employability in architecture. The aim of the study was to gauge the perceived impact of COVID-19 on employer values, and the degree to which these perceived changes were impacting teaching practices. Thematic analysis of data from semi-structured interviews with eight members of a postgraduate architecture community in Australia—including educators, practitioners, and students—revealed strong consensus. The relative value of skills such as teamwork and autonomy were deemed increasingly important following the widespread uptake of remote work. On the other hand, the value of competencies associated with the design process itself, as reflected in professional accreditation criteria, were perceived as stable. Most enlightening were participants’ views on how they believe employability skills are encouraged, observed and judged in academic contexts. By reinforcing how employability skill development tends to rely on the discipline’s tacit enculturation practices, this study raises critical questions about quality assurance and assessment practices within the architectural community. Embedded in these questions is the understanding that the challenge of employability skills assessment is entangled within the discipline’s failure to address its ongoing challenges around diversity, equity and inclusion.
{"title":"‘This is what gets people hired!’: Academic perspectives on employability skills in architecture and the potential impact of COVID-19","authors":"James Thompson, P. Soccio","doi":"10.21153/jtlge2022vol13no1art1555","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21153/jtlge2022vol13no1art1555","url":null,"abstract":"This article presents findings from a recent study of academic perspectives towards employability in architecture. The aim of the study was to gauge the perceived impact of COVID-19 on employer values, and the degree to which these perceived changes were impacting teaching practices. Thematic analysis of data from semi-structured interviews with eight members of a postgraduate architecture community in Australia—including educators, practitioners, and students—revealed strong consensus. The relative value of skills such as teamwork and autonomy were deemed increasingly important following the widespread uptake of remote work. On the other hand, the value of competencies associated with the design process itself, as reflected in professional accreditation criteria, were perceived as stable. Most enlightening were participants’ views on how they believe employability skills are encouraged, observed and judged in academic contexts. By reinforcing how employability skill development tends to rely on the discipline’s tacit enculturation practices, this study raises critical questions about quality assurance and assessment practices within the architectural community. Embedded in these questions is the understanding that the challenge of employability skills assessment is entangled within the discipline’s failure to address its ongoing challenges around diversity, equity and inclusion.","PeriodicalId":37004,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67651689","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-08-07DOI: 10.21153/jtlge2022vol13no1art1534
MiKayla J. Newell, Paul N. Ulrich
There have been large increases in the number of STEM graduates in the United States, but the majority of growth in non-healthcare, career opportunities are limited to computer specialists and engineering. Thus, two challenges await STEM students upon graduation: strong competition and employer concerns that applicants lack general competencies and work experience. Universities have responded to employer concerns with initiatives to enhance career readiness by embedding sets of competencies throughout curricula. However, these competencies have not been situated in STEM contexts and are derived largely from surveys of representatives from large companies who are unfamiliar with the job requirements specific to STEM positions. The current study uses a mixed methods approach as a first step to investigate the National Association of Colleges and Employers Career-Readiness Competencies in STEM with alumni who have participated in UREs and are currently employed in STEM careers. We propose that institutions can simultaneously situate skill development in STEM and provide meaningful, work-like experience through undergraduate research experiences (UREs). Findings demonstrate that UREs provide a fertile ground for the integration of career related competencies into undergraduate curricula and suggest institutions should strategically implement career-readiness competencies that reflect the priorities of STEM employers. Keywords: STEM, career readiness, NACE competencies, alumni, undergraduate research experiences, employment
{"title":"Competent and Employed: STEM alumni perspectives on undergraduate research and NACE career-readiness competencies","authors":"MiKayla J. Newell, Paul N. Ulrich","doi":"10.21153/jtlge2022vol13no1art1534","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21153/jtlge2022vol13no1art1534","url":null,"abstract":"There have been large increases in the number of STEM graduates in the United States, but the majority of growth in non-healthcare, career opportunities are limited to computer specialists and engineering. Thus, two challenges await STEM students upon graduation: strong competition and employer concerns that applicants lack general competencies and work experience. Universities have responded to employer concerns with initiatives to enhance career readiness by embedding sets of competencies throughout curricula. However, these competencies have not been situated in STEM contexts and are derived largely from surveys of representatives from large companies who are unfamiliar with the job requirements specific to STEM positions. The current study uses a mixed methods approach as a first step to investigate the National Association of Colleges and Employers Career-Readiness Competencies in STEM with alumni who have participated in UREs and are currently employed in STEM careers. We propose that institutions can simultaneously situate skill development in STEM and provide meaningful, work-like experience through undergraduate research experiences (UREs). Findings demonstrate that UREs provide a fertile ground for the integration of career related competencies into undergraduate curricula and suggest institutions should strategically implement career-readiness competencies that reflect the priorities of STEM employers. \u0000Keywords: STEM, career readiness, NACE competencies, alumni, undergraduate research experiences, employment ","PeriodicalId":37004,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43212128","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-05-21DOI: 10.21153/jtlge2022vol13no1art1499
E. Lock, K. Kelly
The expectation that tertiary education leads to employment is one that most commencing students hold. A problem arises when there is a gap between the knowledge and skills students expect to acquire and the knowledge and skills course designers and teachers expect students to develop. The present study interviewed 22 first year students and 12 final year students to explore their expectations and experiences of employability teaching and learning, and compared these to the conceptions of employability articulated in their institution’s policy documentation. The findings suggest that most students believed that, to achieve their career goals, their primary focus should be on completing their academic studies, and that all relevant knowledge and skills would be unveiled during this process. As such, they viewed their time at university as a distinct stage in their development, one that must be completed before they move on to engage with the challenge of employment. Such expectations differ in important ways from those of the institution at which participants were enrolled, which sets employability within the context of an ever-changing job market and the consequent need for life-long learning. Moreover, while the institution clearly articulates the skills that they believe are embedded within their units and courses, this is not being conveyed to students. Implications of this research highlight the need to carefully consider what expectations students are bringing with them regarding the enhancement of employability and how institutions can best act to bridge the gap between students’ expectations and their own.
{"title":"Gateways Not Pathways: Student Perceptions of the Portals to Employability","authors":"E. Lock, K. Kelly","doi":"10.21153/jtlge2022vol13no1art1499","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21153/jtlge2022vol13no1art1499","url":null,"abstract":"The expectation that tertiary education leads to employment is one that most commencing students hold. A problem arises when there is a gap between the knowledge and skills students expect to acquire and the knowledge and skills course designers and teachers expect students to develop. The present study interviewed 22 first year students and 12 final year students to explore their expectations and experiences of employability teaching and learning, and compared these to the conceptions of employability articulated in their institution’s policy documentation. The findings suggest that most students believed that, to achieve their career goals, their primary focus should be on completing their academic studies, and that all relevant knowledge and skills would be unveiled during this process. As such, they viewed their time at university as a distinct stage in their development, one that must be completed before they move on to engage with the challenge of employment. Such expectations differ in important ways from those of the institution at which participants were enrolled, which sets employability within the context of an ever-changing job market and the consequent need for life-long learning. Moreover, while the institution clearly articulates the skills that they believe are embedded within their units and courses, this is not being conveyed to students. Implications of this research highlight the need to carefully consider what expectations students are bringing with them regarding the enhancement of employability and how institutions can best act to bridge the gap between students’ expectations and their own.","PeriodicalId":37004,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45552449","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-21DOI: 10.21153/jtlge2022vol13no1art1483
Elizabeth Cook
Increasingly governments expect universities to improve graduate employment outcomes. Universities respond by implementing employability strategies in, alongside and outside curricula, with debates ongoing about whether employability is part of the curriculum, why and how. The context and process of employability is commonly framed in neoliberal and human capital paradigms. Some academics are resistant to their university’s employability strategy and programmes often adopt a ‘bolt on’ approach, which is outside the curriculum. At this time, the world is in the midst of multiple crises, linked to sustainability, technology and survival in societies, which are redefining and affecting life and work. With all these tensions in mind, should universities reconsider how they think and act with respect to graduate employability, careers and the world of work? What are the key values of employability paradigms and models, and how do they connect to the curriculum? This paper presents a narrative review of conceptual employability models published in the peer reviewed higher education literature since 2000 with each model positioned on a continuum based on its: (1) paradigm, i.e., underlying beliefs about careers, employability and employment; and (2) relationship to teaching and curricula (i.e., intra-, extra- and/or co-). I observe that most models are focused on the employability of individuals (i.e., career, skills, capabilities) and economic success (i.e., markets, knowledge economy, workforce), with limited consideration of wider contributions to local and global career development through social, ecological or technological lenses. Models with stronger individualistic focus appear to be less connected to teaching and curricula than models that also focus on others. I discuss the potential implications of these observations for universities and teaching and learning.
{"title":"A narrative review of graduate employability models: their paradigms, and relationships to teaching and curricula","authors":"Elizabeth Cook","doi":"10.21153/jtlge2022vol13no1art1483","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21153/jtlge2022vol13no1art1483","url":null,"abstract":"Increasingly governments expect universities to improve graduate employment outcomes. Universities respond by implementing employability strategies in, alongside and outside curricula, with debates ongoing about whether employability is part of the curriculum, why and how. The context and process of employability is commonly framed in neoliberal and human capital paradigms. Some academics are resistant to their university’s employability strategy and programmes often adopt a ‘bolt on’ approach, which is outside the curriculum. At this time, the world is in the midst of multiple crises, linked to sustainability, technology and survival in societies, which are redefining and affecting life and work. With all these tensions in mind, should universities reconsider how they think and act with respect to graduate employability, careers and the world of work? What are the key values of employability paradigms and models, and how do they connect to the curriculum? This paper presents a narrative review of conceptual employability models published in the peer reviewed higher education literature since 2000 with each model positioned on a continuum based on its: (1) paradigm, i.e., underlying beliefs about careers, employability and employment; and (2) relationship to teaching and curricula (i.e., intra-, extra- and/or co-). I observe that most models are focused on the employability of individuals (i.e., career, skills, capabilities) and economic success (i.e., markets, knowledge economy, workforce), with limited consideration of wider contributions to local and global career development through social, ecological or technological lenses. Models with stronger individualistic focus appear to be less connected to teaching and curricula than models that also focus on others. I discuss the potential implications of these observations for universities and teaching and learning.","PeriodicalId":37004,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49028346","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：