THE RESEARCH ISSUE
measuring the impact of CAREER LEARNING IN A DISCIPLINARY CONTEXT
B
Tony Taylor, Careers Adviser at the University of Hull, outlines a research study evaluating the impact of curriculum-based career management skills (CMS) on the career readiness of final year students.
uilding upon my earlier research evaluating career management skills, this study sought to gain an understanding of students’ perceptions of their career readiness for making the transition from undergraduate study into either work or further study. I was particularly interested in the perceptions of finalists in order to be able to better support this group of students at a time when the future of graduate jobs is uncertain, and graduate underemployment is likely to rise over the coming decade.
COMPLEMENTING TEACHING The participants in my study, Biomedical Science and Human Biology undergraduate students, have all taken a compulsory Level 5 module. The rationale for the module is to increase student employability through a focus on personal and career development, and research skills in biological disciplines that will complement teaching in the Biomedical Sciences portfolio of programmes. One of the aims of this module is to enable students to reflect on their career development and identify transferable skills gained during their degree programme. Although the current module evaluation questionnaire poses the question “I feel that
what I learnt was useful and relevant for my current or future career”, I wanted to investigate the career readiness of students who have taken a module with career management skills (CMS) embedded within it. In addition, the School wanted to know whether the syllabus covered by the module was useful in enhancing the employability skills of their finalists.
STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS Data was collected by online questionnaire. The questions focused on students’ perceptions of the impact of embedded CMS upon their career readiness. The questionnaire had a 20% response rate which, although low, is an adequate response rate for a class size of under 150 (Nulty, 2008). I found 69% of participants made a positive self-assessment about their career readiness compared to 15% of participants
THIS STUDY SUGGESTS THAT THERE
IS SUBSTANTIAL VALUE IN CAREERS SERVICE INPUT
TO ACADEMIC MODULES
who did not. It is clear from these results that there is a relationship between participation in the module and positive perception of career readiness. Though a correlation does not necessarily signal a cause, this study does suggest that there is substantial value in careers service input to academic modules. This study provides evidence to suggest that a module with embedded CMS is an effective strategy to enhance the career readiness of students. It encourages students to develop a plan of action towards their future career, carry out relevant research into career options and take a targeted approach to applications. The study suggests that when career learning is situated within students’ disciplinary context, there are considerable employability benefits. This research is replicable in other academic disciplines to enable an evidence-based review of employability support that might have a positive impact on the transition process.
/in/tony-taylor a.r.taylor@hull.ac.uk PHOENIX JUNE 2020
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