Exploring academic staff perceptions of employability-based learning in STEM.

Abstract

This thesis reports the results of research that explored academic staff perceptions of employability-based learning. It highlights six key themes that emerged from the research, with a specific focus on the challenges to embedding employability, and an identification of associated opportunities. This research is significant because there is substantial evidence to suggest embedded employability-based learning initiatives are not necessarily having significant impact (e.g. Bennett, Richardson & MacKinnon, 2016), despite the volume of work being done to develop frameworks and models of employability that attempt to align graduates’ skills with employers’ needs (e.g. Pegg, Waldock, Hendy-Isaac & Lawton, 2012). The six themes identified range in scope from broad perspectives about the changing purpose of university education, through to local level concerns about staff willingness and efficacy with respect to embedding employability-based learning. Specifically, the research identified factors that impact academic staff attitude to employability-based learning including the effect of the disparity between perceived expectations on individual academics compared with university-level initiatives; implications arising from unrealistic staff workloads; and the effect of student attitude towards employability on staff willingness to innovate and introduce embedded employability-based learning. The research also revealed academic staff perceptions of the opportunities to address employability, including the potential to leverage academic-industry connections and academic-student connections to enhance student- industry connections. The practical output from this research is a holistic model that presents key areas for consideration for university leaders and curriculum designers to help assess a university’s strategic readiness to embed employability. The model emphasises practical action at each of the hierarchical tiers of the University, and it acknowledges the extent to which action in one leadership tier will impact the potential for action in each of the subsequent tiers. The model focuses on pragmatic considerations to overcome the challenges to embedding employability identified by those on the ‘front line’ of teaching – academic staff, and, by identifying potential actions, it provides insight about potential opportunities. The research was conducted as a qualitative study, based on twelve semi-structured interviews with academic staff who all had some interest in or experience teaching employability or experiential learning (authentic learning activity and assessment).