Rethinking employability: how students build on interest in a subject to plan a career

As universities prioritise employability, there is increased attention to promoting students’ career decidedness. In this mixed method, cross-sectional study, we explore whether and how students’ interest in their academic subject affects their career decidedness. Using surveys of 428 undergraduates...

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Vydané v:	Higher education Ročník 84; číslo 4; s. 863 - 883
Hlavní autori:	Quinlan, Kathleen M., Renninger, K. Ann
Médium:	Journal Article
Jazyk:	English
Vydavateľské údaje:	Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.10.2022 Springer Springer Nature B.V
Predmet:	Academic careers Academic staff Career Choice Career Development Career Exploration Career Planning Careers College students Colleges & universities Course Selection (Students) Cross-sectional studies Decision Making Desire Education Education Work Relationship Employability Employment Employment Potential Evaluation Feasibility Foreign Countries Higher Education Interviews Majors (Students) Methods Occupational Aspiration Occupations Policy making Polls & surveys Science Student Interests Students Surveys Teachers Teaching Undergraduate Students Work experience United Kingdom Subject interest Career values Higher education Science interest Employability Careers education
ISSN:	0018-1560, 1573-174X
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Shrnutí:	As universities prioritise employability, there is increased attention to promoting students’ career decidedness. In this mixed method, cross-sectional study, we explore whether and how students’ interest in their academic subject affects their career decidedness. Using surveys of 428 undergraduates studying sciences in a UK university (60% F, average age = 19.9) and case examples from follow-up interviews with 15 students, we examine students’ interest development and its relation to their career decidedness and their desire for meaningful, interesting work. Findings showed that most students who were studying science in university had a well-developed interest that had motivated their choice of programme, and their subject interest and career decidedness were linked. Regression analyses indicated that students’ interest in their subject was a significant predictor of career decidedness, mediated by students’ desire to pursue that interest in their career. Open-ended comments on the surveys suggested that decidedness was informed by coursework, proactive career exploration, work experience, interest, feasibility, and familial contacts. Interviews confirmed these factors and illustrated how they contributed to students’ career decidedness. We propose implications for academics and career counsellors who might help students refine their interest by considering connections between their academic subject, interest, and related career options. We argue that educators and policy-makers need to reframe employability interventions and think beyond teaching students skills or attributes that lead to employment. Educators can start with students’ interest in their subject and support students’ exploration of how they can continue to pursue that interest in various careers.
Bibliografia:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 14
ISSN:	0018-1560 1573-174X
DOI:	10.1007/s10734-021-00804-6