Academic hindrances in the integration of employability skills development in teaching and assessment practice

Abstract

The development of employability skills is an important graduate outcome of most contemporary university degrees. Given the critical role of academics in teaching and assessing curriculum, they are held responsible for furthering the employability skills development of university graduates; yet little is known about the factors that hinder academics in integrating employability skills into the university curriculum. Based on the Theories of Action Framework, this research compared academics’ espoused understanding of employability skills and reported practice against their actual practices to identify the hindrances. Their understandings of employability skills and of their espoused practice were collected through interviews with academics and content analysis of curriculum documents. The data, drawn from direct observation of teaching and assessment practices and follow-up interviews, were analysed to investigate actual teaching and assessment practices. The findings indicate a disjuncture between espoused practice and actual practice. The disjuncture can be explained by the individual nature of teaching and assessment practice that is influenced by academic experience, position, and disciplinary boundaries. As such, academics face a number of competing challenges, constraints, and demands within the scope of their practice that impede the consistent and systematic integration of employability skills in the university curriculum.

Appendices

Appendix 1. Semi-structural interview questions

Interview protocol: Semi-structured interviews.

Project: An examination of the extent that academics integrate employability skills in the business curriculum

Date of interview
Time of interview
Place
Interviewer
Interviewee:
Position of interviewee:
Project Description
Proposed Questions
1. What is your understanding of employability skills?
2. What skills do you think your students should possess upon the completion of your subject?
3. What would you describe as your role in preparing future graduates with required employability skills?
4. What do you know about the university’s direction with regard to the integration of employability skills within curriculum?
5. To what extent is the integration of employability skills integrated at the program level of your faculty?
6. What do you think is the best way to prepare students with a broad range of skills that will prepare them for employment in the workplace? • What is the purpose of lectures/tutorials/workshops/e-learning delivery? • What is the purpose of assessment? • Room that you teach from – is it conducive to the practice/learning of employability skills?
7. Have you made any recent changes to your curriculum that seeks to include employability skills? If yes, in what ways? If not, why not?
8. Do you see the need to make changes to your curriculum in the future? Why/Why not?
9. Other questions/notes

Appendix 2. Selected subjects and classroom types (for each macrogenre)

Subjects	Macrogenre sequence of lessons over 12 weeks
	Classroom type observed	1 class per week	Duration
First year accounting	Lectures	12 weeks	2 h
	Tutorials	12 weeks	1 h
Third year accounting	Lectures	12 weeks	2 h
	Workshop	12 weeks	1.5 h
First year economics	Lectures	12 weeks	2 h (2 × 1 h)
	Tutorials	12 weeks	1 h
Third year economics	Lectures	12 weeks	2 h (2 × 1 h)
	Tutorials	12 weeks	1 h

Appendix 3. The observational protocol

Direct observation of teaching practice protocol

Project: An examination of the extent that academics integrate employability skills in the business curriculum

Description Notes	Reflection Notes
Subject Code/Name
Semester
Week Number
Date of observation
Time of Observation
Observer:
Academic being observed:
Position of individual being observed:
Topic
Type of teaching delivery
Describe place of observation (layout, physical setting)
Introduction/Opening to teaching delivery
Describe Teaching delivery
Closing

Appendix 4. Follow-up semi-structured interview questions

Interview protocol: Follow-up semi-structured interviews

Project: An examination of the extent that academics integrate employability skills in the business curriculum

Date of follow-up interview
Time of follow-up interview
Place
Interviewer
Interviewee:
Position of interviewee:
Project Description
Questions about curriculum documentation
1. Tell more about learning outcome (x, y, z)
2. Give me an example of how you set out to ensure learning outcome (x, y, z) was achieved by the students.
3. Tell me more about (x, y, z) learning and teaching activity? Why was this included? What are the benefits it has for student learning or the acquisition of employability skills
Questions about observed teaching and learning activities (including any online activities)
1. Tell me more about (example of observed teaching activity).
2. Why did you decide to do (example) during (specific tutorial/lecture/workshop)?
3. What is the purpose of (example of activity/questions/tasks)?
Questions about assessment and feedback
1. Describe the skills students gained from completing assessment (a, b, c).
2. Describe what ways did assessment (a, b, c) provide students with the
3. Describe in what ways do you see feedback on assessment as a means to allow students to reflect on the skills gained/practiced/enhanced.
4. In what way does feedback on assessment provide students the opportunity to learn what skills are important for employment?
Other questions/comments

Appendix 5

Table 1 Typology: accounting academics’ observed teaching practice

Table 2 Typology: economics academics’ observed teaching practice

Appendix 6. Observed practice overview

Table 3 First year accounting lecture

Table 4 First year accounting tutorials

Table 5 Third year accounting lectures

Table 6 Third year accounting workshops

Table 7 First year economics lectures

Table 8 First year economic tutorials

Table 9 Third year economics lecture

Table 10 Third year economic tutorials

Appendix 7. Employability skills identified in assessment tasks

Subject and year	Analysis skills	Critical thinking skills	Written skills	Verbal skills	Teamwork skills
First year accounting
Tutorial participation and contribution	✓
Group assignment	✓		✓		✓
Final exam	✓
Third year accounting
Workshop participation and contribution	✓
Test
Group assignment	✓		✓
Final exam	✓
First year economics
Tutorial participation and attendance
Multiple choice test online
Assignment 1	✓		✓
Assignment 2	✓	✓	✓
Final exam
Third year economics
Tutorial participation and attendance
Group assignment 1	✓
Group assignment 2	✓
Mid-semester exam
Final exam