Connecting Learning Outcomes to Professional Life: Better Educational Policy for Better Professionals

Abstract

Universities set graduate profiles and learning outcomes offered as the skills and knowledge to equip graduates for future education and employment. However, these profiles and learning outcomes may fail to lead their graduates to the expected results. The study is interested in discovering this singularity whether or not the graduate profiles and learning outcomes have met the expectations. Using survey and interviews, the study involved 100 EFL university students and graduates in Indonesia as the participants. The results discovered that most EFL university students expected relevant career path to the graduate profile set by the university. However, the analysis on the graduates found that only fifty percent of the graduates undergo the profile-relevant careers. Those findings provide noteworthy feedback for the university and its stakeholders to revisit the graduate profiles and learning outcomes which in turn to readjust its educational policy to create better professionals for the ongoing and upcoming challenge.