Implementing the Employability Agenda: A Critical Review of Curriculum Developments in Political Science and International Relations in English Universities

Lee, Donna; Foster, Emma; Snaith, Holly

doi:10.1111/1467-9256.12061

Cited by 21 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The findings also speak to the reorganization of higher-education systems. Busemeyer and Trampusch (2011, 420) noted that “study structures have been reformed with the aim of improving the ‘employability’ of students.” The Bologna process set in motion by the European Union is one example, as are efforts by the British Higher Education Academy to make international relations departments in the United Kingdom more skill oriented (Lee, Foster, and Snaith 2014). In contrast to these efforts, my findings suggest that it might be worth considering the critical difference between ‘obtaining specific skills’ and ‘learning how to apply such skills in a complicated, ever-changing, and inherently uncertain world.’ Successfully transferring skills from one situation to a substantially different situation requires a frame of reference.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Why Do Students Enroll in Political Science Courses?

Bunte¹

2019

APSC

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Why do students enroll in political science courses? I conducted an experiment designed to test the appeal of three possible motivations: students might hope to develop valuable skills, look for a better grasp of current events, or expect a deeper understanding of how the world works and their place within it. The experiment involved visiting several sections of Introduction to American Government courses. In each section, I advertised a political science course offered in the following semester. However, I varied the way in which the course was described and subsequently tracked whether students enrolled in it. I find that highlighting opportunities to develop skills does not have a significant effect on enrollment. In contrast, emphasizing “how the world works” is most effective at increasing enrollment. Qualitative evidence suggests that students are attracted to this type of course because it offers the opportunity for personal development and growth.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Why Do Students Enroll in Political Science Courses?

Bunte¹

2019

APSC

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“…Research from the UK (Lee et al 2014) and the US (Biswas & Haufler 2018) has found that skills are only implicitly ingrained in the curriculum. A paper exploring skills and foreign policy courses in Germany identified that despite acknowledging the skills issues, 'alternative innovative teaching methods, such as the drafting of policy papers, seem only rarely to have found their way into curricula' (Nieman and Heister 2010).…”

Section: Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Policy Briefs as Assessment to Integrating Research-Led Employability in Foreign Policy Courses

Lightfoot¹

2020

JCER

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The aims of this paper are to highlight the way policy briefs were employed as an assessment tool on a final year foreign policy orientated Politics/IR module in a UK university. It explores the skill/employability rationale behind the use of the tool alongside wider concerns about diversity of assessment before moving onto some practical aspects of its introduction within the module and the evolution of the task. Finally, it reflects on student opinion of the assessment, it highlights some of the expected and unexpected challenges in using policy briefs as an assessment tool and proposes some future modifications. Overall, this paper argues that policy briefs can be utilised on more "traditional" modules and that they have a range of benefits for both students and staff, confirming the general findings of Chagas-Bastos and Burges (2018) and others, whilst making a more explicit case for their use in relation to the fact that the tool allows students to demonstrate research-based employability skills.

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“…Much of the debate about skills acquisition concerns the concept of 'employability' and its implications. Clark and Martin (2016), for example, argue that particularly in the UK the employability agenda has been driven by government policies, national student surveys, concerns of parents and students faced with high tuition fees, and the Bologna process (see also Lee et al 2016). As Sin and Neave (2016) show, European policy-makers and employers have promoted a discourse that stresses students' need to become 'employable' individuals, and emphasises the responsibility of HE institutions to equip students with the necessary skills to do so (see also Crebert et al 2004, on Australia; Mohan et al 2010, on the United States).…”

Section: Skills and Mapping Their Progressionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monitoring Generic Skills Development in a Bachelor European Studies

Adriaensen¹,

Bijsmans²,

Groen

2019

JCER

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To ensure a smooth transition from studies to professional careers, students' skills and attitudes are often considered of greater value than theoretical knowledge and understanding. Yet, whereas typical academic skills such as research and writing are commonly monitored and trained, generic skills such as teamwork and communication receive scant attention. At Maastricht University, we developed a portfolio to raise awareness about skills required to take full advantage of the Problem-Based Learning environment, and to initiate self-reflection by students. As such, the portfolio also provides an opportunity to engage in a more in-depth assessment of students' skills acquisition. Students assessed their skills at the start of the bachelor programme through a survey that was administered again at two later stages during the first year. Comparing data of 414 students, we provide a unique insight into skills progression in an active learning environment. Repeated measures can thus provide a first impression of the impact of an active learning environment on generic skills acquisition. While we argue that the current portfolio achieves its educational objectives, as an instrument for measurement of skills acquisition it has its limitations.

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Implementing the Employability Agenda: A Critical Review of Curriculum Developments in Political Science and International Relations in English Universities

Cited by 21 publications

References 18 publications

Why Do Students Enroll in Political Science Courses?

Why Do Students Enroll in Political Science Courses?

Using Policy Briefs as Assessment to Integrating Research-Led Employability in Foreign Policy Courses

Monitoring Generic Skills Development in a Bachelor European Studies

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