Education Commons^™

Exploring Academic Persistence For Nontraditional Business Students At For-Profit Universities, Leroy Purdie

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study explored academic persistence for 10 nontraditional students pursuing business degrees at for-profit universities in southern Georgia and northern Virginia. The literature review provides a theoretical framework based on Tinto’s (1975) theory of persistence and Bandura’s (1993) self-efficacy theory. Data was collected through a demographic survey, timeline of significant events, in- depth survey, and a letter of advice. Data analysis included identifying significant statements, utilizing participant feedback to create structural and textural descriptions and ultimately describing the participant essences of their experiences. The decision to pursue a degree themes that emerged were career progression, family security, transferability, and …

Business Graduate Employability – Where Are We Going Wrong?, Denise Jackson

Research outputs 2013

Persistent gaps in certain non-technical skills in business graduates continue to impact on organisational performance and global competitiveness. Despite business school’s best efforts in developing non-technical skills, widely acknowledged as fundamental to graduate employability, there has been considerably less attention to measuring skill outcomes and even less on their subsequent transfer to the workplace. It appears stakeholders are assuming transfer occurs automatically in graduates, neglecting the influence of learning program, learner and workplace characteristics on this complex process and its potential impact on graduate employability.

This paper unpacks the concept of transfer and proposes a model of graduate employability which …

Student Perceptions Of The Importance Of Employability Skill Provision In Business Undergraduate Programs, Denise Jackson

Research outputs 2013

Studies examining student perceptions of employability skill development in business undergraduate programs are limited. Assurance of student buy-in is important to ensure learners engage with skill provision; to enable them to articulate their capabilities to potential employers and to facilitate the transfer of acquired skills. This study examines 1019 students’ perceptions of the importance of employability skill development, the relative importance of skills and the influence of certain demographic/background characteristics. Findings indicate undergraduates value skill development, most particularly communication and team-working, and some significant variations in importance ratings. Alignment with other stakeholder perceptions and the influence of context are discussed.

Preparing 21st Century Learners: The Case For School-Community Collaborations, Michele Lonsdale, Michelle Anderson

Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation

Highly effective schools have high levels of parent and community engagement. ‘Community’ here includes parents, business and philanthropic organisations, and various services and not-for-profit groups. How ‘engagement’ is defined and what it looks like in practice will vary from school to school. But, as the growing body of research makes quite clear, support from those beyond the school gates is an essential part of preparing learners for the twenty-first century. Schools are expected to prepare students for a complex and rapidly changing world. In addition to teaching subject content, schools are expected to develop young people who are information and …

A Quantitative Study Into Grade Inflation (Perceived And Actual) In The College Of Business, Technologicl University Dublin, Derek Simon

Theses

Most academics have an opinion on the existence or otherwise of grade inflation. Some people deny the existence of grade inflation. Some argue that it is damaging to academia while some argue that it is a normal phenomenon and is not damaging while others assert that it is impossible to measure. Due to the difficulty in measurement of grade inflation this study was devised to measure firsts and distinctions to ascertain the quantity of grade inflation. This study takes a two pronged approach to discovering the real and perceived existence or otherwise of grade inflation in the College. In the …

Local Learning And Employment Partnership: North Metro: Environmental Scan, Beth Walker, Beverley Webster, Alan Charlton

Research outputs pre 2011

Young people are vital to all communities and encouraging and supporting them to participate in education and training is a significant way to ensure that communities maintain a skilled workforce. However, there are many barriers to young people staying in the community, not the least of which is a lack of appropriate jobs. That is, jobs that the young people want to do, but are sustainable for the individual as a career path and not on a casual basis. These jobs normally involve some form of training or further education. Marrying the needs of industry in terms of their current …