Career Choice Factors and Clinical Performance among Health Sciences Students

The issue of youths’ employment decisions has piqued the curiosity of many people because it could shape future life. The study explores the association between career choice factors and clinical performance among 112 final-year health sciences students. An online questionnaire found that educational qualifications, lifestyle, ability to interact with others, job availability, and parental advice significantly correlated with clinical performance. The career choice factor is crucial because it impacts academic achievement and future career prospects. Institutions of higher learning should provide information on job descriptions and career opportunities to aid career decision-making, particularly for the health sciences profession. Keywords: Career Choice; Clinical Performance; Undergraduate; Health Sciences eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2023. The Authors. Published for AMER & cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), College of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v8i24.461

Factors influencing first-year students’ career decisions to pursue anit career

The process of deciding on a career is a dauntingand life-changing decision,which all scholarshave had to make. Various factors influence a first-year student’s career choice decision and selected field of study. Career decision-making,as a field of study, has been extensivelyresearched,globally. The research studies focusingon IT career choicesof studentshave indicated that scholars choosing careers in Information Technology (IT) are influenced by factors such as salaries, knowledge of career opportunities, the reputation of IT-related fields in society and by parents, teachers and role models. Recent research indicates that exposure to new technologies and programming concepts at the school level can influence a scholar’s IT career choice. Theories relating to career choice have focused on the characteristics of individuals and their environment. Career choice models have identified factors that influenced a student’s career choice.In South Africahowever,there have been limited studies investigating the factors influencing students’ career decisions in choosing careers in Computer Science (CS), Information Systems (IS) and Information Technology (IT)using mixed-methods.This study aims to investigate the factors that influence first-year students’ decisionsin choosing an IT career at the Nelson Mandela University.The research study pursueda pragmatisticapproach,using a mixed-methods approach. In investigating theories andfactors that influence students’ decisionsin choosing IT careers,the study used systematic literature reviews. The decision-making theories and factorsin theliterature review facilitated the creation of the conceptual framework for IT career decision making. A questionnaire was developed and distributed amongst ITand Non-ITfirst-year studentsin 2021. Fourhundredand eightparticipants completed the survey. The data obtained from the survey were statistically analysed, includingdescriptive analysis andExploratory Factor Analysis(EFA). Additionally, inferential statistics were used namely; Correlations, t-test, Confirmatory Factor Analysis(CFA)and Structural Equation Modelling(SEM). The study results wereinterpreted andcompared with iiiotherrelevantstudies. Recommendations were madeto address the factorsthat influencefirst-year students’ IT career decisions.The study highlighted that high academic confidence and personal attributes amongststudents,whowereinvolved at an early age in programming and using computers,chose IT as a career. The study showed significant statistical differences betweenIT and Non-IT groups in perceptions about the IT industry and identifying job title descriptions.Additionally, a significant statistical difference between languages and genders was identified in understanding careers.Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, School of Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics, 202

Uptake and Mutual Recognition of MOOCs in South Africa

The findings revealed the great extent to which multifaceted change and flexibility is needed at institutional and individual levels if MOOCs are to be adopted successfully and cross-accredited across higher education institutions (HEIs). In as much as MOOCs are easily accessible, there remain challenges in individual access in rural and township areas, individual perceptions, and management resistance to adopt new ways of accessing and offering online content. Among many interventions are awareness of the available MOOCs and how accredited MOOCs can be designed with skills pathways into jobs – that is the critical issue. NEMISA is working with the outcomes of the findings to improve its 4IR course offerings along with a number of stakeholders in industry, academia and international agencies

Factors influencing first-year students’ career decisions to pursue anit career

The process of deciding on a career is a dauntingand life-changing decision,which all scholarshave had to make. Various factors influence a first-year student’s career choice decision and selected field of study. Career decision-making,as a field of study, has been extensivelyresearched,globally. The research studies focusingon IT career choicesof studentshave indicated that scholars choosing careers in Information Technology (IT) are influenced by factors such as salaries, knowledge of career opportunities, the reputation of IT-related fields in society and by parents, teachers and role models. Recent research indicates that exposure to new technologies and programming concepts at the school level can influence a scholar’s IT career choice. Theories relating to career choice have focused on the characteristics of individuals and their environment. Career choice models have identified factors that influenced a student’s career choice.In South Africahowever,there have been limited studies investigating the factors influencing students’ career decisions in choosing careers in Computer Science (CS), Information Systems (IS) and Information Technology (IT)using mixed-methods.This study aims to investigate the factors that influence first-year students’ decisionsin choosing an IT career at the Nelson Mandela University.The research study pursueda pragmatisticapproach,using a mixed-methods approach. In investigating theories andfactors that influence students’ decisionsin choosing IT careers,the study used systematic literature reviews. The decision-making theories and factorsin theliterature review facilitated the creation of the conceptual framework for IT career decision making. A questionnaire was developed and distributed amongst ITand Non-ITfirst-year studentsin 2021. Fourhundredand eightparticipants completed the survey. The data obtained from the survey were statistically analysed, includingdescriptive analysis andExploratory Factor Analysis(EFA). Additionally, inferential statistics were used namely; Correlations, t-test, Confirmatory Factor Analysis(CFA)and Structural Equation Modelling(SEM). The study results wereinterpreted andcompared with iiiotherrelevantstudies. Recommendations were madeto address the factorsthat influencefirst-year students’ IT career decisions.The study highlighted that high academic confidence and personal attributes amongststudents,whowereinvolved at an early age in programming and using computers,chose IT as a career. The study showed significant statistical differences betweenIT and Non-IT groups in perceptions about the IT industry and identifying job title descriptions.Additionally, a significant statistical difference between languages and genders was identified in understanding careers.Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, School of Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics, 202

An examination of the e-Competence requirements of potential information systems graduate employers in the Western Cape and the information systems curriculum at University X

Magister Commercii (Information Management) - MCom(IM)Knowledge, skills and competences (KSC) are regarded as the new global currency of the 21st century, without which a country’s investments in other resources will collapse. These strategic skills and competences, which are related to specific requirements of the knowledge-driven economy and information society, are referred to as electronic skills (e-skills) and electronic competences (e-competences). Possessing e-skills and e-competencies allows for a more effective and inclusive participation within a global knowledge-driven economy and broader society. However, with a history of inequity, South Africa has been adversely impacted by globalisation and rapidly progressing Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), resulting in the country lagging behind in global competitiveness and e-readiness. Since e-skills and e-competencies are considered a pre-requisite for securing professional employment in most of the world, there is a need for Higher Education Institutions to determine firstly, which e-competencies are required in today’s society and then to ensure that these e-competencies are sufficiently provided to their students. This statement is premised on the understanding that quality, relevant and adequate e-skills and e-competences are required for a more effective and inclusive participation within a global knowledge-driven economy and broader society. In the context of a regressing youth unemployment crisis in South Africa and with the backdrop of the global mismatch between demand and supply of e-skills and e-competences, this study investigated the alignment between demand and supply of e-competences in South Africa. Thus, the overarching aim of this study was to determine how well the Information Systems curriculum at a South African university (supply) matched the e-competence requirements of potential employers of Information Systems graduates in South Africa, specifically in the Western Cape Province (demand). This was achieved through two specific objectives which were firstly, to develop a conceptual framework that could be used to assess if there was a mismatch between demand and supply and then 2) to use the conceptual framework to make recommendations towards alignment of demand and supply. By achieving these objectives, this study makes a significant contribution to the current e-skills dialogue and existing body of knowledge by positing a conceptual framework ofe-Competences for Information Systems graduates in the South African context, which was developed after an extensive examination of the literature related to the demand and supply of e-competences; and eleven existing e-skills and e-competence frameworks. A holistic perspective of e-competences is illustrated in this e-Competence framework, which suggests a vertical and horizontal view of the knowledge, skill and attitude (KSA) components in the e-competence definition. By using three vertical layers, the framework categorises the combination of fifty specific e-competencies expected of undergraduate and postgraduate Information Systems graduates. The first layer indicates the core competence categories, which are Cognitive Competence, Functional Competence, ICT Competence, Personal Competence (which includes Career Management, Ethical and Emotional Intelligence Competences), Global Competence (which includes Behavioural, Intercultural and Social Intelligence Competences) and lastly Meta-competences, which underscore all the other competences. The second and third layers of the framework allocated fifty specific e-competencies to these core competence categories. The study was positioned within a qualitative, interpretive research paradigm and used a case study design. The research sites were twenty two IS graduate employers in the Western Cape Province who participate in the annual internship programme at the IS department of University X. Convenient sampling was used to collect data over a period of five years, from 2010 until 2014. The study used two data collection instruments, which were performance evaluation forms and follow up interviews. These two instruments provided rich data in both qualitative and quantitative forms and the variety of data allowed for the reliability and validity to be ensured with the qualitative data being triangulated with the quantitative data. Content analysis was used to analyse the data through a three-stage open coding process. Nine findings were identified, which indicate that there was a mismatch between the demand and supply of e-competences in the selected case study. The mismatches were found to be either in the knowledge, skill or attitude component of e-competence. It was noted that twenty one of the fifty e-competencies in the conceptual framework were taught at University X, eleven were assumed to be embedded within the IS curriculum and eighteen e-competencies are not taught at University X. Significantly, most employers regarded attitudes as a more important requirement for e-competence than knowledge and skills