Towards a Successful Transition to Work : which Employability Factors Contribute to Early Career Success?

The transition from university to working life is a challenging phase for graduates. The focus in the present longitudinal study is on employability factors and their association with this transition and with early career success. The participants were 43 graduates who were interviewed at the time of their graduation and filled in a follow-up questionnaire three years later. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results revealed five employability factors relating early career success: (1) career plans and goals, (2) perceived competences related to the degree, (3) self-efficacy beliefs, (4) activity and (5) work experience and networks. Three transition groups emerged based on the differences in employability factors and career success, which we labelled smooth transition, progressive transition and a rocky road. The results revealed individual variation in employability factors and in the kind of challenges these graduates encountered in the transition phase and in their early career. An awareness of the ways in which graduates differ could help educators to develop practises that better support students and graduates in the transition to working life. These findings highlight the importance of active career planning during one's studies.Peer reviewe

Yliopisto-opiskelijoiden työllistyvyys : akateemisten kompetenssien, oppimisen ja työkokemuksen merkitys menestyksekkäässä siirtymisessä yliopistosta työelämään

The aim of this doctoral thesis was to explore university graduates’ employability and transition to working life. The main aim was to explore graduates’ evaluations of their academic competences and how these evaluations are related to their learning. In addition, the aim was to investigate the relation between work experience, approaches to learning and study success. Follow-up study aimed to explore how graduates’ evaluate their academic competences and career success after three years of graduation, and what kinds of challenges graduates have encountered in working life. This thesis consists of four sub-studies. Study was a longitudinal study and applied a mixed-methods approach. Data included 1023 survey answers and 83 interviews at the time of graduation and 57 follow-up survey answers three years after graduation. The results of Study I showed that graduates varied in evaluations of their academic competences. Most graduates were able to extensively describe their competences, including those that are more demanding such as critical thinking and applying knowledge, as well as more practical competences. However, some graduates described their academic competences quite narrowly, emphasising only practical competences such as communications skills and information technology skills. Moreover, others had difficulties in describing and evaluating their competences at all. The results of Study II revealed that a deep approach to learning, organised studying, and especially putting effort into learn competences, was related to the richness of the evaluations of competences. The results of Study III showed that academic work was related to a deep approach to learning and non-academic work was related to a surface approach to learning and unorganised studying. In addition, own academic work had a direct negative relation to study pace when working more than 20 hours per week as well as doing more 20 hours of non-academic work per week had a negative relation to the thesis grade. Study IV showed that graduates with rich descriptions of their competences at the time of graduation had more often academic work that was related to their study field and had experienced less difficulties related to employment after graduation compared to the graduates with more limited descriptions of their competences. The results showed that significant changes in graduates’ evaluations of academic competences had occurred. After three years of graduation, collaboration and communication competences were evaluated as being less developed than they evaluated at the time of graduation. The results of Study IV also revealed that most of the challenges that graduates reported having encountered in working life were related to a need for more academic competences, especially presentation and social competences. In conclusion, this doctoral thesis provides new information on the factors that are related to employability and it extended previous employability models by adding aspect of learning as a single dimension. This doctoral thesis indicates that the ability to evaluate and describe one’s own competences at the time of graduation is an important factor for employability and career success. This doctoral thesis indicates that a mixed methods approach is needed to explore graduates’ employability and especially competences more profoundly.Tämän väitöstutkimuksen päätavoitteena oli tutkia yliopistosta valmistuneiden työllistyvyyttä ja siirtymistä työelämään. Tutkimuksen ensimmäinen tavoite oli tutkia vastavalmistuneiden kuvauksia akateemisista kompetensseistaan, luottamuksesta työelämässä pärjäämiseen sekä työkokemuksen hyödyllisyydestä opintoihin. Toinen tavoite oli tutkia, miten akateemiset kompetenssit ovat yhteydessä oppimisen lähestymistapoihin. Kolmantena tavoitteena oli tutkia työkokemuksen, oppimisen lähestymistapojen ja opintomenestyksen välisiä yhteyksiä. Neljäntenä tavoitteena oli tutkia valmistuneiden työelämässä menestymistä ja työelämässä koettuja haasteita kolme vuotta valmistumisen jälkeen. Väitöskirjatutkimus perustui neljään osatutkimukseen. Tutkimuksen aineisto koostui 1023 vastavalmistuneen kyselylomakevastauksesta ja 83 haastattelusta sekä kolme vuotta valmistumisen jälkeen kerätyistä kyselylomakevastauksista (N=57). Lisäksi tutkimuksessa hyödynnettiin opiskelijarekisteristä saatuja opintomenestystietoja. Tämän väitöstutkimuksen tulokset osoittivat, että valmistuneiden kuvaukset akateemista kompetensseista vaihtelivat. Suurin osa valmistuneista kuvasi monipuolisesti kehittämiään valmiuksia, kun taas osa kuvasi valmiuksia suppeammin tai heillä oli vaikeuksia kuvata niitä. Tulokset myös osoittivat, että kyky kuvata monipuolisesti omia akateemisia kompetensseja valmistumishetkellä oli yhteydessä oppimiseen. Toisin sanoen, pohdintaa ja ymmärrystä painottava oppiminen, suunnitelmallinen opiskelu sekä oma panostus akateemisten kompetenssien oppimiseen olivat yhteydessä monipuolisiin kompetenssikuvauksiin. Tutkimuksen tulokset osoittivat, että opiskeluaikaisen työssäkäynnin ja opintomenestyksen välisiä yhteyksiä tutkittaessa on tärkeää huomioida oppimisen lähestymistavat sekä työn luonne. Tulokset osoittivat, että muu akateeminen työkokemus oli yhteydessä syväsuuntautuneeseen lähestymistapaan ja ei-akateeminen työ pintasuuntautuneeseen lähestymistapaan sekä ei-suunnitelmalliseen opiskeluun. Tulokset myös osoittivat, että osa-aikainen työssäkäynti ei hidastanut opintojen etenemistä. Seurantatutkimuksen tulokset osoittivat, että valmistuneiden arviot akateemisten kompetenssien kehittymisestä yliopisto-opintojen aikana muuttuivat hieman valmistumisen jälkeen. Yhteistyö- ja vuorovaikutustaidot arvioitiin kolme vuotta valmistumisen jälkeen kehittyneen vähemmän opintojen aikana verrattuna siihen, miten niiden arvioitiin kehittyneen valmistumishetkellä. Lisäksi tulokset osoittivat, että valmistuneet, jotka kuvasivat kompetenssejaan monipuolisesti valmistumisvaiheessa, olivat useammin oman alansa töissä, olivat tyytyväisempiä tutkintoonsa ja olivat kokeneet vähemmän työllistymiseen liittyviä haasteita kuin valmistuneet, jotka kuvasivat akateemisia kompetenssejaan suppeammin. Tämä väitöstutkimus osoittaa, että kyky kuvata omia valmiuksiaan valmistumishetkellä on tärkeä tekijä valmistuneen työllistyvyyden ja työelämässä menestymisen kannalta. Tutkimus antoi tärkeää tietoa oppimisen yhteydestä työllistyvyyteen ja erityisesti akateemisiin kompetensseihin sekä opintojen aikaiseen työssäkäyntiin. Tutkimuksen perusteella voidaan todeta, että valmistuneiden työllistyvyyttä voidaan kehittää panostamalla laadukkaaseen oppimiseen ja kykyyn tunnistaa ja kuvata omia kompetensseja

Teologian opiskelijoiden hakumotiivit ja niiden yhteys oppimiseen

Peer reviewe

What factors of the teaching and learning environment support the learning of generic skills? First-year students’ perceptions in medicine, dentistry and psychology

Future health professions need generic skills in their working lives, such as knowledge analysis, collaboration, communication and problem-solving skills. The teaching and learning environment is crucial in the development of generic skills when studying at university. The aim of this research was to examine students’ perceptions of learning generic skills during their first study year and how the teaching and learning environment related to their learning perceptions. The data were collected from first-year students (medicine n = 215, dentistry n = 70 and psychology n = 89) who completed a questionnaire at the end of their first study year. Two cohorts of first-year students from 2020 and 2021 were combined. The teaching and learning environments in medicine, dentistry and psychology differed from each other. The results showed that learning of problem-solving, communication and collaboration skills were emphasized more among medical and dental students, whereas analytical skills more among psychology students. There were no statistically significant differences in perceptions of the teaching and learning environment. Perceptions of generic skills and the teaching and learning environment were positively related to each other. In medicine, the strongest predictors of generic skills were peer support and feedback and in dentistry, peer support, interest and relevance. In psychology, the strongest predictors were interest and relevance. The results emphasize the relevance of the teaching and learning environment in learning generic skills.Peer reviewe

Students’ experiences of the factors affecting their study progress : Differences in study profiles

Many factors influence students’ progress in higher education. However, the students’ own voices are seldom heard. Using a qualitative approach, the study explored students’ own experiences of the factors that have influenced their studying. Research has indicated that students’ experiences are often related to their approaches to learning. Therefore, experiences of enhancing and impeding factors were explored here in relation to different study profiles. Altogether 736 open-ended answers were analysed by qualitative context analysis. After establishing the categories of enhancing and impeding factors and creating the student profiles, the differences between the profiles were examined using chi-square tests. The results revealed that the students had experienced a broad variety of factors that influenced their studying. These experiences varied widely with regard to the students’ study profiles. In particular, those in the Students applying a surface approach and Unorganised students applying a deep approach profiles appeared to experience more obstacles in their studies than the students in other profiles. Characteristic of these two profiles was the students’ low ability to organise their studies, that is, manage their time and effort. The study suggests that at least part of the variation in students’ experiences of the factors influencing their progress is explainable by the students’ learning profiles. Whether it would be useful to identify different student profiles rather than concentrate on asking the students directly about their experiences of enhancing and impeding factors is discussed.Many factors influence students’ progress in higher education. However, the students’ own voices are seldom heard. Using a qualitative approach, the study explored students’ own experiences of the factors that have influenced their studying. Research has indicated that students’ experiences are often related to their approaches to learning. Therefore, experiences of enhancing and impeding factors were explored here in relation to different study profiles. Altogether 736 open-ended answers were analysed by qualitative context analysis. After establishing the categories of enhancing and impeding factors and creating the student profiles, the differences between the profiles were examined using chi-square tests. The results revealed that the students had experienced a broad variety of factors that influenced their studying. These experiences varied widely with regard to the students’ study profiles. In particular, those in the Students applying a surface approach and Unorganised students applying a deep approach profiles appeared to experience more obstacles in their studies than the students in other profiles. Characteristic of these two profiles was the students’ low ability to organise their studies, that is, manage their time and effort. The study suggests that at least part of the variation in students’ experiences of the factors influencing their progress is explainable by the students’ learning profiles. Whether it would be useful to identify different student profiles rather than concentrate on asking the students directly about their experiences of enhancing and impeding factors is discussed.Peer reviewe

Complex interrelations between academic competences and students' approaches to learning - mixed-methods study

Students are expected to develop academic competences during their studies. However, research regarding the relation between academic competences and student learning is scarce. The present mixed-methods study aims to investigate the complex interrelations between academic competences and approaches to learning using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The data included 1023 graduates' survey answers and 83 interviews. The results showed that academic competences correlated positively with a deep approach to learning as well as with organised studying, and negatively with a surface approach. The qualitative analysis, however, revealed that descriptions of a deep approach were also found among graduates who evaluated academic competences less highly. Further, the results showed that putting effort into studying and seeing various competences as transferable were also positively related to academic competences and greater satisfaction with the degree obtained. The present study also showed that approaches to learning are closely intertwined with academic competences. The study suggests that the development of academic competences and an ability to identify them can be supported by emphasising deep-level learning and organised studying.Peer reviewe

Graduates' evaluations of usefulness of university education, and early career success - a longitudinal study of the transition to working life

A successful transition from university to working life requires that graduates are able to employ their education and academic competences in real working-life contexts. Our previous research showed that graduates varied in how they were able to reflect on their competences at the time of graduation. The present longitudinal mixed-method study follows the same graduates and explores their evaluations of the usefulness of university education and career success, three years after graduation. The follow-up data consisted of 57 graduates' survey answers analysed by quantitative and qualitative methods. The results showed that graduates who were able to describe and evaluate more competences at the time of graduation perceived their current jobs to correspond more to their education. Graduates with more limited evaluations of their competences, on the other hand, had experienced more challenges related to employment and were more uncertain of their goals. The results also showed that having diverse competences and an ability to recognise them at the time of graduation is important for later career success and may also be related to what kind of challenges graduates face in working life.Peer reviewe

Autistic graduates : Graduate Capital and Employability

An unprecedented number of autistic people are completing university and they frequently face unemployment after graduation. However, research focusing on the forms of graduate capital and their employability is scarce. The focus of existing research has been on non-autistic, or neurotypical, graduates. The human, social, cultural, identity and psychological capital might be different for autistic graduates due to the characteristics of autism. Using a participatory approach, our aim was to examine the five areas of graduate capital in the context of autistic graduates. The study involved semi-structured interviews with 15 autistic university graduates from England, Finland, France and the Netherlands. Data were analysed using theory guided content analysis and 'datadriven' approaches. Findings indicate that the five areas of graduate capital are particularly relevant to autistic graduates, who typically expose gaps in several capital, jeopardising their employability.Peer reviewe

The first-year students' motives for attending university studies and study-related burnout in relation to academic achievement

In the present study, students' (n = 881) motives for attending university studies and study-related burnout were investigated in relation to their first-year academic achievement. The results showed that students' motives for attending university and study-related burnout at the outset of studies were connected to each other and to academic achievement at the end of the first study year. The results further showed that study-related burnout was associated with study credits. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that students' risk of study-related burnout varied. Those students who reported a lower risk for study-related burnout more often emphasised a personal-intellectual motive, and they proceeded faster and were more successful in their first study year than students with obviously increased risk for study-related burnout. This study indicates that motives for attending university and study-related burnout should be considered when supporting the transition to university studies.Peer reviewe

The transition from university to working life. An exploration of graduates' perceptions of their academic competences

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