Graduate attribute development and employment outcomes: Tracking PhD graduates

Catherine Manathunga; Rachael Pitt; Christa Critchley

doi:10.1080/02602930801955945

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Graduate attribute development and employment outcomes: Tracking PhD graduates

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Graduate attribute development and employment outcomes: Tracking PhD graduates

Catherine Manathunga, Rachael Pitt and Christa Critchley

Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, Vol.34(1), pp.91-103

2009

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02602930801955945

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Abstract

Cooperative Research Centre (CRC)

graduate attribute

graduate outcome

The provision of diversified research training is regarded as one of the most significant contributions made by the Australian Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) programme [Howard Partners 2003, Evaluation of the cooperative research centres programme, Department of Education, Science and Training, Canberra, ACT]. Yet, a systematic evaluation of Australia's CRC research training programmes and outcomes has not yet been undertaken. This article reports on a pilot questionnaire designed to provide the beginnings of such an evaluation. Participants were science-based research graduates who were awarded with a PhD within the four-year period 2000-2003 and had completed the majority of their PhD project either in a university school or in a CRC environment. The questionnaire results provide insights into participants' perceptions of the graduate attributes they developed prior to and during their PhD studies. It also investigates their perceptions about the relative importance of particular skills in university and industry settings. This article argues that understanding the perceptions and employment experiences of recent research graduates is a vital way of ensuring that PhD programmes are more effectively designed to prepare research graduates for a range of careers. In particular, these results confirm the importance of constant reevaluation and improvement of all PhD training programmes. © 2009 Taylor & Francis.

Details

Title: Graduate attribute development and employment outcomes: Tracking PhD graduates
Authors: Catherine Manathunga (Author) - University of Queensland
Rachael Pitt (Author) - University of Queensland
Christa Critchley (Author) - University of Queensland
Publication details: Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, Vol.34(1), pp.91-103
Publisher: Routledge
Date published: 2009
DOI: 10.1080/02602930801955945
ISSN: 0260-2938
Organisation Unit: School of Education - Legacy; Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre; School of Education and Tertiary Access; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99450863702621
Output Type: Journal article

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