Education Studies and Employability: how do students and graduates define the subject and what do they perceive its vocational relevance to be?

Alan Hodkinson

Abstract

The development, and expansion, of “new” Education Studies programmes within the framework of Higher Education Funding Council provision is one that has been subject to a recent and rapid expansion. Furthermore, it appears this expansion is set to continue, as there is buoyant student demand. What, though, is observable in these new Education Studies programmes is the wide variety of provision which has resulted from institutions developing their programme within their own particular historical and geographical contexts. For some writers this lack of clarity over the definition and determination of the range of study risks academic incoherence. This perceived incoherence of subject matter is brought more sharply into focus if one analyses Education Studies programmes, in England, through the lens of graduate employability. Through such an analytical lens it becomes apparent that a continuum of employability claims for Education Studies programmes exists. This paper adds to a growing research base which provides data which enable an analysis of how Education Studies is defined and what employment pathways Education Studies graduates take. The paper outlines the results of a small-scale research study which sought to determine whether it is the case that Education Studies is merely the waiting room for teacher training or is, in actuality, a programme of its own merit that offers students a wide range of future career pathways.

 

Hodkinson, A. (2009) Education Studies and Employability: how do students and graduates define the subject and what do they perceive its vocational relevance to be?. Educationalfutures, [online] Vol. 2(1). Available at: https://educationstudies.org.uk/?p=471 [Accessed 28 Mar, 2024].