Article 2015

From certificate chasing to genuine engagement: The contribution of curriculum design to students’ career intent in a subfield

Australian Journal of Career Development
Journal · Vol. 24 · Issue 1 · pp. 53-63
Abstract

Many students enter business degrees without a defined career goal beyond working in the business world and adopt a scattergun approach to employability by accumulating certifications accessed through individual subjects. Yet, space and time limitations commonly prevent extended exposure to rewarding and interesting career subfields within main specialisations. This case study draws on student feedback collected over three years exploring students’ career interest following an elective human resource development subject in the final stage of a human resources major. Project-based curriculum provided students with scaffolded learning while undertaking key multiphase human resource development tasks. Subsequently, students reported human resource development career interest and intent, attributed to more realistic appreciation of human resource development’s activities, scope, and values. The paper makes an important contribution illustrating how curriculum design can transform instrumentalism into logically, emotionally, and intuitively based career engagement. Further, human resource development is a study and career area little mentioned in higher education or careers literature. © Australian Council for Educational Research 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Project-Based Learning career engagement business student career decision making curriculum and career undergraduate career engagement

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
QUT Business School, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Funding & Acknowledgements
No funding information
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