AGCAS Research Conference 2018

Workshop descriptions

Workshop Session A 10:50–11:20

A1: Learning from diverse voices: using practitioner research to improve outcomes for students from widening participation backgrounds
Penny Longman, UCL Careers, The Careers Group, University of London

Aim

The aim of my research was to gather evidence that would enhance my careers education and guidance work with 6th formers. Many students questioned whether it is ‘worth’ going to university and although I had embraced the widening participation agenda I was uncomfortable with the prominence given to the earnings ‘premium’, knowing this varies widely.
Method

To complement the quantitative metrics by which ‘success’ is routinely measured I completed a series of linked qualitative research projects as part of a master’s degree in Education Studies (Widening Participation). For my final dissertation I conducted semi-structured interviews with recent graduates and with university staff, exploring factors which enable young people to make the most of university, thus maximising its ‘worth’ to them.
Analysis/results

My findings highlighted the complexity of ‘worth’ as a construct, with graduate success appearing a greater preoccupation during decision-making prior to university than looking back afterwards. The importance of active engagement came through strongly, and I shall discuss factors and practices which appeared to facilitate or hinder engagement.
Discussion/conclusion

My research projects spanned the student journey, from decision-making whilst at school to graduate employment. Increasing recognition that getting students into university is only one element of improving social mobility is now opening up opportunities for university careers professionals to be part of a whole student life-cycle approach. Drawing on my experience, I shall discuss what sets qualitative practitioner research apart from reflective practice and how insights gained can help us shape effective provision for a diverse student body.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the session, participants should be able to:

  • Evaluate qualitative practitioner research as a tool to enhance practice
  • Analyse interpretations of worth in relation to HE participation
  • Design initiatives across the student life-cycle to support social mobility
  • Identify future areas of research relevant to their own practice

A2: Moral and political dilemmas in contemporary careers work: unpaid graduate internships as a case study
Helen Buzdugan, University of Manchester

Unpaid graduate internships (UGIs) are an exemplar of a labour market practice which reinforces social inequalities. My research looked at how careers services and practitioners engaged with this issue. This paper explores the moral dilemmas inherent in the decisions we make at individual and service level; for example, when advising clients, when advertising vacancies, when speaking to employers or drafting policies. It calls attention to the implications of these decisions for individual and social justice.

Aims

To examine (drawing on Kant and Rawls) the ways in which UGIs can be deemed unfair from a moral philosophical perspective, both at an individual and a social level.

To analyse the current engagement of careers services and individual practitioners with the UGI issue at policy and practice level.

To explore the impact of careers service policies and practices for individual and social justice and identify actions we can take to address injustices.

Method
Review of the literature on UGIs and semi-structured interviews with university careers practitioners across three different institutions and in a range of professional roles.

Analysis
My research analysed the current engagement of careers services and individual practitioners with the UGI issue at policy and practice level through the lens of Watts’ socio-political ideologies. It revealed that some careers services and practitioners were reluctant to directly confront the ethical issues surrounding UGIs, and that there were sometimes conflicts of interest between different stakeholders.

Discussion/conclusion
I make the case that careers services have the power to have a positive or negative impact on the issue of UGIs, and thus they have a moral duty to play their part in tackling the unfairness of this labour market practice. We will discuss the role that ethics plays in how we do our work, and where it may be at odds with other drivers.

Learning outcomes
By the end of the session, participants should be able to:

  • Consider why unpaid graduate internships may be deemed unfair – on an individual and social level – from a moral philosophical perspective
  • Explore the moral and political tensions inherent in contemporary careers work, and the ‘ripple effect’ of everyday policy and practice decisions on individuals, stakeholder groups and wider society

Workshop Session B11:50–12:20
B1: What Happens Next? The first destinations of 2016 disabled graduates
Mark Allen and Keren Coney, AGCAS Disability Task Group

Aim
The aim of the What Happens Next? study is to investigate the destinations of disabled graduates and to compare these with those of non-disabled graduates, at each qualification level. Destinations by different disability are also examined; in addition, details about employment are explored, including how they first received information about their job and the basis of this employment.
Method
This study is based on analysis of HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency) data gathered from the 32,2810 graduates from first degree, higher degree (taught) and higher degree (research) qualifications who responded to the 2016 survey. Of this number of graduates, 12.9% identified themselves as having either a disability or learning difficulty during the period of their studies.
Results
As with previous What Happens Next? results, this study has found that at all levels of qualification, disabled graduates were less likely to be in full time work and more likely to be unemployed than graduates with no known disability. In addition, the results vary significantly by disability type.
Discussion/conclusion
The evidence provides insights into the impact of disability on a graduate’s employment prospects and as such, it is anticipated that this will be useful for all parties committed to supporting disabled graduates. By considering these outcomes and the notable gap between the destinations of disabled graduates compared with non-disabled graduates, the urgent need to consider ways in which these individuals can be supported can be highlighted and addressed.

Learning outcomes
By the end of the session, participants should be able to:

  • Demonstrate awareness of thekey findings from the study
  • Consider the implications of the findings, including suggested actions for careers professionals, careers services and for institutions

B2: Introduction to research for careers professionals: methods and funding
Fiona Christie, University of Salford and Charlie Ball, HECSU
Aim

This workshop is not reporting on a specific research project but aims to give an overview of the research projects previously and currently funded by HECSU. It will also explore tactics for conducting practitioner research for those who are keen, but new to research.

Content

Why is research important in careers work? In an age of enormous change for universities and the labour market, it is more important than ever that the knowledge that underpins professional work is responsive to evolving contexts. If we are to call ourselves a profession, a body of knowledge that is not static should underpin our work. Doing practitioner research is a key activity that contributes to this.

Charlie Ball will talk about his experience of managing the HECSU research fund. Findings from different projects will be discussed, and observations made about popular methods not to mention pitfalls for funded projects. He will also indicate where there may be gaps in our knowledge which could be new areas for research. He will discuss what the benefits of doing a research project are for careers practitioners and services

Fiona Christie will go on to share learning from being a practitioner-researcher. Based on her research and her own PhD, she will give an overview of the eclectic field of career scholarship and argue for the importance of situating any research within this. She will outline what a good practitioner research project looks like. In contrast to Charlie, Fiona’s expertise is more qualitative research and she will cover topics including project management and ethics, writing research questions, research design, analysis, discussing results effectively and dissemination.

Workshop Session C 13:55–14:25
C1: How has the fragmentation of careers education and guidance (offered to young people in schools or colleges) affected the level of ‘career readiness’ which our students have when they arrive at university?
Laura Aldridge, Liverpool John Moores University

Aim
My HECSU-funded research project was about how the fragmentation of careers education and guidance, offered to young people in schools and colleges, has affected the level of career readiness students have when they arrive at university. There have been a large number of structural and political changes affecting the careers provision for young people in recent years.
Method
I asked 343 first-year Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) students to complete a questionnaire to gather data about their past experiences of careers education and guidance. I carried out a series of qualitative interviews with first-year students to explore their past encounters of careers support in more depth, and to assess how these prior experiences were likely to affect their engagement with career planning at university. I also conducted qualitative interviews with careers practitioners who were working in a school or college setting.
Analysis/results
My research exposed the vastly different experiences our students have of careers education and guidance before they come to university.This lack of consistency in our students’ past experiences may well have a bearing on how well they engage with careers support once they are at university.This research project raised questions about how a lack of early careers support may have an impact on how likely a student is to discontinue from a higher education course.

Discussion
How do we address the very disparate levels of careers education and guidance which our students may well have experienced prior to coming to university?
Learning outcomes
By the end of the session, participants should be able to:

  • Identify the range of policy and structural changes which have affected the careers provision for young people in schools and colleges
  • Demonstrate awareness of the lack of consistency in the careers support which HE students may have accessed before coming to university
  • Evaluate how this lack of consistency in prior careers support may have a bearing on how well our students engage with careers support once they are at university, and how this may correspondingly impact on graduate outcomes
  • Evaluate the impact of lack of earlier careers support on the probability of a student discontinuing from a higher education course

C2: Length Matters: Research into the Impact of Shortening Guidance appointments on practice. What are the implications for Graduate Outcomes
Emily Róisín Reid, University of Warwick

This paper addresses the conference theme of the need for evidence-based practice. Key findings from this research will be presented, with ensuing discussion about next steps for action.

Aim
To cope with increased demand on careers services, institutions have responded by reducing the length of appointments. Until now, there has been no research into the impact this has on the effectiveness of guidance appointments.
Method

  • Stage 1: short quantitative survey relating to perceptions of guidance (16% population).
  • Stage 2: Ten appointments were recorded. Both students and senior careers consultants were subsequently interviewed (and recorded) relating to their perceptions of guidance and time.
  • Stage 3: Three months later, the students were interviewed relating to what had happened since their guidance appointment in order to account for effectiveness in addition to questions pertaining to satisfaction (Bimrose et al., 2008; Frigerio, 2010)
    Analysis/results
  • Fewer ‘benefits’ from guidance reported, guidance still ‘has outcomes’
  • With additional time, guidance practitioners could have met ‘underlying needs’ rather than merely the ‘presenting issues’
  • Guidance is ‘unexpectedly’ useful: Students have low, or ill-defined expectations about what ‘career guidance’ is. This lack of expectations could impact on their perception of effectiveness.
  • Guidance practitioners’ perceptions of effectiveness rely on their perception of students ‘being satisfied’. As experts, should this be the case?

Discussion/conclusion
How can we develop the ‘expectations’ of those accessing our services in order to establish a new ‘social contract’ for careers work? How can we reflect differently on our perception of our own effectiveness? Impacts for GOs?
Learning outcomes
By the end of the session, participants should be able to:

  • Articulate key findings from the research
  • Understand the implications for their practice
  • Use this research for benefit in their practice
  • Be prepared and willing to take their own steps to help professionalise careers work

Workshop Session D 15:00–15:30

D1:DLHE Dancing? Creating alternative stories about graduate destinations and social justice
Tom Staunton, Dr Katy Vigurs and Dr Ciaran Burke, iCeGS, University of Derby

Aim
This research aims to explore how students at a particular arts-based institution progress into, and maintain a sustained career in, their art form. This research will be used to develop a robust evidence base to influence public policy in terms of what graduate success looks like in the performing arts in the context of metric-driven understandings of HE.
Method
Case studies will be developed through semi-structured interviews to explore the narrative and trajectories of arts graduates. These will then be compared with data collected using a tool based on the DLHE survey to create a contrast between the actual narratives of students and what is generated from the DLHE survey.
Analysis/results (predicted results)
Data will be analysed through making use of the two models of analysis as recommended by Angrosino (2007). This involves firstly breaking down the data into a descriptive analysis to establish patterns and then using theoretical tools to understand and explain these patterns.
Discussion/conclusion
We will use this research to explore the tensions between the DLHE survey and other methods for capturing student’s narratives. This will be used to help generate debate about the place of the current DLHE system in recognising student’s narratives. We will particularly explore this from a social justice perspective looking at how pluralistic understandings of social justice, which are particularly focussed on recognising individual’s narratives, contrast with the widening participation agenda in HE.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the session, participants should be able to:

  • Consider how qualitative interviews can showcase alternative stories of graduate destinations
  • Consider how this approach can feed into debates around graduate destinations and social justice

D2: Careers Registration: Supporting the career planning needs of students from widening participation backgrounds
Fiona Cobb, The Careers Group, University of London

Aim
The National Careers Registration Learning Gain project aims to investigate the value of Careers Registration (CR) — introducing questions about career readiness and work experience into mandatory data collection at student enrolment — as a measure of learning gain in relation to career readiness.

Primary research questions:

  • Does CR provide a viable method for obtaining data that provides an indication of learning gain related to work readiness? (correlating CR data with existing measures of work related learning gain)

Secondary research questions

  • Can we use CR to highlight employability needs of different groups?
  • Can we use CR to evaluate different employability activities?

Method
We have analysed both cross sectional and partial longitudinal to determine ‘typical/baseline’ trends in patterns of career thinking/work readiness across subject areas/disciplines, and socio-demographic characteristics. We are looking at the full student lifecycle, linking CR data with retention and outcomes (DLHE) data. Institutions are tracking uses of CR data to inform targeted employability initiatives.

Analysis/results (predicted results)
Our data modelling (n=285,000) shows a statistically significant relationship between WP characteristics, career thinking phases, and progression. Further detailed analysis of the data by widening participation characteristics (n=48,500 shows key differences in career thinking trends by WP characteristics and subject areas.

Discussion/conclusion
This is the first data of this kind collected on such a large scale, and has implications for HE strategic planning, policy, and practice. CR data is helping HE careers services change the way they target employability initiatives, and more widely, changing the career conversations we have with academics.

Learning outcomes
By the end of the session, participants should be able to:

  • Understand trends in career thinking of different student groups
  • Explain how CR data can inform evidence-based practice in a careers context
  • Reflect on the implications of using CR data to target specific groups, and the potential impact for graduate outcomes and social mobility.
  • Take some ideas back to their careers service and share with other relevant services