Preparation for professional work? A meta-analysis of two international research projects on the transition from higher education to work life

•  How do students experience their formal studies in preparation for professional work? This common research interest was the incentive to explore the intersections between two large international research projects that both build on a large number of interviews with students about their conceptions of learning and work in different disciplines and professional areas. Analysis of the Swedish and Australian data sets showed the important interplay between students' individual ideas about learning and future work within their workplace. Through the use of techniques of qualitative meta-analysis, we have linked the results from both projects and constructed a model of significant features of professional learning. In this paper, we apply the model to one case study from each of the research projects, and in turn use these case studies to illuminate the model. The model shows how students may be inclined towards the development of professional identities and engagement with their studies and profession, depending on the relationships between the students- perceptions of learning for work and their views of professional knowledge. We suggest that the model can be used to investigate the nature of professionally oriented knowledge, but also as a means to analyse the impact of higher education, curriculum planning and teaching for professional formation.  

Keyword

higher education

working life

transition

qualitative analysis

meta-analysis

Professional Entity

Journeymen

SOCIAL SCIENCES

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)