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What motivational processes underpin student engagement with employability? : a critical review

  • Andrew Clements
Research Output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding Chapter Peer-review

Open access

Abstract

There are concerns that students fail to engage with employability soon enough in their studies, and do not seek the best available support. This chapter explores the role that motivation plays in students’ career management behaviours, notably career exploration, decision-making, and job search. The literature highlights the crucial role played by self-efficacy, i.e. belief in one’s ability to perform a task, which is informed by personal experience and feedback. Time spent on career exploration (i.e. reflecting on one’s own qualities and exploring opportunities) is associated with greater confidence in making career decisions. Job search behaviours, such as effort, is associated with better career outcomes. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding how earlier exploration and decision activities inform the job search. This chapter identifies opportunities for addressing this gap, and the potential value of exploring student job search strategies. Yet while attention to motivation may inform how we work with individual students, it remains necessary to consider environmental conditions in the labour market.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding Chapter Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 67-81

Publication milestones

  • Published - 08/10/2019

Publication status

Published - 08/10/2019

Publisher

Springer, Japan, India, Australia, Germany, United States, United Arab Emirates, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, China, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Brazil, France, Singapore

ISBN (Print)

9783030263416

External Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/623783

Host publication title

Employability via Higher Education: Sustainability as Scholarship

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