Postgraduate Project Management: evaluation of student employability skills development

Project leader(s):  Kay Bromley Jill Shaw Joan Jackson

• Theme:  Other
• Project faculties:  STEM
• Status:  Archived
• Date:  December 2022 to February 2026

This scholarship project was set in the context of a 30-credit computing postgraduate project management module (M815). It was motivated by tutors’ anecdotal observations that the module has a positive impact on professional development of some students enabling those students to make positive contributions to projects and/or project management within their organisation. However, other students when asked to reflect on their own development, do not recognise the impact of study in the workplace and employability skills development. The aims of the project were to:

• understand the extent to which M815 students benefit from professional development and their organisations benefit from student input
• make recommendations to improve the visibility of employability and professional development within the module. 

Improving visibility should enable students to recognise and articulate employability skills development effectively within study and the workplace.

The project used a mixed methods approach. Academic and professional literature around competences in project management and other related technology sectors informed the identification of 18 technical competences and 4 behavioural competences developed during study of the module. 

Student perception of development of employability skills and competences was examined through: 

• deductive and inductive thematic analysis of reflective question in TMA03 and the EMA (one cohort)
• questionnaire about knowledge and ability to apply competences before and after module study (three cohorts). 

To enhance understanding of student perspectives before and during the module presentation, the introductory tutorial recordings and module forum were analysed.

A key deliverable was the development of a six-step method to identify technical and behavioural competences which may be developed during study. The 22 competences identified for module M815 have been embedded in assessment material and linked to reflective tasks in assessment.

The project identified that students do not readily link technical and behavioural competence development to general improvements in employability.  It is recommended that explicitly identifying technical and behavioural competences which are relevant to a module, may help students to recognise development and impact on employability.  Behavioural competences relate to transferable skills which improve general employability, as opposed to technical competences relating to a specific discipline or role. 

STEM modules could use the six-step method to derive technical and behavioural competences relevant to a module or programme and embed reflection in assessment to improve student recognition and articulation of competence development whilst studying. The approach results in agreed and clear definitions of each competence which enable students to more easily understand and recognise development. 

Students given questionnaires at the end of the module were able to assess knowledge and ability to apply competences before study and after study and recognise improvement (or not). Findings show some significant variations across the competences. Interviews could also be conducted following analysis of the questionnaire results. 

Inductive and deductive thematic analysis of reflective questions in assessment and the use of student questionnaires to assess competence development gives useful insights to module and programme management in terms of reinforcing module material and identifying priorities in terms of module development. The analysis also identified that some students recognise development of transferable skills which support future study. 

More explicit teaching of reflective practice and other behavioural competences, and the related transferable skills, could be required to improve development of employability skills. This should help students to recognise and articulate wider improvements in employability during study.  Some further investigation of module employability skills development and the OU Employability framework could be beneficial. 

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