research graduate skills project research graduate skills final report 2009.pdfskills and...

Prepared by Jim Cumming Margaret Kiley

On behalf of the project team Mandy Thomas Margaret Kiley Linda Hort

With assistance from Merrilyn Pike Elizabeth Evans Anicca Main

RESEARCH GRADUATE SKILLS PROJECT

Funded under the auspices of the Discipline-Based Initiatives Scheme The Australian Learning and Teaching Council

MAY 2009

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RESEARCH GRADUATE SKILLS PROJECT - AUSTRALIAN LEARNING AND TEACHNG COUNCIL i

Support for this project has been provided by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council, an initiative of the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. The views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Learning and Teaching Council Ltd.

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2009

RESEARCH GRADUATE SKILLS PROJECT - AUSTRALIAN LEARNING AND TEACHNG COUNCIL ii

RESEARCH GRADUATE SKILLS PROJECT - AUSTRALIAN LEARNING AND TEACHNG COUNCIL iii

Table of Contents iii Executive Summary 1 1.1 Methodology 5

1.2 Key findings 7 1.2.1 Acknowledging the skills agenda 7 1.2.2 Determining categories of skill 7 1.2.3 Acknowledging the skills that candidates possess 7 1.2.4 Analysing theoretical models 8 1.2.5 Constructing dimensions of capability 8 1.2.6 Exploring approaches to capability development 8 1.2.7 Developing the concept of contextualised performance 10 1.2.8 Identifying parallel themes 10 1.3 Deliverables 12 1.3.1 Website 12 1.3.2 Papers 12 1.3.3 Presentations 12

1.4 Reflections 13

1.5 Recommendations 15 1.5.1 Follow-up research on employer expectations 15 1.5.2 Follow-up research on contextualised performance 15 1.5.3 National forum on research graduate skills 15 1.5.4 Extending the impact of this project 16

References 17

Figures Figure 1 9 Figure 2 11

Table of Contents

RESEARCH GRADUATE SKILLS PROJECT - AUSTRALIAN LEARNING AND TEACHNG COUNCIL iv

RESEARCH GRADUATE SKILLS PROJECT - AUSTRALIAN LEARNING AND TEACHNG COUNCIL 1

Executive Summary

Developing the academic and research skills of higher degree by research (HDR) candidates has traditionally constituted a fundamental objective of most universities that conduct research intensive postgraduate programs. However, increased diversity in the HDR population, along with increased pressure for timely completions in recent years, has created a demand for more structured approaches to research education. At the same time, employers, industry groups and governments have expressed concern that many university graduates—including those with masters and doctoral degrees—are inadequately prepared for the world of work. As a result, universities and candidates are currently expected to develop the employability skills of students as well. In what might be termed a pincer movement, there is considerable pressure to enhance both the academic skills and professional attributes of HDR candidates simultaneously.

It is in this context that the ALTC Research Graduate Skills project was initiated. Framed as a ‘scoping exercise’, the project was designed initially to identify the requisite skills for HDR candidature, along with contemporary approaches to HDR skills development. One of the anticipated outcomes was a greater understanding of HDR training practices and their impact on learning experiences and outcomes. The methodologies used in this study were carried out in three stages.

Stage 1 Literature reviewEmploying desktop and case study research as dual methodologies, the first stage of the project involved an extensive review of the literature on skills development in higher education. This was followed by a preliminary mapping of the websites of universities and related institutions that contained information about initiatives designed to enhance the skills of HDR candidates.

Stage 2 Extended case studyThe second stage consisted of an extended case study at one university in Australia in which semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine senior members of staff with responsibility for HDR skills development located in different parts of the institution.

Stage 3 Evaluation and strategic dissemination After an external formative evaluation, the third stage involved additional theorising as well as the development of strategies designed to disseminate information about significant project outcomes and processes. Examples included a website, refereed articles and project reports.

There were two main project outcomes: a theoretical understanding of HDR skills, and a website presenting a wide variety of university practices in HDR skill development. Together they offer the sector tools for enhancing practice informed by theory.


Eight key findings emerged from the project.

The nature and extent of the ‘skills agenda’ in higher education that has been 1. operating in Australia and the UK for more than a decade.

The conventional skill categories at the HDR level, namely, those pertaining to 2. academic and employability skills.

The importance of acknowledging the skills and attributes that candidates are able to 3. demonstrate on commencement.

An analysis of conceptual models developed to explain skill development, which have 4. been concerned primarily with undergraduate education.

A view to providing a more integrated and holistic approach to skills development, in 5. which seven dimensions of capability are formulated.

Employing diagrammatic representation, three dominant approaches to capability 6. development, namely, ‘structured’, ‘semi-structured’ and ‘unstructured’.

A concept that extends existing research by advancing the notion of ‘contextualised 7. performance’. This is designed to represent the enactment of skills in particular settings, for example, where a candidate is operating in unfamiliar or especially challenging circumstances.

A number of parallel themes emerged from the case study, namely diversity, flexibility, 8. quality and engagement.


Research Graduate Skills Project

The long-running skills agenda in Australia and the UK constitutes the context in which the study is located. Driven initially by employers and governments, this agenda can be seen as incorporating a dual focus in higher education, namely to enhance the employability and transferable skills of HDR candidates on the one hand, and their academic and research skills on the other. While there is evidence that most universities in Australia and the UK have moved to address the concerns of employers and governments in this regard, it is also the case that skills development remains highly contested within and beyond the academy. For example, some believe that the development of research graduates’ workplace skills should be the responsibility of employers and industry groups. Others believe that universities and academics need to be more actively involved with the development of graduate attributes an umbrella term often used to include a range of personal, theoretical and practical skills.

Key stakeholders in the skills debate also remain divided on how research graduates should develop and demonstrate this broadly-based set of skills most effectively. Some argue for a more structured approach (e.g. programs, courses and units), while others believe that there is a need to be more open and flexible and to embrace work-integrated learning, cognitive apprenticeship and related concepts (e.g. placements, internships and related hands-on experiences). To a large extent the research from this project challenges much of the conventional framing of the skills agenda, and suggests that more integrative and holistic frameworks are needed to shift the focus from graduate attributes to contextualised performance.


Methodology

The study commenced with a review of the literature, an outcome of which was a detailed analysis of published research on the development of graduate skills in the higher education sector. The review involved not only an in-depth study of academic articles, papers and books, but also a variety of commissioned reports on skills development. In addition to academic publications, a number of reports have been published under the auspices of employer and industry groups, as well as federal and state governments. The review resulted in an analysis of the theoretical and practical elements of skills development that involved exploring a number of conceptual frameworks and models, as well as contemporary policies and practices.

A mixed method approach in the form of desktop and case study research was employed to gather and analyse data associated with this study. Given the increasing availability of online materials, much of the literature review was conducted in the offices of the research team. In addition, a preliminary mapping was undertaken of institutional and departmental websites in the higher education and related sectors. The purpose of this strategy was to identify and record specific examples of contemporary efforts to develop the skills of research graduates. Indeed, the mapping exercise revealed considerable diversity regarding the kinds of courses, programs and units on offer for HDR candidates. For the duration of the project significant effort was invested in maintaining and expanding a comprehensive register of contemporary online skills development initiatives (see www.gradskills.anu.edu.au/skill-development-programs).

In order to gain a deeper understanding

of, and critical insight to, the development of research graduate skills, an extended case study was also undertaken. The objective was to generate a ‘micro’ perspective on skills development—a more detailed look at contemporary practice at one university in Australia. Some of the most commonly used methods in case study research include interviewing and observing informants. Two researchers have described the nature of this research process. Cresswell (2003), for example, has articulated a series of analytical steps that include getting a general sense of the information, coding the material, identifying themes, representing the material, and making an interpretation or meaning of the data (pp. 190 - 95). Stenhouse (1978; 1980), however, has distinguished between ‘case data’, ‘case record’, and ‘case study’. Raw material in the form of an interview tape or transcript is classified as case data, whereas a case record would be an edited or modified account. For Stenhouse, both categories constitute primary source material or evidence, while the case study is considered to be a secondary source, given the researcher’s own presentation of the case as a whole.

The approach adopted in this project was to conduct a qualitative study informed primarily by the work of Stenhouse and Stake (Cumming, 2008b). Two key questions drove the study, namely, in the context of higher degree candidates enrolled in one university ‘What skills are being developed?’ and ‘How are those skills being developed?’ In order to contain the extended case study, the research team determined that the main target would be the ‘leaders’ of higher degree candidates. This term was chosen to reflect the intention to generate a dialogue with individuals who had high


level responsibility for developing the skills of research graduates. Hence, the generic term ‘leader’ reflects a variety of possible functions ranging from monitoring/supporting a cohort of candidates to delivering structured training programs. One consequence of the decision to focus on leaders was that students and other players in the skills development process were not pursued directly as additional sources of data.

Another important component of the study was to arrange for an externally conducted formative evaluation. Associate Professor Simon Barrie from the University of Sydney was invited to review the processes and outcomes of the project towards the end of 2008. The objective was to gain feedback on two stages of the project that had been completed to that point. The available deliverables included the literature review, the register of skills training and development initiatives, and the extended case study. As a result of the evaluation, construction of the website continued and work also commenced on the preparation of refereed journal articles. The dual purpose of these initiatives was to make the team’s research accessible to practitioners while positioning it in academic literature and discourse.


Key Findings

The findings reported in this section constitute an abridged summary of material documented in various papers and reports prepared during the course of the project. References to more detailed information are available on the Research Graduate Skills Project website (see www.gradskills.anu.edu.au).

1.2.1 Acknowledging the skills agendaThere is evidence to suggest that the demand to enhance the skills of graduates in general, and research postgraduates in particular, has been on the agenda for employers, governments and the academy for well over a decade. The situation in Australia appears to mirror closely that of the UK with regard to key drivers involved and strategies employed. For example, employers began to complain in the early 1980s that school leavers lacked employability skills, extending their concern subsequently to include university graduates and postgraduates. In their view, the education system generally needs to take much greater responsibility for preparing students for the workplace. Governments have been quick to lend support to these demands and to initiate policies and programs concerned with skill development. Universities have responded by generating research and development initiatives in relation to graduate attributes on the one hand, while expanding their efforts to bolster students’ academic skills on the other. Partly as a result of this duality, the issue of skills development remains highly contested within and beyond academia.

1.2.2 Determining categories of skillDefining, classifying and communicating the types of skill that HDR candidates need to develop has remained a dominant activity for a number of

researchers engaged in postgraduate research education and training over time. A review of the literature reveals that a plethora of terms is in common usage, a number of which are used synonymously and interchangeably. Examples include skills, competence, attribute, quality, ability, capacity and capability. As indicated in section 1.2.1, it is possible to distinguish between two broad skill categories, namely, academic and employability skills. Academic skills typically include an understanding of a coherent body of knowledge, the ability to undertake research, and the ability to analyse information and apply knowledge. Employability skills such as communication, problem solving and teamwork are generally at or near the top of the list. It is noteworthy, however, that more than seventy terms were used by informants in the project’s case study in their efforts to articulate the types of skill required by HDR candidates (Cumming, 2008b). More significantly, however, further analysis revealed a distinction between different levels, as well as different types of skill.

1.2.3 Acknowledging the skills that candidates possessA conventional view of skills development in research education can position HDR candidates as being deficient in a diverse range of skills and attributes. However, such a view tends to ignore or dismiss the strengths that candidates bring to the doctoral interface (i.e. the points where learning, training, research, work and career development intersect). A recent research study found that “candidates do bring a range of useful skills into their doctorates from their current or previous work experiences” (Pearson et al. 2008). Peak bodies responsible for representing the interests of postgraduates in Australia and the UK, have argued


that much greater acknowledgement needs to be given to candidates’ existing skills and attributes. Indeed, they have argued further that these skills enable postgraduate students to make a significant contribution to research at institutional, national and international levels (National Postgraduate Committee of the UK 2006; Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations 2008).

1.2.4 Analysing theoretical modelsA review of the literature revealed that a number of conceptual models and frameworks have been developed by researchers with a view to understanding the process of skill development in the higher education sector. Examples include the generic capabilities framework (Bowden et al. 2000), the graduate attributes framework (Barrie 2004; 2006; 2007), the research skill development framework (Willison and O’Regan 2007), and the practice-identity model (Holmes 2000; 2001; 2006). Given that skills development at the HDR level can be described as relatively under-theorised, this study suggests that a much higher degree of conceptual work is required in order to bring together existing frameworks with a view to reframing the skills agenda.

1.2.5 Constructing dimensions of capabilityOne of the main outcomes from the case study was to represent HDR skills more broadly as ‘dimensions of research graduate capability’. These include inquiring, analysing, producing, communicating, teaching, managing, thinking and interacting. Rather than focusing on discrete items or sets of skills, the objective is to depict these dimensions not only as inter-related, but also inter-dependent. Figure 1 symbolises

a complex configuration of skills with a view to avoiding the limitations associated with traditional dichotomies and matrices. It is important to emphasise that this diagrammatic representation is designed to conceptualise the skills of HDR candidates as part of an intricate web whereby the whole is seen to be greater than the parts. For example, it represents candidates as ‘conducting research’ while simultaneously ‘becoming a researcher’.

1.2.6 Exploring approaches to capability developmentAnother outcome from the case study, that also confirmed the initial mapping of websites, was the identification of three different approaches to research graduate capability development, namely, structured, semi-structured and unstructured (see Figure 2). While many of these approaches are orchestrated by universities, some constitute joint ventures, and others are self-initiated. Structured approaches reflect specialised training delivered in the form of intensive programs, courses and units. For example, universities and various private providers conduct training courses on issues concerned with a variety of skills ranging from research methods to the commercialisation of research.Semi-structured approaches are found mainly in universities and cooperative research centres and other joint ventures, often reflecting social theories of learning that involve candidates learning from each other, as well as other academics and external researchers.

RESEARCH GRADUATE SKILLS PROJECT - AUSTRALIAN LEARNING AND TEACHNG COUCIL 9


For example, a number of graduate schools—as well as students themselves—have initiated forums, colloquiums and seminar series designed to promote the sharing of knowledge and experience around skills development. Unstructured approaches reflect students in a more proactive role, whereby they organise their own processes of up-skilling, mentoring and so on. Examples include placements, internships and various forms of employment designed to expand or improve their capabilities.

1.2.7 Developing the concept of contextualised performanceBy building on existing models identified in the literature, reviewing the outcomes of the case study, and drawing on additional research concerned with performers (Harvey 2000; Pearson and Brew 2002), performance (Holmes 2000; 2001; 2006) and capability (Stephenson and Yorke 1998) it is possible to establish a point of departure from the concept of research graduate skills and capabilities. The concept of ‘contextualised performance’ is concerned primarily with the enactment of skills in unfamiliar and particularly challenging circumstances and settings, rather than the skills per se. Using performance as the unit of analysis—rather than skills, individuals or environments—the emphasis is on complex outcomes, integrative operations and high-level accomplishments. Contextualised performance, therefore, needs to be considered in relation to particular settings such as a lab, the field, a department, institution, company or project.

1.2.8 Identifying parallel themesAnother finding from the extended case study was a series of parallel themes that emerged from further analysis of the nine co-constructed accounts of the interviews

conducted at one selected university. The four themes identified were diversity, flexibility, quality and engagement. A key aspect of diversity was the extent to which this was reflected not only among candidates (e.g. age, field of study, experience), but also among academic staff. As a consequence, many informants referred to the need for greater flexibility in relation to HDR programs and their implementation—especially with regard to the teaching, guiding and mentoring of candidates. Unsurprisingly, frequent reference was made to the importance of establishing and maintaining high standards—especially in terms of the entry and graduation of candidates. The final theme of engagement highlighted the extent to which the work of those involved in transferable skills could be interpreted as a form of academic development. For most of the informants in the case study, much of their work around skills development involved the challenging of assumptions regarding learning and development on the one hand, and the consideration of implications emerging for doctoral curriculum and pedagogy on the other.

RESEARCH GRADUATE SKILLS PROJECT - AUSTRALIAN LEARNING AND TEACHNG COUCIL 11


Deliverables

1.3.1 Website The website (www.gradskills.anu.edu.au) has been developed to provide information about the processes and outcomes associated with the project. Particular attention has been directed towards constructing a site that is accessible and user friendly. Rather than just upload masses of material, Anicca Main and then Elizabeth Evans, the developers of the site, have endeavoured to create a dual function for the site that captures the ‘what is’ and the ‘what could be’ dimensions of research graduate skills development. This means that individual academics, candidates and others can readily identify and follow-up examples of contemporary programs and activities designed to enhance graduate skills. In addition, however, they can gain access to the theoretical considerations that led to the development of an argument for reframing the skills agenda in higher education.

1.3.2 PapersCumming, J. (forthcoming) Contextualised Performance: Reframing the skills debate in research education. [paper submitted to Studies in Higher Education, February 2008]

Cumming, J. (2008a) Developing Research Graduate Skills: An initial mapping of contemporary training and development initiatives. Report of Stage 1 of the Research Graduate Skills Project. Australian Learning and Teaching Council.

Cumming, J. (2008b) “Raising the level of debate”: A case study of skills development for higher degree by research candidates. Paper prepared as part of the Research Graduate Skills Project. Australian Learning and Teaching Council.

1.3.3 PresentationsCumming, J. (2008) Research graduate skills: Exploring the concept of capability development. Council of Deans and Directors of Graduate Studies Meeting, University of New South Wales, 10 November.

Kiley, M & Cumming, J. (2009) Identifying skills for research learning is just the beginning: Examining the role of capability. Improving Student Learning conference, Imperial College London, September.

Cumming, J. & Kiley, M. (2009) Developing doctoral candidate skills in Australia: Theoretical and practical perspectives. Presentation at the European Association for Research and Learning and Instruction Conference, Amsterdam, August.

Kiley, M. (2009) Higher Degree by Research candidates and skills development: What do we really mean? Higher Education Research and Development conference, Darwin, July.

Boud, D. and Kiley, M. (2009) Skill Development for Research Students: Analyses Across Nations, Disciplines, and Programs. Symposium accepted for presentation of international conference of the European Association of Research in Learning and Instruction, Amsterdam, August.

Kiley, M. (2008) Graduate skill development: questions of curriculum and pedagogy. Preparing for Academic Practice Conference, University of Oxford, April.


Reflections

The purpose of this section is to synthesise some of the strategic and conceptual thinking that was developed over time by the project team in collaboration with the reference group and project evaluator. As indicated earlier in this report the project commenced with two specific research questions in mind in relation to HDR candidates, namely, “What skills are being developed?” and “How are these skills being developed”. These remained constant throughout Stages 1 and 2 of the project.

It is important to acknowledge that a significant methodological change took place during the initial stages of the project. The original research plan included a proposal to administer a survey to seven universities—two each of Go8, IRU and ATN groupings plus one regional university. However, the material generated as a result of the literature review and website mapping in Stage 1 revealed a great deal about the nature and extent of HDR skills development that brought into question the need for a survey. A number of reservations were also expressed by the reference committee about the capacity of a survey to generate data that would be either substantially different from, or add significant value to, the material already collected. In addition, concerns were expressed about the problems associated with ‘survey fatigue’ in universities, but more importantly, about the team’s capacity to target the most appropriate individual to respond to a survey on HDR skill development. Based on the prior experience of research team members, respondents to surveys concerning postgraduate studies had included representatives of graduate schools, academic skills units, faculties and departments, student administration and other specialised units.

As a result, in consultation with the reference committee and the external evaluator, it was decided that qualitative case study research would increase the likelihood of generating higher-order data. The chosen strategy was to interview a sample of academics at one university who were directly involved in HDR skills development, in order to generate a variety of disciplinary and other perspectives that could illuminate contemporary understandings and potentially yield new insights. Expanding on the methodology section above (i.e. section 1.1), one of the seven universities in the original sample was selected. In collaboration with the Dean of Postgraduate Students, nine senior staff with responsibility for HDR skills development were identified. A series of semi-structured interviews was conducted in August - September 2008 at the ‘Australis’ university. A major feature of this exercise was the creation of co-constructed accounts—case records as articulated by Stenhouse that provided rich, thick descriptions of contemporary practice. These records were included as appendices to the case study, not only as a means of validation, but also as an educational resource. These records could be used in teaching (e.g. to stimulate dialogue), training (e.g. to provide a practical example, and research (e.g. to support or challenge existing knowledge).

It is important to acknowledge, once again, the significant contribution of Associate Professor Simon Barrie from the University of Sydney who provided valuable feedback on Stages 1 and 2 of the research in his role as the project evaluator. He confirmed that the reports documenting the outcomes of each stage (Cumming 2008a; b) “constitute a comprehensive collection of data and


analysis [and that] it is not envisaged that additional data should be sought in order to complete the project” (see Attachment 1). Moreover, he indicated that “there is capacity for linking the outcomes of this research—especially the case study—more explicitly to other relevant ALTC projects, conceptual models and theoretical frameworks within the two existing reports” (ibid).

As a consequence, Stage 3 of the project reflected higher levels of critical reflection and conceptual development. An outcome of the formative evaluation was the realisation that the project may have inadvertently asked research questions that in hindsight may have missed the mark. First, a review of the literature revealed that a great deal of research and development had already been conducted on the types of skill that HDR candidates need to develop (Cumming, 2008a). Second, further desktop research and an extended case study revealed that highly diverse approaches to HDR skills development were being implemented in Australia and elsewhere. This led the research team to argue for a reframing of the skills debate away from graduate skills and attributes, and towards capability and contextualised performance.

Hence, a major outcome of the project is the identification of a new focus for further research, namely, the effective assessment and reporting of capability and performance. The project would argue that rather than retain a narrow focus on HDR candidates, the potential for adopting a broader and more holistic perspective should be realised, e.g. including Early Career Researchers and Post Docs. Hence, under this scenario, contextualised practice would constitute the unit of analysis—as distinct from skills or candidates per se.


Recommendations

While the formulation of recommendations is not necessarily a formal requirement of this ALTC funded project, the reference group and project team felt that given the processes and outcomes emerging from this exercise, there would be value in recording a set of proposals for consideration by those actively involved with the development of research graduate skills.

1.5.1 Follow-up research on employer expectationsIt is recommended that:

further research be conducted • to generate a more accurate understanding of the current and emerging expectations of groups who employ HDR graduates;the target audience for this research • would constitute a diverse range of professional, government, commercial and other interest groups to identify contemporary HDR skills deemed to be of critical importance in the selection of research graduates (Note that discussions have already commenced with the Australian Deans and Directors of Graduate Studies);links be established with relevant • research and development projects with a view to drawing on significant data sets such as PhD graduates five to seven years out: Employment outcomes, job attributes and the quality of research training (2007), and peak employer and industry bodies • such as ACCI, BCA and AIG be approached with a view to becoming actively involved in the implementation and/or dissemination of the findings arising from this research.

1.5.2 Follow-up research on contextualised performanceIt is recommended that:

research be conducted to explore the • concept of contextualised performance in authentic settings;a major focus of this research be • on the assessment and reporting of the performance and demonstrated capability of HDR candidates and graduates in multiple contexts (i.e. rather than focusing on research graduate skills per se);links be established with relevant • research and development projects to exchange the findings and implications arising from recent research (e.g. quantitative—Graduate Skills Assessment Test; and qualitative—case studies of contemporary HDR practice); andstakeholders in research graduate • skills development (e.g. ALTC, Universities Australia, CAPA, ACER) be approached to become involved in the implementation and/or dissemination of the findings arising from this research.

1.5.3 National forum on research graduate skillsIt is recommended that:

a national forum on research • graduate skills be conducted to share critical outcomes and processes from contemporary research and development projects;primary objectives be determined in • consultation with key stakeholders (e.g. moving towards a common language and terminology for graduate skills; improving the quality of skills training and development); ALTC might like to consider using the Quality in Postgraduate Research 2010 conference as an option for such a forum.


the ALTC consider building on the • outcomes of forums conducted previously to promote information exchange (e.g. the Graduate Attributes Project, University of Sydney);links be established with other relevant • research and development projects and initiatives with a view to identifying resources and outcomes;stakeholders in research graduate skills • development (e.g. ALTC, Universities Australia, CAPA, ACCI, BCA, AIG ) be approached to become actively involved in the implementation and dissemination of the proposed forum.

1.5.4 Extending the impact of this projectIt is recommended that:

for the remainder of 2009, the ANU, in • conjunction with ALTC, continue to be engaged in disseminating the outcomes and processes of the research graduate skills project; including establishing hyperlinks between the project website and other websites concerned with graduate skills development; and giving consideration to disseminating the outcomes of this project (e.g. the extended case study) via national and international conferences (e.g. EARLI, 2009; QPR 2010: IDERN 2010 in Malaysia) in the form of interactive engagement (e.g. symposia).

In addition to this planned continuing work, the project team recommends that:

consideration be given to synthesising • the outcomes of related research and development projects funded by the ALTC (e.g. Honours, GAP, etc.) to identify emerging patterns and relationships, andthe possibility of identifying and • engaging co-authors for papers identified during the course of this

project be explored (e.g. papers on the language of the skills debate; structured, semi-structured and unstructured skills programs and related initiatives).


Barrie, S. C. (2004). A Research-based Approach to Generic Graduate Attributes Policy. Higher Education Research and Development 23 (3): 261-275.

Barrie, S. C. (2006). Understanding What We Mean by the Generic Attributes of Graduates. Higher Education 51: 215-241.

Barrie, S. C. (2007). A Conceptual Framework for the Teaching and Learning of Generic Graduate Attributes. Studies in Higher Education 32 (4): 439-458.

Bowden, J., G. Hart, B. King, K. Trigwell and O. Watts (2000). Generic Capabilities of ATN University Graduates. Canberra, Australian Government Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs.

Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations. (2008). Submission to the House of Representatives Industry, Science and Innovation Committee Inquiry into Research Training and Research Workforce Issues in Australian Universities. Retrieved December 15, 2008.

Cresswell, J. W. (2003). Research Design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Thousand Oaks, Sage.

Cumming, J. (2008a). Developing Research Graduate Skills: An initial mapping of contemporary training and development initiatives. Canberra, Australian National University and the Australian Learning and Teaching Council. Report prepared for ALTC.

Cumming, J. (2008b). Raising the level of debate. A case study of skills development for higher degree candidates. Canberra, Australian National University and the Australian Learning and Teaching Council. Report prepared for ALTC.

Harvey, L. (2000). New Realities: The relationship between higher education and employment. Tertiary Education and Management 6 (1): 3-17.

Holmes, L. (2000). Questioning the skills agenda. Integrating Key Skills in Higher Education. S. Fallows and C. Steven. London, Kogan Page: 201-214.

Holmes, L. (2001). Reconsidering Graduate Employability: The ‘graduate identity’ approach. Quality in Higher Education 7 (2): 111-119.

Holmes, L. (2006). Reconsidering Graduate Employability: Beyond possessive-instrumentalism. Seventh International Conference on HRD Research and Practice Across Europe. University of Tilburg.

National Postgraduate Committee of the UK. (2006). Submission to the House of Commons Education and Skills Committee Inquiry into the future sustainability of the higher education sector: purpose, funding and structure. Retrieved December 5, 2008, from http://www.npc.org.uk/postgraduatefactsandissues/postgraduatepolicyresponses/consultations2006/npc0612Afutureofhe.

References


Pearson, M. and A. Brew (2002). Research Training and Supervision Development. Studies in Higher Education. 27 (2): 136-150.

Pearson, M., J. Cumming, T. Evans, P. Macauley and K. Ryland (2008). Exploring the Extent and Nature of the Diversity of the Doctoral Population in Australia: A profile of the respondents to a 2005 national survey. Quality in Postgraduate Research 2008 Conference, Adelaide, The Australian National University.

Stenhouse, L. (1978). Case Study and Case Records: Towards a contemporary history of education. British Educational Research Journal. 4 (2): 21-29.

Stenhouse, L. (1980). The Study of Samples and the Study of Cases. British Educational Research Journal. 6 (1): 1-6.

Stephenson, J. and M. Yorke, Eds. (1998). Capability and Quality in Higher Education. London, Kogan Page.

University of Queensland Social Research Centre. (2007). PhD graduates five to seven years out: Employment outcomes, job attributes and the quality of research training: Final report. Brisbane: Prepared for Department of Education, Science and Training.

Willison, J. and K. O’Regan (2007). Commonly known, commonly not known, totally unknown: a framework for students becoming researchers. Higher Education Research and Development. 26 (4): 393-409.

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