Preparing Graduates for Occupation Readiness: An Action Research Project

Abstract

This action research in progress is the reflection of a continued practice within the context of an unconventional course work, during the trimesters of 2016, requiring students of two core courses in English department to create learning experience for their juniors of the same through active learning. Active learning is said to provide students with the key skills that the employers look into (Fitzsimon, 2014). The research focus is to equip a group of responsible soon-to-be graduates and out-to-the-job-market with inventiveness, communicative skills, self-efficacy to face nearly unknown audience, teamwork, time management, and also a sense of ownership or control over their learning. “Three E’s” of data collection in action research (Creswel, 2008; Mills, 2007) has been explored to obtain findings of the study incorporating observers’ experience through Overall Observation Report, then by enquiring via Student Questionnaire, and finally examining through record by means of Student Journals. The primary findings suggest that today’s students prefer varied learning experiences that include many of the elements which would fall under the second theme of 21st century innovation and learning skills (21st Century Skills Map, 2011; P21st Century Skills framework, 2007). The findings, which is still going through data measurement processes, also revealed learners’ being positive toward task accomplishment.