title: "For me it's like oxygen"
title: Using design research to develop and test a relational employability framework
titleType: Subtitle
Creators: name: Cook, Elizabeth
Publisher: name: Lancaster University
Year: 2023
Subjects: relational higher education
relational employability framework
academics
intracurricular careers education
design research
evaluation

description: My doctoral research thesis project aimed to inform a paradigm shift in
 graduate employability at Edith Cowan University (ECU) through the
 creation of a new relational employability teaching-learning framework
 (Cook, 2023). I sought to address the problematic nature of the prevailing
 skills-focused employability concept within universities by advocating for
 a more holistic concept that could be used by academics to foster critical
 thinking, global citizenship, creativity and connectedness among students,
 thus contributing to the mitigation of issues arising from the
 commodification of skills. To guide the research, I adopted a pragmatist
 standpoint and crafted a conceptual framework embodying two key concepts:
 relational higher education and Lacković’s (2019) relational graduate
 employability paradigm. The research objectives were to develop and test
 the new framework in units of study during one semester, collect and
 analyse data to assess the framework’s practical application and value for
 academics and students, and establish a basis for ongoing evaluation. By
 introducing the new concept of ‘relational employability’ to ECU academics
 and students, I aimed to expand their thoughts and actions regarding
 employability from solely individuals’ employment-related skills and
 outcomes to including relationships with others (humans, species,
 environments, artefacts, technologies, etc.) throughout careers (life and
 work). I employed a design research methodological framework that
 incorporated various data collection and analytical techniques across
 three phases: preparation and design; implementation over one semester;
 and analysis and sharing of practice. During the preparation and design
 phase, I completed two literature reviews (one of these is published),
 designed a prototype relational employability framework, and conducted
 pre-implementation qualitative interviews with 22 participants, including
 ECU academics, employability experts, careers practitioners and a senior
 learning designer. Codebook thematic analysis of the interview data
 provided insights into the meaning and value of relational employability
 among participants and enabled refinement of the framework.
 
 During the implementation phase, I collaborated with four academics from
 Medical and Health Sciences and Nursing disciplines to integrate the
 framework into five units, spanning undergraduate to postgraduate levels.
 After implementation, I administered student questionnaires and conducted
 qualitative interviews with three academics and three students to gain
 insights into their experiences and perspectives of the new framework and
 relational employability concept in existing teaching-learning and
 assessment. I also examined institutional unit level data to ensure there
 were no ill effects of the study on student outcomes and experiences and
 to establish baseline data to inform ongoing implementation and evaluation
 of the framework at ECU.
 
 The study revealed the benefits and some challenges of incorporating the
 framework into units of study. There were largely positive effects on
 student success and satisfaction, with the framework serving as a catalyst
 for holistic employability development and wider considerations of the
 implications of personal and collective interactions and contributions
 throughout careers. Academics discovered that integrating relational
 employability into existing teaching-learning and assessment was feasible
 and could enhance the meaningfulness of employability for students if
 they, themselves, understood the relational framework and could associate
 it with their discipline. The findings also suggested that the framework
 could assist academics to establish connections between technological
 considerations and the concept of employability. Questionnaire results
 revealed students felt the framework positively impacted their
 development, including confidence and self-esteem. Both academics and
 students shared a view that the framework should be integrated across the
 entire degree program, starting from first year and continuing through to
 graduation. 
 
 The outputs of this research included a SharePoint site for staff that
 provides educational resources to support the adoption of relational
 employability within ECU. More broadly, the study offers 16 practical
 recommendations for educators and universities to incorporate relational
 employability principles into their educational practice.