Education disrupted: The role of career education in shifting educational pathways

Описание: Universities face pressure to improve student retention and graduate employability, while students struggle to connect their academic learning and university experiences to their personal career path. Embedding career education into mandatory first-year courses will give students the knowledge and skills to construct meaningful futures. Support for student career development could benefit the wellbeing of both students and the institution through increased retention.

My doctoral research consists of the enhancement and evaluation of an existing career education module embedded within Introduction to Business Management (MGMT 1281), a First-Year Seminar (FYS) course that integrates traditional academic content with ‘student success’ content that develops academic skills (e.g., time management) and increases awareness of campus resources. Grounded in Planned Happenstance Theory, the career education module is designed to help students understand career holistically, build exploration skills, manage multiple roles, and align their academic choices with their interests and values. The program features academic readings on career development, a workshop facilitated by Career and Experiential Learning staff, and structured reflective activities, while also orienting students to university career services. Outcomes of interest include adaptive career attitudes, role balance, academic wellbeing, perceived employability, academic performance, and retention.

An enhanced version of the program will be delivered within a mandatory first-year business course. Comparison groups will receive either an earlier version of the intervention in the FYS course, the enhanced intervention in a non-FYS introductory course, or no treatment. Students who received the enhanced intervention in the FYS context are expected to show the best outcomes, while lesser or no benefits are expected for students in the control groups.

The evaluation uses a three-study mixed-methods design. Change in outcomes before and after the intervention will be examined through validated quantitative measures, while students’ experience of the program and its impact on their actions will be explored through qualitative interviews. An archival study will investigate whether students who completed MGMT 1281 had higher long-term use of career services compared to matched peers who did not take the course.

The findings will be of interest to university administrators and career services units striving to advance student success, and of note to policymakers concerned with postsecondary accountability for workforce development. Results will inform scalable, evidence-based strategies for integrating career education into the academic curriculum. Regardless of whether the outcomes are positive, null, or even negative, the evaluation results will provide valuable information to guide responsible allocation of institutional resources.

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I am a doctoral student in the Social Attitudes Psychology Lab at Saint Mary’s University, where my work in vocational psychology and organizational development focuses on the relationship between student career development and institutional goals. I have training in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and hold an MSc in Community Health and Epidemiology. My professional background spans program evaluation, career coaching, human resources consulting, and university teaching. I am grateful that this project, a collaboration with Career and Experiential Learning staff, received the 2026 Graduate Student Engagement Program award from the Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling.