Investigating the relevance of the graduate attributes to Australian tertiary chemistry education: a staff, student and industry perspective

Abstract

Universities are increasingly seen to have both a research and a vocational training role. They have responded to this expectation by proclaiming the graduate attributes on their public websites. However, disciplines are also expected to develop their own graduate attributes and train students at them. For the discipline of chemistry in Australia, it is unclear how relevant these graduate attributes are to the different stakeholders of tertiary chemistry education: students, staff, and industries. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relevance of the graduate attributes to those three different stakeholders. Chemistry students and staff at the ANU, as well as industries in Canberra that employed chemists, were surveyed and interviewed and asked to rate the importance of and the student competence at the ANU graduate attributes for science. Results of this study showed that all stakeholder groups perceived the graduate attributes to be important, except some attributes were perceived more important than others - scientific analysis and problem solving were perceived as more important than communication, teamwork, and professionalism. Results also showed a discrepancy between students' perceived self-rated competence at the attributes, and the perceived competence of staff and industry; with competency ratings declining in the order of student, staff, and industry. Industry perceived students to be deficient at scientific analysis and problem solving, the very two attributes it valued most, and perceived deficiencies in students' wet chemistry and instrumentation skills. This thesis showed that the graduate attributes are relevant to the three stakeholders of Australian tertiary chemistry education, and that further work involving these stakeholders needs to be done in order to ensure that Australian chemistry students are receiving the best chemistry education possible, and the best future employability outcomes.