Stuck between a rock and a hard place: The challenge of preparing graduates for their futures

Abstract

An accepted role of universities is to prepare students for their careers and lives. However, what should or could be taught and how, in order to better prepare students for their futures, is contested. In this study, we interviewed 18 New Zealand university teachers about their experiences of developing students’ employability capabilities within university courses. By adopting activity theory as a theoretical framework, we identified an activity system that was experienced by university teachers and multiple contradictions within the activity system. Our study showed the uncertainties and disparities in views regarding the employability capabilities students need, the limited pedagogical tools for developing employability capabilities, and the role of organisational drivers in leveraging the delivery of disciplinary knowledge and the development of employability capabilities.