Research skills that men and women developed at university and then used in workplaces

Abstract

This qualitative study probed the mismatch between graduates’ and employers’ perspectives, especially in regard to graduates’ learning orientation and investigating skills. Specifically, the study delved into male and female graduates’ perceptions of research skills that were developed explicitly during their undergraduate degree and used by them in employment for research, investigations and for ongoing learning that kept them current. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data revealed substantial similarities between the male and female graduates’ emphasis about four of the six research skills investigated. However, the skills that graduates did not emphasize–embarking and clarifying for men; analyzing and synthesizing for women–give some clues as to why those interviewed may not have, use or transfer, the full set of skills needed to engage in investigation and learning in workplaces, and this incomplete skill set may lead to lower employer satisfaction with graduate skills.