ABSTRACT

The higher education market has prompted universities to justify their value and worth, especially to students. In Australia, New Zealand and the UK, it is increasingly common for universities to advertise their vision to prospective students, through Graduate Attributes, and showcase the sets of skills and competencies their graduates would develop throughout a degree. Whilst there are extensive studies in Australasia, research in the UK context is limited. This paper presents what we believe is the first national mapping of graduate attributes proposed by UK universities. Our analysis suggests four discourses that characterise the overarching qualities that UK students can expect to embody by graduation: self-awareness & lifelong learning, employability & professional development, global citizenship & engagement and academic & research literacy. These discourses are discussed in relation to the concept of the ‘ideal graduate’ as we highlight what can be expected from students who complete a UK higher education.

摘要

高等教育市场促使大学证明自己的价值和价值，尤其是对学生而言。在澳大利亚、新西兰和英国，大学越来越普遍地通过毕业生属性向潜在学生宣传他们的愿景，并展示他们的毕业生在整个学位期间将发展的技能和能力。虽然在澳大拉西亚有广泛的研究，但在英国的研究是有限的。本文介绍了我们认为是英国大学提出的第一个全国毕业生属性映射。我们的分析提出了四种描述英国学生毕业后可以期望体现的总体品质的话语：自我意识和终身学习、就业能力和专业发展、全球公民和参与以及学术和研究素养。这些论述与“理想毕业生”的概念有关，因为我们强调了对完成英国高等教育的学生的期望。