Developing work readiness in university graduates: a case study in mapping a university curriculum to work readiness domains in an Australian physiotherapy degree

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background Recent research has identified six domains of work readiness: Practical Wisdom, Interpersonal Capabilities, Personal Attributes, Organisational Acumen, Profession Specific Knowledge and Skills, and Professionally Relevant Experiences. Objective Using a case study, the aim of this study was to demonstrate the process of curriculum mapping to evaluate the alignment of a university program to the work readiness framework. Methods A retrospective audit of curriculum material for one cohort of Macquarie University’s Doctor of Physiotherapy (DPT) was undertaken. Curriculum was categorized as declared, delivered, or assessed, mapped to the six work readiness domains through qualitative content analysis, and then quantitatively scored and expressed as percentages of maximum possible scores per unit, and average units scores per semester. Results Mapping curriculum to a six domain work readiness framework revealed declared, delivered, and assessed curriculum within all six work readiness domains, with varying contributions across the degree. Mapping revealed that the Profession Specific Knowledge and Skills domain had the highest coverage of declared (M = 63%, SD = 12), delivered (M = 88%, SD = 11) and assessed (M = 80%, SD = 7) curriculum, highlighting a strength of the program. The Personal Attributes domain had the lowest coverage of declared (M = 5%, SD = 5), delivered (M = 48%, SD = 24) and assessed (M = 29%, SD = 20) curriculum, highlighting opportunities for development. Conclusion Mapping curriculum to a work readiness framework allows universities to consider alignment, and the strength and opportunities for the improvement of work readiness within its curriculum.