Socialising students for Philosophic Practice? An analysis of learning outcomes in tourism taught Master's programmes

Abstract

Tourism education may have an important role to play in ‘resetting’ tourism onto a more sustainable trajectory post-Covid-19. However, neoliberal policies that have increasingly encouraged higher education institutions to prioritise vocational learning over liberal learning may hinder the development of Philosophic Practitioners (Tribe, 2002), those graduates who may be best equipped for this task. The purpose of this research was to explore the extent to which education for Philosophic Practice (Tribe, 2002) – that which balances vocational and liberal learning - is reflected in the curricula of tourism taught Master's (TTM) programmes offered globally. In particular, the popularity of TTM programmes, combined with a focus on high-level professional responsibilities, means that future decision-making for and about tourism may increasingly rest with the graduates that emerge from these programmes. Using qualitative content analysis, findings show that overall TTM education does have a strong vocational orientation. There are, however, some signs that liberal learning outcomes addressing broader socio-cultural and environmental needs are also being emphasised. Crucially, though, there is little evidence to suggest that vocational and liberal learning are being balanced in TTM curricula. This is a potentially problematic situation that may have implications for sustainable tourism in the future.