Materials Development for an Archival Science Course in Iran: An ESP Mixed Methods Study

This study addressed the demand for an ESP course for Archival Science, a profession often overlooked in Iran. The existing literature offers little research on specific materials for Archival Science students; hence there is a paucity of relevant materials in this field. The present study explored the development of printed materials for an ESP course conducted in the National Library and Archives of Iran to compensate for the absence. It examined the effectiveness of using such materials on the language learning of a group of archivists taking part in a 16-sessions mid-career course in Archival Science. The needs analysis processes, course design, materials development, teaching and learning, and evaluation were followed to achieve the objectives. The results demonstrated that the newly developed materials compared to materials prepared for other ESP courses could considerably promote the participants’ proficiency. The developed materials were archival, work-related, and professional-based resources and had significant effects on participants’ language learning. The study revealed that focusing on the learners’ specific educational needs in their workplace and incorporating authentic, practical materials in ESP courses would improve language learning and skill development in archivists.

Evaluation of a Blended Career Education Course during the COVID-19 Pandemic on Students’ Career Awareness

Higher education has increasingly emphasized the importance of employability traits in order to personalize students’ learning needs and meet dynamic workplace demands. Previous research addressing the personalized learning on career education in blended learning model is limited. The present study aims to examine whether students with distinctive stable personality traits would improve their career adaptability and adaptation results after attending a synchronous career course during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 162 participants completed the questionnaires at both the first and last sessions of the course in spring 2020. Findings revealed that the course positively improved students’ identity formation. Personality traits demonstrated significant main effects on the middle identity formation stage and career adaptability. This study highlights traits such as emotional stability and possible cultural effects on the career development course in the young Chinese sample population. The implication of specific attributes and cultural backgrounds in career development courses is discussed.

Career planning courses increase career readiness of graduate and postdoctoral trainees

Background: Given national calls for intentional career development during graduate and post-graduate scientific training, this study assessed career readiness development within the context of academic career courses. The current study evaluated the effects of academic career courses offered at two institutions that were specifically designed to increase career awareness, interest, and career-related confidence among doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows. Methods: Participants enrolled in a career course at trainees’ respective academic institutions and responded to pre- and post-course surveys (n=32, n=148). The paper offers a thematic analysis of each of the two courses using an individualized learning plan career development framework and describes the results of their respective pretest-posttest evaluations which indicated increases in career readiness. Results: Though the format and content provided in each course varied, participation was associated with increases in career readiness. Participants reported increased career-awareness including a greater familiarity with different types of careers overall. Furthermore, interest in tenure track faculty careers increased in both samples, which may assuage fears that exposure to diverse career pathways could reduce interest in academic careers. Transferrable skills, including career planning and awareness also significantly increased. Course participants reported an increase in the number and type of mentors they interacted with beyond their principal faculty mentor (other faculty, professional PhDs, peers, and administrative staff). Conclusions: Findings provide supporting evidence for the benefits of implementing structured career development efforts during PhD training; even with varying content, delivery methods, and instructor type, both academic career courses led to significant gains in career awareness and readiness. Successful development and delivery of academic career courses, with a focus on career planning skills, suggest that institutions can utilize these and are an effective way to prepare PhDs for their transition from training positions into careers.

Careers in Psychology Course: Prevalence, Structure, and Timing

Despite the multiple benefits of the careers in psychology course, it is not universally offered in undergraduate programs. Teachers who wish to design such a course may wonder about its typical number of credits, when students should take the course, and how much it uses a common curriculum across sections. The 2018 Undergraduate Study in Psychology gathered data on these questions in a nationally representative sample of undergraduate programs at associate ( n = 60) and baccalaureate ( n = 180) institutions. In 2017–2018, 39% of baccalaureate programs and 12% of associate programs offered the course. Discussion centers on department-specific adaptations of the career course, its curricular alternatives, and future research. The authors also issue a call for action to more widely implement the career course nationally.

Police Productivity and Performance Over the Career Course: A Latent Class Growth Analysis of the First 10 Years of Law Enforcement

The present research investigates the productivity and performance of a large sample of police officers, beginning in the police academy and through their first 10 years of policing. Using longitudinal data and latent class growth analyses, we examine measures of productivity and performance over this time. Findings indicate that officers’ academy performance did not influence officer trajectories, but selected demographic variables were significantly related to performance across the career course. Among these, female and non-White officers were consistently rated lower in their performance evaluations. Overall, results suggest that factors predicting productivity and performance are dynamic, and there is no single combination of characteristics that predicts who will be a “good” officer.