Browsing by Subject "Career Sustainability"

Abstract Finland enhanced its internationalisation efforts over the past decade to address demographic challenges. Finland’s impressive performance in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in the early 2000s also resulted in a rising demand for its education system, increasing the export of education (Schatz, Popovic, & Dervin, 2017).). Consequently, this led to an increasing flow of international students to Finland; however, existing studies highlight that the graduates are facing challenges in securing employment in Finland (Shumilova, Cai, & Pekkola, 2012). While current studies offer nationwide insights, there remains a research gap in the education sector. Hence, this study aims to investigate how International Master’s Programmes in education support the career sustainability of international students, exploring perspectives from both students and graduates as well as programme leaders. Additionally, the study aims to understand the implications of internationalisation initiatives within these programmes on the social responsibility of international candidates. This study draws upon Tight's (2021) and Hans de Wit's (2013) frameworks to rationalise internationalisation in higher education and is guided by critical theories on internationalisation by Hughes Warrington (2012), Stein (2015), Pashby & Andreotti (2016), Haapakoski (2018), and Haapakoski and Stein (2020). This research employed a mixed methods approach, utilising two online surveys to collect data from students and graduates, as well as programme leaders, representing six International Master's Programmes (IMPs) across four Finnish universities. 52 respondents, including students and graduates, and seven programme leaders, completed the surveys. Quantitative data was subjected to descriptive analysis using SPSS, while qualitative data were subjected to reflexive thematic analysis and theoretically informed analytical reading. Initial coding was conducted using Atlas.ti to analyse the qualitative data. The findings of this study indicate that international students and graduates possess adequate multidisciplinary knowledge and skills; however, employers often prioritise Finnish language proficiency and subject-specific qualifications. While some individuals employed in the education sector expressed career satisfaction, many still encounter difficulties securing employment. Moreover, International master's programmes provide support for career sustainability, yet the needs of international students often go unmet. Although programme leaders recognise the challenges in the Finnish labour market, the career sustainability aspect of internationalisation remains largely overlooked. Therefore, this study highlights the necessity of integrating tailored strategies to better support international candidates' career sustainability as one of the primary aspects of social responsibility.