Relevant, practical and connected to the real world: what higher education students say engages them in the curriculum

The discourse on preparing job-ready graduates has led to calls for more authentic methods of teaching and learning that allow higher education students enhance their employability. literature identifies approaches as those situate in contexts correspond the ‘real world’. However, little is known about whether, or how, Irish view authentic. Drawing Ireland’s national survey student engagement, this paper examined free text responses 93,743 over a five-year period when asked what institutions could do improve engagement learning. Using both an automatic content manual analysis, it was found theme ‘work’ strongly represented data. Strongly connected were concepts world’, life’ ‘group’ with requesting relevant, practical, job- career-related. While group seen positive light, valued projects world work. In contrast literature, these don’t frame narratives terms ‘authentic’ learning, rather they speak real-world relevance. concludes suggestions institutions.