Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE EDS5608

 
TITLE Career Guidance Practice

 
UM LEVEL 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course

 
MQF LEVEL 7

 
ECTS CREDITS 8

 
DEPARTMENT Education Studies

 
DESCRIPTION This unit builds on CLS5103 Placement in Career Guidance Settings. It offers students the opportunity to learn and practice career guidance skills in different ways and in different settings, thus facilitating a gradual induction into the professional roles that they will be expected to fulfil as career guidance consultants.

This gradual induction may include such activities as structured observation of skilled practitioners, critical reflection on a range of aspects that the design and delivery of career guidance services entails, practising of career guidance skills under the mentorship of one or more experienced and expert tutor/s, and completing specific tasks related to responsibilities that students will have once they qualify to practice. A whole range of pedagogical strategies will be used in order to ensure that students make meaningful links between theory and practice, and to create powerful learning environments through the use of multimedia, role-play, and immersion in real life settings. The rationale underpinning the approach adopted in this study unit is informed by the notion of the “Reflective Practitioner”.

Study-unit Aims:

This study-unit aims to help students deepen their understanding of the theoretical knowledge acquired during the taught component of the course, and to make meaningful links between that and the complexities of designing and delivering career guidance services within formal institutional settings. Drawing on the “Reflective Practitioner” approach as promoted by Donald Schön, this study-unit sets out to provide powerful learning environments which help students confront their emergent understanding of the field of career guidance in the light of both theory and practice.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding:
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Demonstrate the relevance of theoretical knowledge to informed and ethical practice in the field;
- Compare and contrast different ways of organising and delivering career guidance services to individuals and groups, identifying best practice in a range of contexts;
- Describe different career guidance interventions and appraise them from the clients’ perspective and in relation to their effectiveness;
- Explain the different theoretical approaches and models underpinning the services they observe being delivered, and which they themselves contribute to delivering;
- Acquire a deeper and more sophisticated understanding of the ethical issues involved in career guidance;
- Explore and come to terms with the ambiguities and uncertainties involved in supporting clients’ career decision-making and career management processes;
- Master the skills and dispositions needed to constantly reflect and critically evaluate on one’s action in the field;
- Acquaint oneself with the institutional cultures prevailing among service providers and learning how to become a team player in a specific context.

2. Skills:
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Conduct professional career interviews;
- Assess the career needs of different types of clients;
- Propose plans of action that assist the careers of clients;
- Refer clients to adequate professionals;
- Write reflective journals in ways that demonstrate the ability to link theory to practice;
- Engage with set readings, observational protocols, and other learning material in a manner that has an impact on one’s actions, dispositions, and behaviour.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Bassot, B. (2013) The Reflective Journal. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Bassot, B. (2015) The Reflective Practice Guide: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Critical Reflection. London: Routledge.
Network for Innovation in Career Guidance and Counselling in Europe (2015) The European Competence Standards for the Academic Training of Career Practitioners.
http://www.nice-network.eu/projects/european-competence-standards/
Thomsen, R. (2012) Career Guidance in Communities. Denmark: Aarhus University Press.

 
ADDITIONAL NOTES Pre-Requisite Study-unit: CLS5103

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture and Practical

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Reflective Diary SEM2 No 25%
Project SEM2 No 75%

 
LECTURER/S Deborah A. Chetcuti
Manwel Debono
Christine Garzia (Co-ord.)
Ronald Sultana

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit