Graduate perceptions of ‘preparedness’ for PR practice as a qualitative indicator of HE performance.

Quantitative research measures are used routinely in education to assist policymakers allocate resource and prospective students to make choices but increasingly to audit course – and educator - performance. Data resulting from quantitative sources may be used interchangeably such that the results of the measurement intended for one purpose is used to aid decision making for another. A focus on qualitative study could provide greater nuanced understanding for key issues faced by educators and students today. Preparedness for practice is suggested as a qualitative lens through which to view the performance of Higher Education courses, particularly those focused on professional practice such as Public Relations that routinely “promise” it. Currently student preparedness is quantified but not qualified. The paper reports an exploratory study of graduate perceptions of preparedness for practice on a UK undergraduate PR course with a view to understanding how such insight might supplement existing data. Research is developing towards a conceptualisation of preparedness for professional practice and an understanding of its usefulness as a holistic indicator of the performance of HE actors.

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