Challenges of Learning Postgraduate Class with No Prior Work Experience: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

The main purpose of this research was to explore the lived experience of students who learn postgraduate classes without having prior work experience. To achieve the intended objective, the team of researchers used a qualitative research approach. The phenomenological research design was used to have the real lived experience of novice scholarship students. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, focus group discussion, and unstructured participant observation. The participants were ten postgraduate students who enrolled in the College of Education and Behavioural Sciences at Bahir Dar University. Data analysis was guided by Smith’s Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, and we construct themes based on data we obtain from participants. The study revealed that postgraduate students with no prior work experience have both good and bad experiences. The good experiences were related to the opportunity they have to learn at a young age, and the bad experiences were the challenges they faced as a result of being novices in the work environment. They faced psychological challenges, economic challenges, language-related challenges, lack of information about the world of work, sexual harassment, and other challenges. At the end of the research, we infer implications based on the findings of the research.

Employee cohesion and its influence on workplace learning: The lived experiences of public university lecturers in Ethiopia

“…Therefore, this research is in line with previous research findings on the role of staff cohesion in knowledge transfer. The informal networks are manifested in spontaneous, casual and unregulated exchanges of information and resources within communities of practice at the workplace and efforts at cooperation, coordination and mutual assistance that help maximise the utilisation of available resources (Birhanu et al, 2022a(Birhanu et al, , 2022bBirhanu et al, 2022aBirhanu et al, , 2022b.…”

“…Previous research revealed that a lack of knowledge-seeking behaviour, lack of conducting a rigorous and proper needs assessment and the presence of work overload of instructors were major challenges to university lecturers' workplace learning in Ethiopia (Gugssa and Kabeta, 2021). Similarly, the presence of poor social capital, high mutual suspicion and mistrust among civil servants were found to be inhibitors to the effectiveness of workplace learning environment (Birhanu et al, 2022a(Birhanu et al, , 2022b. The findings of these two research support the idea of Yitbarek (2007) which revealed that JWL 36,1…”

“…Although different studies have been conducted on workplace learning and social environment (Birhanu et al, 2022a(Birhanu et al, , 2022b, challenges of instructors' workplace learning (Gugssa and Kabeta, 2021), the effect of dysfunctional behaviour of Ethiopian communities (Yitbarek, 2007), the link between social cohesion and workplace learning remains untouched research area in Ethiopia. The paucity of research that investigates the impact of social cohesion on workplace learning requires further research on how social cohesion promotes effective learning in the workplace.…”

“…Previous research revealed that a lack of knowledge-seeking behaviour, lack of conducting a rigorous and proper needs assessment and the presence of work overload of instructors were major challenges to university lecturers’ workplace learning in Ethiopia (Gugssa and Kabeta, 2021). Similarly, the presence of poor social capital, high mutual suspicion and mistrust among civil servants were found to be inhibitors to the effectiveness of workplace learning environment (Birhanu et al , 2022a, 2022b). The findings of these two research support the idea of Yitbarek (2007) which revealed that Ethiopian communities exhibit dysfunctional behaviours such as personalising issues, favouring narrow interests, harbouring mutual suspicion and distrust, displaying paranoia, lacking empathy and understanding, engaging in character assassination, being closed-off, holding grudges, being envious, stubborn and resistant to compromise.…”