1. Believe in me, I’m your teacher… The Influence of Student’s Subjective Beliefs on Learning their Professions
Dr. Michael Harnischmacher, U Passau |
Trial and Error | Tilburg |

2. RQ | Do journalism and communication student’s beliefs in their own effectiveness as communicators influence their attitude towards journalism and their ability to learn the profession?
Beliefs

3. Hofer 2001; Caprara et.al. 2011 Importance for higher education
Cognitive Psychology | Beliefs are important
Hofer 2001; Caprara et.al Importance for higher education
Heigl/Thomas 2013 Influence Self-Efficacy <> Problem Solving Skills
Beliefs 3

4. Local Media Environment Survey 2015
Journalists are different.
 Self efficacy
Communicative Self

5. Research questions
Do students with different job perspectives already differ in their professional identity the way professional journalists and PR-people do?
When do differences become evident? Are they learned or part of an attitude?
Does self-efficacy play the same important role we found in an earlier study?
What are the consequences for our programs? How can we teach and support the development of a professional identity?

6. Media & Communication student survey 2016
1st step:
3 programs
generalized curricula („something with media“)
149

7. Media & Communication student survey 2016
149
52% 1st – 3rd Semester
48% 4th < Semester

8. Media & Communication student survey 2016
149
52% 1st – 3rd Semester
48% 4th < Semester
20% male
80% female

9. Media & Communication student survey 2016
„How would you characterize your program?“
149
26. Juli 2015
Zentrum für Musterkunde

10. Media & Communication student survey 2016
„How would you characterize your program?“
149
70%
Communication
26. Juli 2015
Zentrum für Musterkunde

11. Media & Communication student survey 2016
„How would you characterize your program?“
149
70%
Communication
41%
Journalism
41% PR

12. Media & Communication student survey 2016
„How would you characterize your program?“
149
70%
Communication
41%
Journalism
41% PR
28%
Manage- ment

13. Media & Communication student survey 2016
„What is your dream job?“
149
47%
Marketing

14. Media & Communication student survey 2016
„What is your dream job?“
149
47%
Marketing
47%
Fictional Entertain- ment

15. Media & Communication student survey 2016
„What is your dream job?“
149
47%
Marketing
47%
Fictional Entertain- ment
43% PR

16. Media & Communication student survey 2016
„What is your dream job?“
149
47%
Marketing
47%
Fictional Entertain- ment
43% PR
30%
Manage- ment
30%
Journalism

17. Media & Communication student survey 2016
52% PR
44% Marketing
22% Jour.
18% Manage.
„What is your dream job?“
149
47%
Marketing
47%
Fictional Entertain- ment
43% PR
10%
Media & Communications
30%
Manage- ment
30%
Journalism

18. Media & Communication student survey 2016
„What is your dream job?“
149
Correlations: On the whole, students feel confident to end up where they want to go. [Journalism correlates negatively with Marketing r: -,238 Sig: ,004] 18

19. Media & Communication student survey 2016
Results
Career Goals
IDENTITY
Compe-tencies
Interests

20. Media & Communication student survey 2016
In terms of carreer aspirations, stereotypes are met:
Feeling well prepared in media management correlates significantly with…
…wanting reputation
…entrepreneureal spirit
…wanting to lead
… correlates negative with wanting to help society and with watchdog function
Feeling well prepared in journalism correlates significantly with…
…being critical
…watchdog function
…wanting to entertain
…making a name for oneself
Career Goals

21. Media & Communication student survey 2016
Feeling competent in journalism correlates with
feeling capable to form an opinion (r=.263, Sig. .001)
determining whether an information is well researched (r: .397, Sig: .000)
determining whether a source is reliable (r: .244, Sig: .001) …
Students feeling well prepared in other areas miss these correlations.
Competence

22. Media & Communication student survey 2016
Overall, students feel that their skills improved over the course of their studies especially in PR, internal communication, marketing and media management.
Competence 22

23. Media & Communication student survey 2016
Tendency: Students who want to become journalists/PR/Managers… tend to feel their competencies improve in that particular area.
Next: Connection to confidence in / career expectations? (not enough data yet to be conclusive)
Competence

24. Media & Communication student survey 2016
Interests in different areas of study vary widely among students with different career aspirations.
Interests 24

25. Media & Communication student survey 2016
Example: Dream job Journalism vs. dream job Media Management
Interests 25

26. Media & Communication student survey 2016
Media and Communication students go into their studies with different professional identities
Identity matters! Influences on…  … career perceptions  … interests  … probably: learning outcomes
Conclusion 26

27. Media & Communication student survey 2016
How do we apply the findings to teaching/program development?
More Tests:
Are the effects constant or exclusive for the sample of curricula we tested?
Tests for self efficacy are still inconclusive: may be due to the low number of cases in each categorie
Next >>>

28. Thank you very much!
Dr. Michael Harnischmacher University of Passau ZMK
Innstr. 33a Passau Germany