Penlerick, D R and Capano, C D (2024) Effect of construction management instructors’ degree and industry experience on construction management graduate job readiness. International Journal of Construction Education and Research, 20(4), pp. 523-543. ISSN 1557-8771
Abstract
This study investigates the impact of faculty education and industry experience on the work readiness of Construction Management (CM) graduates within their first three years’ post-graduation. This research hypothesized that the educational background and industry experience of CM faculty significantly influence graduates’ preparedness for the construction industry. Employing a mixed-methods approach, this study surveyed 465 full-time faculty members across 30 ACCE-accredited CM programs, evaluating their degrees and relevant industry experience. Recent graduates and industry leaders were surveyed to assess perceived readiness to work. The demographic findings revealed only 7% of faculty hold doctoral degrees in CM and 47% lack work experience in the field. The results also indicated that there is a linear relationship between programs with higher levels of industry experienced faculty and doctoral degrees in CM with enhanced career preparedness. The study proposes the Construction Faculty Qualifications (CFQ) Score, a metric combining academic and industry experience to evaluate and improve faculty qualifications comprehensively. The CFQ Score aims to drive accreditation requirements toward a more balanced combination of academic achievement and practical experience. This research underscores the necessity for CM-specific educational backgrounds and significant industry experience to enhance the quality and effectiveness of CM education.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | accreditation; industry experience; construction faculty; qualifications; construction management education |
| Index terms: | effectiveness, academic achievement, construction industry, qualification, career, program, instructor, construction management education |
| Subjects: | educational resources, performance management, software systems, professional development, professional education, industry analysis, practitioner |
| Topics: | Roles and Professions, Information Management, Research Practice, Education, Quality Management, Digital Applications |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here