Research project The STAY project develops a pedagogical tool to enhance students’ understanding of professional practice within semi-professional university programs. The intervention aims to increase study motivation, professional identity, and learning. Teachers receive support in student guidance, contributing to improved educational quality. The tool is tested and evaluated within the Sport Science program.
This project aims to develop, test, and evaluate an intervention designed to help students and teachers in the university’s semi-professional programs gain a clearer understanding of future careers and the labour market. Based on interviews and surveys, a four-part educational module is created, focusing on career paths, employability, professional identity, and professional approach. The content is tested within the Sport Science program, and its effects on student learning and motivation are evaluated.
Umeå University
The STAY project – Study Culture, Labour Market and Professional Practice – aims to develop, test, and evaluate a pedagogical tool that supports students and teachers in semi-professional university programs. These programs often lead to careers without clearly defined professional identities, which can create uncertainty among students regarding future roles, labour market expectations, and required competencies. STAY seeks to enhance students’ motivation, professional understanding, and learning, while also providing teachers with improved tools for guidance.
The tool is tested within the Sport Science program and consists of four learning modules focusing on professional approach, tasks and competence requirements, career pathways, and employability. The project is carried out in three phases: knowledge gathering, development and testing of the intervention, and evaluation. Data is collected through workshops, focus groups, and measurements of student motivation and engagement. The results are used to design and refine the tool.
The project contributes to improved educational quality, increased student retention, and a strengthened work environment for teachers. A teacher’s guide will be developed for dissemination within and beyond Umeå University. The goal is for STAY to become a useful and transferable tool for other programs with similar needs.
