International students and their experiences of Personal Development Planning

Abstract

Taught postgraduate students are a unique group, undergoing a short, intensive period of study. Many taught postgraduate students are international, engaging for the first time with new learning approaches, including Personal Development Planning (PDP). This article provides analysis of the views of international taught postgraduates about the place and value of PDP within the academic curriculum, an area that has received scant attention in the research literature on PDP. A total of 41 students from 17 countries studying at five universities were interviewed. Responses revealed that these students were able to identify their development needs and the perceived employability benefits of engaging with PDP as part of, and beyond, their Master’s programme. There were strong indications that international taught postgraduates do not need to be convinced of the value of PDP, a point not frequently associated with PDP engagement at undergraduate level. We conclude that international taught postgraduates recognise the value of PDP, and that PDP is more likely to appeal to international taught postgraduates’ own agendas if it is underpinned by a strong employability focus. In particular, PDP resources developed specifically to meet the needs of international taught postgraduates and integrated into the curriculum appear essential.