Learning environment, learning process, academic outcomes and career success of university graduates

This study expands on literature covering models on educational productivity, student integration and effectiveness of instruction. An expansion of the literature concerning the impact of higher education on workplace performance is also covered. Relationships were examined between the quality of the academic learning environment, the process of learning, learning outcomes, and career success of graduates. The responses to a questionnaire of 3324 graduates at a Dutch university, emphasising conventional large-scale classes, were analysed using structural equation modelling. The results suggest an indirect influence of university education on career success. A learning environment increases the motivation of students, which, in turn, increases their learning outcomes. Learning outcomes show a significant relationship with success in the initial phase of graduates' careers. Furthermore, success in subsequent phases of one's career is influenced by experience gained by students during their involvement in extra-curricular activities. Therefore, it is argued that the learning environment is important for students' learning as well as their involvement in extra-curricular activities, and that these two elements of university education are determinants of career success.

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