Taking transformative learning into the workplace: the role of field courses

Drawing on academic debates and new teaching practices at Exeter, this article explores the potential employability benefits of engaging learners with transformative field-based teaching. Whilst Geography is a primary focus for this discussion, I suggest that the ideas may resonate across other field-based disciplines.

What do we mean by ‘employability’?

Employability is a contested term within education, encompassing considerations around an individual’s competencies, attributes and capabilities, alongside wider contextual and societal factors. Here, I focus specifically on how the careful adoption by universities of transformative field-based practices can enable students to: 1) better articulate the value of their learning at interview, and 2) act as advocates for transformative change throughout their careers.

Field courses: beyond a technical skills narrative

Peasland et al., 2024 pose an important question: is student employability enhancement through fieldwork “purposefully integrated or a beneficial side effect”? For Geography, field-based learning is signposted as a ‘signature pedagogy’ – an ‘essential’ aspect of disciplinary learning (QAA, 2022). Despite this, there remains a relatively limited literature on its potential employability value or, crucially, how we can support students in discussing and mobilising their experiential learning. Academic attention focuses primarily on enabling students to develop technical skills in the field, yet data demonstrate that many Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences graduates enter careers where these skillsets are not employed. Should we therefore stop teaching technical skills in fieldwork? Absolutely not; they are a valuable means of learning how we generate knowledge and understanding in specific research contexts. Rather, I argue that we must pay more attention to the broader personal and professional competencies and capabilities that students can gain through field-based learning, drawing on their experiences (both positive and negative).

Personal and professional skills have been defined as “those needed to thrive individually and with others in the workplace, such as interpersonal communication, reflection, creativity, adaptability, resilience, independence, empathy and positive attitude” (Dohaney and Stokes, 2025). Whilst identified in the literature as an important potential outcome of field-based learning, there is undoubtedly a greater need for academics to encourage and make space for students to reflect on these ‘soft’ learning experiences. Nonetheless, two key challenges exist. Firstly, there is a risk that these important skills are simply listed by students at interview – brief, uncontextualized and homogenous between graduates. Therefore, how can we support students to engage in a deeper, reflexive process to draw out the significance and meaning of their field-based learning experiences? Secondly, how can we encourage students to think beyond an interview, to recognise that capabilities require ongoing examination and development through life? This is important not only for personal development but also to support the migration and growth of ideas and practices from higher education to wider society. Below, I highlight how transformative field course practices may offer one way of addressing these challenges.

Progressing the debate: student engagement with transformative field course learning

Recent years have witnessed multiple calls for academics and institutions to further embed the pillars of transformative education (sustainability, accessibility and inclusion) into field course practice to address the myriad challenges associated with this complex and challenging area of teaching (Woodley et al., 2024). This can be seen most recently in a manifesto for fieldwork – an invitation to discuss a vision for the future of field-based teaching in Geography (Swanton et al., 2026). Embracing the imperative of developing an “ethical education that works towards just and liveable futures” (ibid), Exeter Geography actively engages students with research and scholarship on field course pedagogy as a core part of the curriculum. Moreover, students experience these innovations in how we structure and manage field courses – our practice.

What are students learning?

In 2025-26, Geography introduced a new module: Fieldwork in Geography (GEO1319). Crucially, this contains extensive teaching and learning on how contemporary debates are re-shaping field course practices at Exeter and at other HEIs. For example, students learn about behavioural and social practice-based research on the societal challenges of divesting from aeromobility, of how these debates impact on decarbonising higher education, and the ways in which ‘slow’ (low-carbon) travel debates have informed Exeter Geography’s successful ‘no fly’ policy for international field courses. In a similar way, students learn about recent academic debates on both accessibility and inclusion (from the Equality Act (2010) to the benefits of Universal Design for Learning), and technology-enhanced learning. Consequently, we are enabling students to understand the pedagogic debates that underpin how and why we design and operationalise transformative practices for field courses.

How are students learning?

Moreover, students then experience transformative practices while they are learning. Some examples include the provision of detailed accessibility statements outlining our field course design principles and student support mechanisms, linking up students, module convenors, personal tutors and pastoral mentors to discuss a health or disability requirement, or (in the final year) experiencing ‘slow’ travel on a group rail journey through Europe. Importantly, in enabling students to be a part of transformative educational practices – to witness their application and significance in improving learning for everyone – we offer rich potential to provide room for deep reflection on their competencies and capabilities.

What do transformative field courses mean for student employability?

The careful adoption of transformative field course practices is not only essential in providing an ethical education, it also offers a valuable opportunity for students to engage with academic debates on, and experience the benefits of, sustainable, accessible and inclusive learning. As such, I argue that academics and institutions have a significant opportunity (and obligation) to support students in both articulating these experiences and thinking critically about how they may support transformations in the workplace and wider society.

Acknowledging the different contexts in which we operate as academics, here are some tips for making this transition in your teaching.

• A wealth of literature exists on field course pedagogy and, increasingly, on the need to embed transformative practices. Woodley et al. (2024); Batty and Southworth (2026) and Swanton et al. (2026) provide some useful starting points for considering how helpful interventions can make a significant difference to enhancing education practice.

• Are there effective ways of incorporating learning opportunities for students on field course modules to a) engage with pedagogic debates, and b) to understand how they are informing transformative field course practices? These can be valuable opportunities to enhance student learning.

• The University has significant Transformative Education resources to support colleagues in how to embed transformative practices (Transformative Education Design Principles), in line with Curriculum for Change and the implementation of Exeter’s Skills to Thrive. Specifically, an extended Field Course checklist exists to guide colleagues in embedding transformative practices. The EduExe Team and Sustainability Education Thematic Forum also support our community of practice.

• The Student Employability and Academic Success (SEAS) team has a range of excellent resources and support opportunities to help students make the link between aspects of their learning experience and how to articulate these competencies and capabilities within an employability context. Specifically, transformative educational practices provide an excellent opportunity for students to be positive agents of change, supporting the migration of ideas from universities into other societal contexts.

The SEAS team have created a Podcast to support students in making the most of their field-based learning for careers.

References

Batty, L. C., & Southworth, J. (2026). Inclusive or Non-Exclusive Fieldwork: Negotiating the challenges of making fieldwork accessible for all. In The Routledge Handbook of Field Research (pp. 55-65). Routledge.

Dohaney, J., & Stokes, A. (2025). Field learning and employability in Geography, Earth, and Environmental Sciences. In Teaching Fieldwork in Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences (pp. 330-342). Edward Elgar Publishing.

Peasland, E. L., Scott, G. W., Morrell, L. J., & Henri, D. C. (2024). Student employability enhancement through fieldwork: purposefully integrated or a beneficial side effect?. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 48(4), 633-647.

QAA. (2022) QAA subject benchmark atement: Geography (March 2022). The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. Available from: https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/sbs/sbs-geography-22.pdf?sfvrsn=29addc81_2 [Accessed 15th April 2026].

Swanton, D., Batty, L., & France, D. (2026). Manifesto for fieldwork. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 1-12.

Walkington, H., Dyer, S., Solem, M., Haigh, M., & Waddington, S. (2018). A capabilities approach to higher education: Geocapabilities and implications for geography curricula. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 42(1), 7-24.

Woodley, E., Barr, S., Batty, L., Bickerstaff, K., Darvill, C., Ferdous, R., … & Yorke, L. (2024). The future of geography field course pedagogy in UK higher education. Geo: Geography and Environment, 11(2), e00158.

 

For more information please contact: