Perceived relevance of curriculum, job relatedness and employment quality of Computer Science graduates: Basis for curriculum enhancement

Abstract

This study aimed to determine perceived relevance of curriculum, job relatedness and employment quality of Computer Science graduates from selected universities in Henan province, China who had graduated in the past three years before 2021 as basis for curriculum enhancement. The respondents of this study were 186 Computer Science graduates of Class 2017 – 2018 and 2018 – 2019 randomly selected from three universities in China. The data needed were gathered using a researcher-made questionnaire which was duly validated. Results of the study showed that major subjects offered, professional subjects, general education subjects, internships and laboratory were highly perceived relevant to Computer Science curriculum. College majors were highly perceived related to the respondents’ present jobs. Relevance of internship and laboratory to computer science curriculum was positively associated to the academic performance of respondents. Level of employment quality in terms of job characteristics is moderately associated with respondents’ academic performance and monthly salary, while relatedness of college major to the present jobs was strongly associated with major subjects, professional subjects, general education subjects, instructions, internship, and laboratory in the computer science curriculum. Level of employment quality of respondents in terms of level of stress in the workplace was negatively associated with the perceived level of relevance of major subjects, professional subjects, general education subjects, instructions, internship, and laboratory, while level of employment quality of respondents in terms of job characteristics was strongly associated with perceived level of relevance of major subjects, professional subjects, general education subjects, instructions, internship, and laboratory in the computer science curriculum.