English-Medium Graduation Research and Perceived Employability: Exploring Skills Development and Confidence Building among Moroccan Business Students

Abstract

The role that English plays in higher education in preparing students for their future careers has increased in recent years. In this respect, the main focus has always been on English as a medium of instruction, and little to no attention was given to English-medium research. This study aims to investigate Moroccan business students' perceptions of the impact of completing their research projects in English on their employability, confidence building, and skills development. We gathered the data using a mixed-methods approach. We administered a questionnaire to 288 participants and conducted six semi-structured interviews with students who completed their graduation research projects in English.   To analyze the quantitative data, we used descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, and correlation analysis. As for the qualitative data, we used thematic analysis. Overall, the study's findings demonstrate that students associate conducting research in English with positive outcomes. They link it to improvements in academic writing, communication skills, critical thinking, and employability-related skills. They also reported a high level of confidence. We found positive correlations between perceived employability and skills development. Having said that, interviews also highlighted that English-medium research can improve professional vocabulary, communication skills, and employment prospects. This study intends to contribute to the existing body of research on English-medium research by suggesting that conducting research in English can help students develop transferable skills and boost their employability prospects.