In China’s highly competitive job market, Early Childhood Education (ECE) is often perceived as a “less popular” major, leaving recent graduates uncertain about their transition from school to work. This challenge is especially pronounced in economically disadvantaged regions, such as Northwestern China, where resources are scarce and traditional career perceptions prevail. Against this backdrop, this qualitative study explores how undergraduate students majoring in ECE actively construct their employability advantages. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with final-year students and faculty members from the ECE department of X University in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Thematic analysis revealed four key findings: First, most participants described a shift from “accidental enrollment” in the major to “proactive cultivation” of individual strengths, enhancing their employability through consistent, self-driven efforts. Second, foundational courses—including child development psychology and pediatric health science—were highly valued for their direct real-world applicability, while extracurricular activities fostered universally applicable transferable skills critical for employment, such as communication and teamwork. Third, in response to noted discrepancies between academic training and job market realities, students sought practical information, peer support, and alternative learning pathways. Fourth, internship experiences had a polarized impact on participants’ professional identity: positive placements reinforced their commitment to the field, whereas negative experiences significantly eroded their confidence in employability and diminished their willingness to pursue long-term careers in this area. The study concludes that, despite initial ambivalence, many ECE undergraduates at X University can effectively leverage available resources and personal initiative to intentionally shape their employability and develop viable career paths.

Authors:
Shan He, Ningxia University, China
Jining Ma, Ningxia University, China
Jiale Jin, Ningxia University, China
Wenxiu Ren, Ningxia University, China

About the Presenter(s)
Shan He is Associate Professor and Master's Supervisor in the School of Teacher Education, Ningxia University. Her research areas include early childhood education, comparative and international education, and higher education. She earned her Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD degrees from the University of Nottingham, Ningbo, China. During her PhD studies, she undertook a five-month research visit as a visiting fellow at Lingnan University in Hong Kong. Dr. He has presented her research at various academic conferences held in Ningbo, Lanzhou, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Cambridge, San Francisco, and Boston. She currently supervises three undergraduate students and four postgraduate students specializing in preschool education.

Connect on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Shan-He-57

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