They do it through practical experience they gain through industrial placement or other kinds of activities with rich industrial experience. You can't explain what swimming is unless you let the students swim on their own, and see if it is what they really want to be doing.

I agree with you, Airat. In fact I supose that those practical activitirs are key in building and consolidating professional identities among students, but I’m looking for research evidence that both of us are on the right tract!

Our first year events management students are required to do event practical in their first year module, either volunteering or as part time work. In class, students then present their experiences back to the colleagues, making use of professional standards frameworks, such as the Events Management Body of Knowledge to frame their developing experience. Their colleagues, having listened carefully, then contribute to this growing framework of professional competence and understanding of professional expectations.

Curriculum plays a very small role in developing a students professional identity. Curriculum may serve in a dual relationship with the characteristics of the college student. Characteristics such as prior knowledge, experience and a strong belief system are just some of the larger parts of identity. Curriculum combined with characteristics form the path to professional identity.

A lot of our students participate in student groups that cater to their professional interests. I teach criminal justice. There is a student group for the pre-law students that want to become lawyers. There is a criminal justice student group that allows CJ students to compete in academics and practical skills against other CJ students from other universities (Lambda Alpha Epsilon). Many of these groups allow students to come into contact with professionals in their fields ad obtain jobs or internships. These are not just social groups, but academic ones.

All contributions to this topic, until now, are pointing towards practical actitivies as key in building professional identities among students. By doing so, what is not being told about the role of knowledge (theories, concepts, methodologies, etc)? And most importantly, what students say about all of this? Any research evidence on that?