(How) Do work placements work? Scrutinizing the quantitative evidence for a theory-driven future research agenda

It takes more than agency: Linking support from teaching staff, career engagement, and movement capital among university students

Introduction

Career self-management behaviours are key to overcoming the challenges of entry into the labour market. Combining the Conservation of Resources and Career Self-management theories, this study delves into the concept of Career Engagement among Italian University students by examining its relationship with Support from teaching Staff and Movement Capital. We hypothesised a mediation model in which Support from Teaching Staff predicts Career Engagement which, in turn, fosters Movement Capital. As the pandemic led to the adoption of online learning solutions, we also explored whether and how the interaction between teachers and students during online classes moderates the said mediation relationship.

Methods and results

We collected data from 276 Italian University students through an online questionnaire. Results supported the mediation hypothesis, corroborating the mediating role of Career Engagement. We also observed that this relationship is stronger at medium and higher levels of online interaction between teachers and students.

Discussion

Findings contribute to existing evidence about the role of Career Engagement in facilitating career resources' acquisition and extend the understanding of its contextual antecedents in Higher Education contexts. Results also align with the importance attributed to interaction in online learning environments. This work suggests ways to encourage career behaviours in Higher Education and equip prospective labour market entrants with career resources.

A Multi-Group Study of Psychological Capital and Job Search Behaviours Among University Graduates With and Without Work Placement Learning Experience

We build upon the social cognitive career theory model of career self-management (SCCT-CSM) to test the effects of psychological capital constructs (hope, self-efficacy, optimism and resilience) on preparatory and active job search behaviours, mediated by job search goals in a multi-group study of university graduates who undertook work placement learning before graduation and those who did not. Using a two-wave data from 473 university fresh graduates in the one-year national youth service corps ( N = 209 who undertook work placement learning before graduation) and ( N = 264 who did not undertake work placement learning) in Nigeria, we test an SCCT-CSM-driven model employing structural equation modelling for the multi-group study. The findings revealed positive effects of self-efficacy and optimism on the preparatory and active job search behaviours across both samples but higher effects in the graduates who undertook work placement learning before graduation. Job search goals mediated the effects of self-efficacy and optimism on their preparatory and active job search behaviours in both samples. The serial mediation results show that self-efficacy and optimism indirectly affect the active job search behaviours via job search goals and preparatory job search behaviours. The implications of these results are discussed.

Work Placement Supervisor Support and Students’ Proactive Career Behaviours: The Moderating Role of Proactivity

Drawing upon social cognitive career theory model of career self-management, we examined the relationship between work placement supervisor support (WPSS) and students’ proactive career behaviours (PCB), mediating role of work placement learning self-efficacy and the moderating effect of proactivity in the indirect relationships. Data were collected from 275 university undergraduate students undertaking placement learning in 129 firms. The regression analysis revealed that WPSS associated positively with all the constructs of PCB namely: career planning, proactive skills development, career consultation and career network building, as well as work placement learning self-efficacy. Also, work placement learning self-efficacy mediated the relationship between WPSS and constructs of PCB except career consultation. Proactivity moderated the relationship between work placement learning self-efficacy and career planning and career network building, and the indirect effects of WPSS on career planning and career network building via work placement learning self- self-efficacy were significant at low, average and high levels

Engineering Students’ Industrial Internship Experience Perception and Satisfaction: Work Experience Scale Validation

An essential aspect of higher education institutions’ academic curricula for engineering courses is the students’ industrial internship programs. In the literature, it is well accepted that such programs provide valuable learning outcomes and increase the graduates’ employment prospects. Thus, it is paramount to evaluate the internship programs’ quality to identify opportunities to improve their design and implementation. However, that evaluation typically depends on self-designed academic assessment surveys of questionable validity. The purpose of this paper is to assess engineering students’ perceptions of their internship experiences. For that purpose, the validation of a recently adapted version of the Work Experience Questionnaire (WEQ) was carried out on a sample of 447 engineering students that participated in industrial internship programs offered by Portuguese public universities and polytechnic schools. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed to confirm the suitability of the model proposed by the WEQ’s authors on this study’s sample. The psychometric qualities were evaluated through convergent and discriminant validity. The results showed that the model fit the sample well, and convergent and discriminant validity was established. The general competencies subscale was the most important for the participants—specifically, the competency of solving problems. Differences concerning the WEQ and gender, company size, and compensation were found and discussed. This study provides researchers in the field with a new tool validated explicitly for engineering students.

Evaluating Factors Influencing Knowledge-Sharing Behavior of Students in Online Problem-Based Learning

Adopting online problem-based learning (OPBL) to internship educational programs is an effective teaching method to stimulate self-directed and collaborative learning and knowledge-sharing behavior (KSB) of students. However, the OPBL collaboration experience is different from the traditional lecture-based learning experience for students. Integrating social identity theory and commitment-trust theory develops a formative research model that explains the KSB of students when using social media tools for the OPBL process. This process encourages social interaction and communication of students, in turn, facilitating the integration of collective intelligence or the creation, sharing, and exchange of knowledge. Data collected from 425 nursing students who studied at seven nursing colleges or medical universities in Taiwan were analyzed using the partial least squares (PLSs) technique. The results indicate that social identification is a crucial antecedent of KSB. Relationship quality plays a vital role in shaping the effects of interpersonal trust and relationship commitment (RC) on KSB during internship periods. The findings can contribute to theoretical discussions and enhance the effectiveness of KSB in the literature of internship and non-internship in the higher education field.

A self-determination theory analysis of reflective debrief themes about dietetic student placement experiences in hospital: implications for education

BACKGROUND

Healthcare placements in dietetics education contribute significantly to student learning. Exploring students' self-conceptualisation of placement experiences may provide insights to better support learning. Self-determination theory (SDT) has been used to seek insight into clinical and educational settings but has not yet been applied to dietetic placement learning. The present study investigated dietetics students' reflections of key influences on placement learning experiences and their alignment with an SDT framework.

METHODS

A post-placement two-stage critical incident debrief was conducted with seven successive cohorts (168 students) of dietetic undergraduate students on final placement. In debriefs, students' anonymous themes were collected and discussed, inductively analysed, and then mapped against an SDT framework of psychological and motivational constructs.

RESULTS

Nine key themes were identified that impacted upon placement experiences. Four themes related to framework constructs: (1) Supervisor (and Peer) Autonomy Support; (2) Perceived Competence; (3) Relatedness; and (4) Autonomy and Intrinsic Motivation. Non-SDT themes were also present, including: (5) Learning Environment and Experience; as well as themes about professional behaviours and identity: (6) Teamwork and Interactions; (7) Managing Emotions and Self-Care; (8) Dietetic Communications and Behaviours; and (9) Developing a Professional Identity.

CONCLUSIONS

Embedding a structured debrief in the curriculum and using a psychological motivational SDT framework to analyse themes arising can provide valuable information about the learning needs of students on placement with potential for wider application in dietetic learning and teaching and workforce employability. The current findings may have application in university curricula before and after professional placement.

Evaluation of an Interview-Based Internship Class in the Construction Management Curriculum: A Case Study of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Internships have been shown to be impactful tools to connect students’ learning in academia with real-world industrial needs. To help the students to get more out of their internship experience, some universities provide a summer internship class in which students do class assignments based on their experiences during their internship. There have been numerous studies on the benefits of internships. However, the benefits of a potential internship class for students in construction management (CM) programs at universities have not yet been investigated. This paper demonstrates the structure of an interview-based internship class and investigates its effectiveness. We have focused on the CM program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) as a case study. We sent online questionnaires to the intern students who took the class, students’ mentors, and the professors who taught the class. The results indicate that despite some challenges to meet the requirements of the class, the students, their mentors, and the professor found the class beneficial. The results of this paper are expected to help CM programs with the establishment and improvement of internship classes in their curriculum.

Early career values and individual factors of objective career success

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the early career values and individual factors of objective career success among graduates from a top-tier French business school.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a quantitative analysis of 629 graduates classified in three job markets according to income: the traditional business market, the alternative market and the high-potential business market. The graduation dates span a period of 12 years before the 2008 Recession.

Findings

The findings suggest that membership of each job market is associated with distinct early career values (when choosing/leaving the first job). Moreover, the authors confirm that the presence of a mentor, international experience, job-hopping and gender, all affect objective career success.

Practical implications

The paper discusses implications for business career development and higher business education.

Originality/value

The originality of this study lies in the identification of the individual factors of objective career success among French business graduates and the links between objective career success and early career values.