Purpose: This study aims to explore the relationship between the number of co-operative (co-op) education work terms that students completed and the importance they attach to employer and job attributes (i.e. work values). Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from a large cross-sectional survey of co-op students (N = 2,097) from one…

Using data collected from co-operative education students at two different times over a four-month long work term, we test and find support for the hypothesis that students' approaches to learning explain the relationship between their lifelong learning characteristics and work adjustment. Students' lifelong learning characteristics were…

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to explore the notion of inclusion from the perspective of LGBTQ+ co-op students in the context of their work term experiences, including searching for work and during the work term. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight LGBTQ+ students who had at least one previous work term experience…

For students in cooperative education (co-op) programs, meaningful work is a critical aspect of participation and a key component of program success. However, studies have not explored how meaningful work can be created for co-op students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between co-op students' perceptions of a learning…

A growing body of literature suggests the need to better understand the subjective well-being (SWB) of students enrolled in cooperative education (co-op) programs. Some co-op students will be unsuccessful in securing employment, yet there is a scarcity of existing quantitative research outlining the impact that this will have on students,…

While a growing body of literature in cooperative education (co-op) has seen an increased focus on what makes for a quality work term for the student, few studies investigate the satisfaction of the co-op supervisor. This paper seeks to address how supervisors perceive the role of the co-op student in the workplace and understand how these values…

Many organisations hire students from cooperative education (co-op) programmes. These organisations are interested in students' performance, particularly in their "extra-role" performance. Previous studies show that socialisation processes play an important part in establishing adjustment and performance. It may also be the case that…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess the relative effects of participation in cooperative education (co-op) and engagement in reflection upon previous work experiences on undergraduate students' vocational self-concept (VSC) at graduation. Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional survey of graduating students (n = 1,483) from a…

This study discusses and tests a conceptual model of co-op work-term quality from a student perspective. Drawing from an earlier exploration of co-op students' perceptions of work-term quality, variables related to role characteristics, interpersonal dynamics, and organizational elements were used in a multiple linear regression analysis to…