Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of engineering student interns, as well as the perceptions of internship supervisors. Design/methodology/approach: The study was designed to investigate internships as a complex social phenomenon in the field, through the use of an inductive qualitative design grounded in a…

With increasing tuition rates and decreasing financial resources, more college students are working on campus to pay for higher education (Watson, 2013). Campus work opportunities provide students with financial support and also assist universities in completing operational functions (Wallace, 2005). Higher education leaders should be aware that…

This study uses a Foucault-inspired discourse analysis to examine two ideas about learning which reinforce the terminology whereby theory means campus-based training and practice means work placements. The purpose is to problematise this theory-practice terminology and provide scope for a non-dualistic alternative. The ideas examined are the idea…

This paper examines how the process of engaging simultaneously in study and work--through online distance-based study--affects students' capacity to apply their learning in and for the workplace. The paper takes as its starting point the importance of extending notions of "educational effectiveness" beyond course-based attainment to…

With this paper, we explore early placement experiences and their pedagogical potential, including ways of keeping students enrolled and persisting with their studies. Few university courses offer early placements because traditionally placement experiences have a focus on employability and work readiness of graduates, hence occur towards the end…

The National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education (1996) chaired by Lord Dearing envisioned a university sector central to the UK's knowledge-based economy. With successive government support the university-business partnership ideology has been put into practice. Widening participation has increased in emphasis over recent years, providing…

Fundamental to cooperative education is a philosophical commitment to learning through the experience of work. The workplace can be viewed as a social environment and provides a context for learning that is very different from that provided within a university. The aim of this research was, through an interpretive case study, to explore the…

Typically, an ESP course is designed to develop students' communication skills not solely for the office, but also for useful in a specific workplace. Unfortunately, ESP for Schools of Business at some South-East Asian universities is not being very effective in promoting students' performance in the workplace. Behind this backdrop, this paper…

At Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia, the majority of students engage in paid employment alongside their studies; and, every student has the opportunity to engage with work-integrated learning as a key component of their academic course. This paper explores an innovative structured approach the university has initiated to align these two…

It can be difficult for students to relate theoretical knowledge and practical skills when making the transition from the classroom to professional practice. The concept of coherence has been suggested as an appropriate way to address how the relationships involved (i.e. between theoretical knowledge and practical skills and between classroom…

This article examines the goals of employers when they organise work placements for students. It explores how far, in cooperating with polytechnics, employers adhere to a connective model of students' work experiences within their organisations. The paper makes use of a quantitative study based on employers' responses to a questionnaire…

Part-time employment among university students has become commonplace internationally. Research has largely focused on the impact of part-time employment on academic performance. This research takes an original approach in that it poses the question whether students can acquire core skills relevant to teaching from their part-time employment. The…