Developing student agency through VET in schools: the role of structured work placements

Using a sample of 446 secondary students who had participated in a vocational education and training in school (VETiS) program, this study compares the experiences and perceptions of students who had undertaken a work placement with those who had not. The study shows that students who had participated in work placement enjoyed the VETiS experience more than those who had not, and that the work placement had assisted them in their decision whether to stay at school or not. A factor analysis of results showed a factor associated with self-confidence about employability, and a factor associated with assistance in achieving specific post-school employment. Students who had completed a work placement were significantly higher on both these factors than students who had not.

These results are consistent with other research in the field, and it is argued that the work placement experience plays a considerable part in developing student agency in the decisions and the journey that they make in their transition from school to work.

Developing student transferable skills through reflective porfolios

The development of transferable skills in students, ie those relevant to any future employment, is a common goal of degree programmes. Reflection is a mechanism frequently used in the training of medical and teaching professionals to develop self-awareness of personal skills levels that enable participants to become self-reflective practitioners. The intention in this research was to trial reflection for construction management and architecture students through a series of interventions to engage students in the explicit development of transferable skills and self-awareness. Students were required to keep a ‘diary’ or journal under specific skills headings: communication (involving active listening, conflict resolution, negotiation), team building, problem solving, report writing and presentation skills based on their experiences at university, work and in social situations. A range of learning resources were made available to assist students. The journals were analysed according to a recognised coding for the depth of their reflection . At the end of the semester, students were required to “apply” for a job description that required explication of the knowledge and skills that were intended to be further developed during the unit. In practice, few students appreciated the journaling and some were even hostile to the process, but all students demonstrated good appreciation of their abilities and skills in the job application – essentially a mechanism that required reflection. In conclusion, explicit reflection through journaling is not a universally popular practice, but tasks that appear to have some foundation in practicality that require reflection are more likely to be appreciated. Students depth of reflection was found to improve through practice.

Enhancing student employability : a New Zealand case study of cooperative education in sport

This paper provides an insight into two cooperative education courses offered as part of three-year degree programmes in sport and recreation. Based in Auckland New Zealand, Unitec and Auckland University of Technology have been found to exemplify effective cooperative education strategies that compare favourably with current research into good practice in this field. Using a case study approach, the paper first establishes the context within which the cooperative courses operate, and then describes specific aspects of the courses that enhance student employability. The placement process, supervision, learning outcomes, assessment of learning and employment and career pathways are discussed in turn. These aspects are related back to relevant research on good practice and used to illuminate how student employability is embedded within these courses and across the degree programmes. It is concluded that students who undertake cooperative education as part of their degree programme have a competitive advantage in the employment marketplace.

From student to therapist : follow up of a first cohort of Bachelor of occupational therapy students

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the perception of graduate students on their preparation for practice, at 7 months post graduation.
Method: Using an anonymous postal questionnaire, 18 respondents (58% response rate) provided data on the nature of current employment, the experience as a graduate therapist, and perceptions of their undergraduate experience in preparing them for practice.
Results: Fifty percent of the respondents were practising in a rural environment. There was a significant positive relationship between respondents perception of their curriculum and fieldwork experiences and their preparation for practice (rho = 0.52, p < 0.05, and rho = 0.55, p < 0.05, respectively). Of the fieldwork experiences, respondents rated block placements as more beneficial to practice than non-traditional placements. However, a correlational analysis showed the non-traditional placement was significantly related to preparation for practice (rho = 0.54, p < 0.05). On a sevenpoint Likert scale, respondents rated themselves from 5.2 to 5.7 for perceived self-competence as a newly graduated practitioner with community-based graduates having the higher rating. Confidence in clinical decision-making was rated 5.0 to 5.6 with community-based graduates having higher rating. Respondents reported a positive perception that the undergraduate program prepared them to enter the workforce and practise as an occupational therapist (mean ratings 5.5 to 6.2).
Conclusion: Respondents felt adequately prepared to enter the occupational therapy profession and workforce. Strengths and weaknesses in their preparation are discussed as well as the need for further research.

Measuring student engagement : using 'flow' theory to guide question development

In December 2009 the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) issued a discussion paper, ‘An Indicator Framework for Higher Education Performance Funding’, with the purpose of contributing to the development of indicators for guiding ‘compact’ negotiations between Australian universities and the government. The discussion paper makes it clear that ‘student experience’ will be an important part of the indicators and discusses the possibility that the Government will develop a new
questionnaire to investigate the engagement and satisfaction of students in their first year of study. This paper contributes ideas to assist the development of such an instrument, particularly for the measurement of student engagement. We discuss problems with the predictive validity of existing instruments and argue that predictive validity may be improved by a focus on highly engaging ‘flow-type’ activities. Specifically, we
investigate flow activities in the context of online learning. Our findings suggest that some of the current questions from the Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE) do appear to capture flow activities. We also identify gaps in the AUSSE. Finally, we make recommendations about the inclusion of additional items that capture highly engaging, flow activities for either the AUSSE or the Government’s proposed new instrument.

Model of the conflicts of student work and study

Excessive work demands cause students to have less time available for study, which results in them missing lectures and tutorials. This study seeks a more accurate understanding of why students undertake part-time work to the level that they do. This paper examines the extent of employment of undergraduate students enrolled in property and construction at RMIT University. Students responded to a questionnaire on the duration and nature of their part-time work.

The results of the paper suggest that one of the major issues facing educators is that students themselves believe that part-time employment benefits their long term career. Hence they are reluctant to reduce their work commitment. Past research suggests that there is sufficient evidence that this will create work-study conflicts. The paper concludes by suggesting that some form of work-integrated learning process may benefit both the student’s leaning and their need to obtain work skills.

The acquisition of generic skills of culturally-diverse student cohorts

The changing nature of higher education and the structure of graduate labour markets have increased emphasis on employability and graduate outcomes. Universities have responded to this changed environment by embedding generic skills in the curriculum. This paper examines the generic skills that students perceived they acquired in their accounting studies in preparation for graduate employment. Given the changed background profiles of students studying accounting degree in Australia, and the employment difficulties they encounter on graduation, the study specifically addresses the perceptions of students from diverse cultural backgrounds. The findings demonstrate that, overall, students believed that their accounting course assisted in developing generic skills, while differences in perceptions were identified between different cultural cohorts. The research highlights the need to develop educational practices which embed generic skills development in the curriculum in a way that maximises the opportunities for culturally-diverse student cohorts to enhance their employment outcomes on graduation.

Student difficulties in learning density: a distributed cognition perspective

Density has been reported as one of the most difficult concepts for secondary school students (e.g. Smith et al. 1997). Discussion about the difficulties of learning this concept has been largely focused on the complexity of the concept itself or student misconceptions. Few, if any, have investigated how the concept of density was constituted in classroom interactions, and what consequences these interactions have for individual students’ conceptual understanding. This paper reports a detailed analysis of two lessons on density in a 7th Grade Australian science classroom, employing the theory of Distributed Cognition (Hollan et al. 1999; Hutchins 1995). The analysis demonstrated that student understanding of density was shaped strongly by the public classroom discussion on the density of two metal blocks. It also revealed the ambiguities associated with the teacher demonstration and the student practical work. These ambiguities contributed to student difficulties with the concept of density identified in this classroom. The results of this study suggest that deliberate effort is needed to establish shared understanding not only about the purpose of the activities, but also about the meaning of scientific language and the utility of tools. It also suggests the importance of appropriate employment of instructional resources in order to facilitate student scientific understanding.

Sleep-wake patterns of student workers and non-workers

Adolescents usually exhibit late sleep phase and irregular sleep patterns. As a result, they do not get enough sleep and report daytime sleepiness. This condition could be aggravated in working students who have a more limited time for sleep. In this survey, we investigated the impact of evening classes and employment on the sleep patterns of adolescents. We compared female (n = 17) and male (n = 14) non-worker students to female (n = 28) and male (n = 20) worker students who attended the same high school. The volunteers (aged 17.4 years +/- 11 months) answered a sleep log during a 16-day period. Worker students slept and woke up earlier, had a shorter nocturnal sleep length and a shorter daily (nocturnal plus diurnal) sleep length compared to non-working pupils. The four groups of students delayed sleep onset time on weekends, but only worker students delayed wake-up time on Sundays. The wake-up time was similar among groups on Sundays. While student workers tended to increase the sleep length in the weekends, non-working students increased it on Mondays and/or Tuesdays. The results showed that sleep schedules and sleep length were different according to the work status. Going to bed later on Saturday by the four groups of students suggests the influence of social activities, while a later wake-up time on Sundays could result from a shorter sleep length on workdays.

A Theme, being the Employment of some Leisure time Nov'r 14 1759 pr Jeremiah Belknap, 1759 November 14

Handwritten composition on two attached notebook pages titled "The Generous man is a blessing to all mankind" composed by Jeremy Belknap and organized as paragraphs labeled: "Proposition," "Reason," Similitude," "Example," "Testimony," and "Conclusion."

Are student workers a threat or a solution? CEPS Commentary, 14 July 2015

The massification of tertiary education means that a significant percentage of young people participate in tertiary education while also working. They can be seen as a threat – as cheap and highly qualified competition for low-skilled workers in casual jobs who are setting aside their studies for the time being in favour of immediate income. Or they might present an opportunity – a natural way for a large percentage of young people to gain experience and contact with the labour market without the need for massive government programmes. The authors argue in this CEPS commentary that student work is more of an opportunity than a threat.

Employment law:an introduction for HR and business students

The Aston Centre for Human Resources (ACHR) was created at Aston Business School, Aston University, in February 2006. The mission of the Centre is both to inform and influence practice through conducting high quality, challenging research in order to extend the existing theoretical frameworks and to develop new and relevant conceptual models to represent and guide the changing realities facing businesses and the people they employ in the 21st century. * Students studying an Employment Law module on a HR or general business degree, whether undergraduate or postgraduate. * Students taking the Employment Law elective on the CIPD's Professional Development Scheme (PDS). * Students studying Employee Relations or Diversity. This new edition has been thoroughly updated, and includes expanded coverage of the impact of EU Law, and Discrimination Law including ageism, sexual orientation, religious belief, harassment and disability. The text is ideal text for those business students on undergraduate and postgraduate courses who are taking a first module in Employment Law. It covers a comprehensive range of topics enabling students to gain a solid understanding of the key principles of the subject. The engaging, authoritative writing style and range of learning features make this a refreshingly accessible and student-friendly read. Each chapter includes summaries of topical and relevant cases, direction to key sources of legal information and suggestions for further reading whilst covering the CIPD’s standards for the Employment Law elective on the Professional Development Scheme (PDS). This text includes a range of case studies, tasks and examples to consolidate learning and includes a brand new section on Employment Law study skills to help students get to grips with how to access and read law reports, understand the sources of the law, find and use up-to-date legal information (particularly websites) and how to prepare for exams and written assignments.

Employment law:an introduction for HR and business students

The most accessible and concise law textbook available for undergraduate and postgraduate students studying law for the first time. - Written in a clear, engaging style specifically for non-lawyers - Packed with interactive learning features that will consolidate your learning and get you exploring the subject in more depth - Relates theory and law with real life practice, making the subject relevant - Designed to impart you with the skills you need to study law successfully New to this edition: - Completely updated with the latest developments in employment law and in line with the latest CIPD requirements at UG and PG levels - Questions throughout the text and end of chapter further reading - Excellent tutor and student support sites - Practical guidance on how to prepare for an employment tribunal Online resources: For tutors: - Lecturer Guides (including tasks, examples and cases studies with comments from the author) - HR-inform monthly newsletter - Lecture slides For students: - Annotated web-links - HR-inform monthly newsletter

Factors associated with social work student satisfaction with field placements in child welfare

This study was conducted during the 1994-1995 academic year. Seven social work education programs in the state of Florida, all accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, participated in this study. Graduate and undergraduate social work students in child welfare field placements, and their field instructors, were surveyed during the Spring 1995 semester to assess their satisfaction with field placements in this area and the relationship of this satisfaction to employment interests and field placement recommendations.^ The majority of social work students responding to this survey were generally satisfied with several aspects of their field placements--the learning, field work program, field instructor, child welfare agency, and overall field experience. The field instructors were generally more satisfied than the students, but only statistically different from the students in the areas of satisfaction with the field work program and the child welfare agency. Multiple regression analysis revealed that learning assignment opportunities, field instructor relationship characteristics, placement preference, and pre-placement interview contributed to the prediction of student satisfaction.^ Student satisfaction in field placement was significantly related to the acceptance of employment, if offered, and the recommendation of the field placement to other students. Logistic regression analysis revealed that satisfaction with the child welfare agency was the greatest contributor to the prediction of acceptance of employment, and satisfaction with the field work program was the greatest contributor to the prediction of field placement recommendation. ^