Article 2013

A longitudinal study on internship effectiveness in vocational higher education

WC
Wan, Chinsheng
 YJ
Yang, Jente
 CS
Cheng, Shu Yun Sophie
 SC
Su, Chiakai
Educational Review
Journal · Vol. 65 · Issue 1 · pp. 36-55
Abstract

A cooperative education experience (or internship placement) is an essential component of the curricula of vocational higher education. The efficacy of internship placements has become one of the major concerns facing those who develop education curricula. The purpose of this longitudinal study was to explore the relationships among the multi-faceted predictors of intern commitment as a reflection of internship efficacy. Participants were drawn from third-year undergraduate students. A structural equation model applied to the final sample of 357 usable questionnaires demonstrated that individual goal orientation and mentoring positively affected both person-job and person-organization fit, leading to intern job satisfaction and commitment to the profession. A non-significant predictor, student learning goal orientation, is also comprehensively discussed. The findings imply that incorporating an internship (i.e., workplace learning experience) and professional mentoring into vocational higher education curricula would advance students' personal growth and future careers. © 2013 Copyright YEAR Educational Review.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Internship Higher education Mentoring job satisfaction Commitment Person-job fit goal orientation

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
Department of Hospitality Management, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan, Taiwan
National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Funding & Acknowledgements
No funding information
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