National and international calls for increased work-integrated learning (WIL) offerings have increased in the last decade. Although previous research on WIL engagement has explored population-specific barriers experienced during participation, a gap exists on barriers experienced by students across the participation spectrum, including those who choose not to participate. This study sought to investigate students' perspectives of the barriers to engaging in an optional unpaid field placement. Grounded in the transtheoretical stages of behavior change model, a mixed-methods convergent parallel design was used. Data from 110 surveys and 17 semi-structured interviews with students were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Results are presented in relation to stages of behavioral change, barriers to engagement, and moderating factors, including perceived value of WIL and self-efficacy. Findings from this study support the need for future research to explore promotional and intervention strategies aligned with stages of behavior change to increase students' decisions to engage in WIL participation. © 2021 International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning. All rights reserved.
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