Search Results for
"Students"

The question of student teachers connecting what is learned at university and within school sites has always been considered problematic. At the University of New England (UNE), in New South Wales, Australia, this issue is addressed through an action research project undertaken by fourth year Bachelor of Education (BEd) primary students during their final professional experience component, i.e. an internship. This article sets out the theoretical framework for the project, which is grounded on previous work on the problems of knowledge production. Additionally, the articulation between the action research project and professional experience within the internship is discussed. Although this article reports on a project designed within the context of the Australian teacher education system, the concept may well be of interest to a much wider audience. © 2004 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

This article examines ways in which more explicit connections might be forged between students' experiences as humanities students, and their experiences as part-time workers. The purpose is to connect particularisations of meaning with the development of a coherent whole, by using Van Oers' (1998) framework for contextualisation. It is argued that the meaning that humanities students derive from their academic studies is provided through the specifics of the context in which it is learned, and the relationships that the student discerns between this particularised meaning and its coherence with a wider whole. Similarly, the meaning that is derived from experiences of part-time work is provided by the specifics of the workplace context and the relationships that the student discerns between workplace meanings, and the particularised meanings from other contexts. Data gathered in Griffith University's Workplace Learning Project are re-analysed here to indicate how these relationships can be built in order to enrich meaning through its increasing coherence. © 2004 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

The relationship between university students' motivation and their learning environment is the focus of this article. Following self-determination theory (SDT) and the theory of interest, it is proposed that perceived support of basic psychological needs (support of autonomy, competence and social relatedness), as well as aspects of a constructivist learning environment (teachers' interest, relevance of contents, and quality of instruction, as well as transparency and fit of requirements) are associated with self-determined motivation and with study interest. The responses of a sample of undergraduate students in psychology (N = 123) to measures of these variables were analysed. The students were asked about their motivation to learn, their interest in psychology and about the perceived learning environment in psychology. The results showed that most of the students were motivated on an intrinsic and identified level, and displayed high study interest. Study interest, intrinsic motivation and self-determined forms of extrinsic motivation were particularly associated with perceived support of autonomy and competence, as well as with the relevance of the contents, the quality of instruction and with the perceived transparency of requirements.

This article presents findings from a three-year research study looking at the experiences of students with disabilities who participated in the Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship program. Specifically, we examined the provision of supports and accommodations. Using in-depth interviews with former program participants and stakeholders and document analysis of participants' school records, the authors discuss type and extent of supports provided to youth apprentices and adequacy of those supports for ensuring students could successfully complete the program. Researchers also examined the perceptions and practices of youth apprenticeship coordinators and instructors concerning accommodation of youth with disabilities in the program. Results suggest a need for stronger and more systematic planning for providing supports and accommodations within youth apprenticeship programs. © 2004, Sage Publications. All rights reserved.

How do unselective schools that serve disadvantaged students get employers to recognize their graduates' qualifications? This study examined whether low-status colleges (whose credentials may not be widely understood) rely on the traditional college charter or engage in charter-building activities to get employers to recognize students' value. Examining occupational programs in public and private two-year colleges, the authors found that both types of colleges do similar activities but do them differently. While these community colleges act as if additional action is not required, these private two-year occupational colleges actively engage in charter-building activities, mediating the hiring process by conveying students' qualifications through trusted relationships and aiming to place all their graduates, including many disadvantaged students, in jobs. The authors speculate that charter building identifies previously ignored issues and may suggest ways that low-status schools can make hiring into an institutional process in which students' lower social backgrounds have a less-negative influence.

The UK Government's recent emphasis on the graduate workforce raises the profile of work placements within higher education. Anecdotally, the authors find that students on their optional bioscience sandwich degrees benefit academically from placement experience but there is little supportive evidence of this in the literature. To investigate rigorously the link between sandwich placement and academic performance, two cohorts of bioscience students (n = 164) were described in terms of gender (male = 0, female = 1), pre-university qualifications (HESA score), academic performance (%) for each year of degree study (first, second, and final), and mode of study (non-placement = 0, placement = 1). Multiple regression analysis yielded the following predictive equation where all terms were significant: Final % = 28. 80 + 2. 97 (gender) + 0. 14 (HESA score) + 0. 44 (Second%) + 3. 82 (mode). On average, placement students gain an advantage of nearly 4% in their final year performance. Given that the final year contributes 75% towards degree classification, over a quarter of placement students may benefit from the independent effect of mode of study by crossing a threshold into a higher degree class. © 2004 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

An increasing amount of research now relates to students who work part-time during third level study. The advantages and disadvantages of this situation have been widely discussed in the literature and positive aspects of part-time work relating to graduate employment are given in several recent reports. Almost nothing has been done, however, to view part-time working as a preparation for placement, either from a student or employer perspective. This paper attempts to rectify this failing and reports on surveys of pre- and post-placement students in the academic year 2002–2003. In addition, many of the employer partners who take our placement students were questioned about their attitude to part-time work appearing on curriculum vitae and their comments have proved both interesting and revealing. © 2004, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.