This longitudinal study focuses on the transition from higher education (HE) to worklife. Generally, the transition is considered to have become more complicated due to the changing conditions for work in a supercomplex society. More specifically, there is also still sparse knowledge about how students in PBL programmes cope with the transition process. Previous research on the topic has suggested that there is a need for more complex studies of the relationship between HE and work. The aim of the study is twofold, (i) to describe the way students experience their programme as seniors and later their work situation as novice workers, and (ii) if there are differences regarding these experiences in comparison between a PBL programme (psychology) and conventional progammes (mechanical engineering and political science). The transition from HE to worklife in the three programmes is analysed according to five dimensions; relation to space/areas of operation, identity/tracjectory, professional role characteristics, transition process and relationships between education and work. The results indicate that the PBL-programme is preparing for worklife in a rational way, both regarding generic skills and substantive knowledge. The conventional programmes stand out as preparing for worklife either by providing generic skills or by having a ritual character.

This longitudinal study focuses on the transition from higher education to working life. Research has hitherto described the transition in rather general terms, and there is still only limited knowledge about how graduates construe themselves as professionals, or how they experience the transition to the sociocultural contexts of working life. In this study, the transition is viewed as a trajectory between different communities of practice. Three different Master’s programmes at Linköping University are focused on and compared: political science, psychology and mechanical engineering. The specific aims are to: (i) identify aspects of identity and knowledge formation as reported by informants, both as...

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 of theory vs. practice as the point of departure for learning and the idea of theory and practice as harmonious points of departure for learning. These ideas were voiced by interviewed students who discussed the usual design of Work-integrated Learning (WIL) whereby students go to university to learn ‘theory’ and into working life to learn ‘practice’. The analysis shows how the ideas are formed by different ranking orders between theory and practice which are mutually exclusive, while also working together to reinforce the theory–practice terminology. The discussion on how a non-dualistic terminology can emerge highlights how the usual WIL design forms a dualistic setting where the theory–practice terminology thrives and how designing WIL at a third place between university and working life can provide scope for the terminology we seek.

Purpose: This study identifies gendered disparities among women students participating in work-integrated learning and explores the effects of the disparities on their perceptions on perceived opportunities, competencies, sense of belonging, and professional identity. Design/methodology/approach: A series of semi-structured focus groups were run with 59 participants at six higher education institutions in four countries (Australia, Canada, Sweden, United Kingdom). All focus groups were designed with the same questions and formatting. Findings: Thematic analysis of the transcripts revealed two overarching themes, namely perceptions of self and interactions with others in work placements. Theme categories included awareness of self-presentation, sense of autonomy, perceived Allies, emotional labour, barriers to opportunity, sense of belonging, intersections of identity, and validation value. Originality/value: This study fills an important gap in the international literature about gendered experiences in WIL and highlights inequalities that women experience while on work placements.  

This study examined the similarities and differences in sense of belonging, mental health, and well-being of higher education students from three countries. A cross-sectional design using a quantitative online survey was used to collect demographics, and perceptions of sense of belonging, mental health, and well-being. Participants were recruited from three universities in Canada, Germany, and Sweden. All students from the three countries reported only moderate emotional stability; neutral satisfaction with life; moderately strong levels of sense of belonging; and only moderate control of self and events, happiness, mental balance, self-esteem, social involvement, and sociability. Students in Sweden compared to Canada and Germany reported significantly stronger sense of belonging. Additionally, students in Sweden compared to students in Canada reported significantly stronger emotional stability and higher self-esteem. Higher levels of sense of belonging were strongly related to positive mental health and well-being. No significant differences as a function of sex, age, year-of-study, and program of study were found within and across countries. The findings shed light on the mental health status and well-being of students in two European countries where little research on student mental health has been conducted. Additionally, comparisons are made between student mental health in Canada and these European countries. The results validate the importance of a sense of belonging as it relates to the mental health and well-being of all higher education students. Findings can inform the design of promotion and prevention programs aimed at improving and maintaining mental health and well-being outcomes. 

"The Handbook has four sections. Section I is concerned with the theory of cooperative education, with particular focus on the learning that occurs in the workplace. This part also addresses contemporary issues such as assessment of cooperative education, and identifies areas of needed research. Section II examines the practice of co-op worldwide. This part shows the breadth of disciplines of study, and is intended to allow co-op professionals see how co-op has been used in their discipline and other disciplines. This has been substantially revised from the first edition, with many more disciplines now covered. Each chapter in this section contains contributions from several authors, in most instances from more than one country, in order to gain an international perspective of the practice of co-op. The chapters begin with an overview of the discipline as it pertains to co-op, and consider models of practice, outcomes, constraints, and conclude with a detailed case study of co-op in the discipline. Section III is concerned with the benefits of co-op for all three parties; employers, students, and educational institutions. Section IV concludes the Handbook by considering some current issues confronting co-op, and the future of co-op."--publisher website.

Introduction

WIL in the context of higher education is a model of experiential education as per Kolb’s theory (Kolb, 1984; Kolb & Kolb, 2012) - which intentionally integrates students’ theoretical academic studies within a workplace or practical environment The purposeful integration of theory with practice supports learning, with the workplace serving as the mechanism for the enhanced learning, and while students are the primary focus of WIL, the essential philosophy is an educational partnership between universities, employers, and communities with the aim of providing students with an enriched learning experience (Blom, 2013; Johnston, 2017).

Students who participate in a work-integrated learning (WIL) program during their higher education studies are often better prepared for work after graduation compared to students who do not receive discipline specific practical experience (Mandal & Edwards, 2021; Smith et al., 2019; Weldon & Ngo, 2019). But does this better preparedness come with a price? Do these students - who often spend months away from their campus community – have adequate access to important support networks and/or do they struggle with their well-being? Research has shown that overall well-being, social and peer support, social connections, and establishing a strong sense of belonging are believed to be important in a successful school-to-work transition and achieving a strong career identity (Conely et al., 2014; Huegaerts et al., 2020; Ruschoff et al., 2018). Students who participate in WIL – however have less access to their peers and the university community due to being away for work terms (McBeath et al., 2018). It is unknown whether this influences their overall well-being and subsequent transition to full-time work after graduation. As such, they deserve attention in the research on participation in WIL programs and the subsequent transition to the labour market.

Goal and Research Questions

This study furthers our understanding of how support systems and sense of belonging impact student mental health and well-being during work-terms. The results can inform the design of a support intervention aimed at improving and maintaining health and well-being outcomes for WIL students. Results also contribute to the literature regarding WIL, sense of belonging, peer support, social connections, well-being, and preparedness for school-to-work transitions.

The study involved developing and administering a quantitative measure to examine aspects of, and the importance of, peer support and sense of belonging on improved mental health and well-being for WIL students. We also examined the role that social media and social connections played in this relationship. More specifically, we addressed the following research questions:

1. What perceptions do WIL students have about sense of belonging and peer support?

2. What demographic factors impact sense of belonging and peer support?

3. How does WIL influence peer support and sense of belonging?

4. How are peer support and sense of belonging related to mental health, and other psychological and health related outcomes in our WIL students?5. What role does social media and in particular virtual social connections play in sense of belonging, peer support, and well-being?6. What is the relationship between sense of belonging, peer support, social connections, mental health, and preparedness for school-to-work transitions? 

Methods

Data was collected from three institutions of higher education, namely University of Waterloo in Ca nada, University West in Sweden, and Baden-Heidenheim Cooperative State University (DHBW) in Germany. Ethical clearance was secured at all three institutions prior to data collection. Participants (WIL students) completed an online survey addressing sense of belonging, social and peer support, school-to-work self-efficacy, social media use, and well-being during their WIL placements. In addition to demographic variables (sex, age, year of study, and number of WIL placements) and constructed items measuring school-to-work efficacy and social media use for support and belonging, the survey also contained the following published scales:

• Sense of Belonging Instrument (SOBI: Hagerty & Patusky, 1995)
•  Psychological Sense of School Membership (PSSM: Goodenow, 1993)
•  Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL -shortened version: Cohen et al., 1985)
• Self-Description Questionnaire III (SDQ-III: Marsh & O’Neill, 1984)
• Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS: Diener et al., 1985)
•  Well-Being Manifestation Measure Scale (WBMMS: Massé et al., 1998) 

Consent to participate was indicated by the participant’s voluntary completion of the online survey. The survey took approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete. After correcting for missing data, the final data set had a sample size of 480 (University of Waterloo, n=190; University West, n=112, DHBW, n=178).

Data Analysis

Descriptive analyses provided frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations for the demographic variables. A series of t-tests were run to determine significant differences on the dependent variables as a function of country and demographics. A series of ANOVAs followed by Tukeys’ HSD post hoc analysis, were run to determine significant main effects. Levene’s test was performed for the demographic independent variables and the assumption of homogeneity of variance was satisfied. Finally, correlational analysis was run to examine significant relationships between the dependent variables – Sense of Belonging, Peer Support, school-to-work efficacy, Mental Health, and Well-Being. Incomplete scales (i.e., missing data) were eliminated from the analysis.

Results

Results indicated that WIL students from the three institutions reported only moderate levels of sense of belonging, however they perceived high levels of support from their peers. Higher levels of sense of belonging to the university community and access to high quality peer support was strongly related to better overall mental health and well-being. Interestingly, while WIL students perceived social media and virtual social connections during work terms as playing an important role in supporting their sense of belonging to peers and the university community, they preferred face to face social interactions for promoting their well-being. Additional results and implications will be provided in the presentation.

PurposeTo explore - on an international level - the relationship between work-integrated learning (WIL) and several psychological attributes (i.e., hope, procrastination, self-concept, self-efficacy, motivation, and study skills) believed to be important for a successful transition to the labour market.

Design/methodology/approachA between-subjects design was used with participants in one of two groups: WIL and non-WIL. The design provided data on the effects of the independent variable (WIL) on a number of dependent variables (attributes) across four countries. Data were collected via an online survey and analyzed using a series of ANOVAs and MANOVAs.

FindingsWIL and non-WIL students in the four countries shared several attributes - however - significant differences also emerged. WIL compared to non-WIL students compared reported stronger math and problem solving self-concepts, yet weaker effort regulation and perceived critical thinking skills. WIL students were more extrinsically motivated than their non-WIL peers in three of the four countries. Female students in WIL reported being the most anxious compared to other students.

Research limitations/implicationsSelf-reports to measure psychological attributes and the small sample sizes at some of the institutions are limitations.

Originality/valueThe positive relationship between participation in WIL and several aspects of positive self-concept are provided. In addition, data is provided indicating that overall there are more similarities than differences between WIL and non-WIL students on a number of psychological outcomes. Data also suggests that females who participate in WIL may be at risk for anxiety problems.

New technologies, the internalization of markets, and higher numbers of university graduates have led to greater competition for employment and greater needs for higher-order employment skills, practical experience, and a strong sense of competence. An increasing number of students are turning to work-integrated programs of learning (WIL) –where they can gain the necessary skills to enhance their future employment and career prospects.

The aim of this international project was to examine the relationship between work-integrated learning and the psychological variables believed to play a role for success in the transition to the labour market.

Students from four countries (Canada, Sweden, England, and the USA) completed the same online questionnaire measuring self-concept, self-efficacy, hope (goal-setting, goal achievement), procrastination, motivation, study skills, and work ethic. Results indicated there were many attitudes and behaviours shared by WIL and non-WIL students in the four countries – however there were also significant differences that shed light on WIL outcomes and/or the type of students who select WIL, regardless of where they reside. WIL students appear to have a stronger math self-concept and problem-solving self-concept. Non WIL students appear to have more confidence to attain academic and career goals, but it decreases by the end of their studies. On the other hand, confidence increases substantially for WIL students. Gender effects and achievement differences between the two groups will also be discussed. In summary, Students in WIL programs –regardless of where they reside -appear more similar than different.

Background: The purpose of this survey was to relate completion rate and results on national clinical final examinations to student’s admission background and examination results for nursing and medical courses.

Methods: The research data were based on a quantitative case study, with 286 nursing students, using statistical analysis.

Results: The programme's overall completion rate was 76%, i.e. almost one out of four students did not complete the programme. The higher students' upper secondary/high school grades, the fewer attempts they needed to pass the nursing and medical courses exams (p<0.001). The average examination attempts needed to pass courses in medical science was significantly greater than the number needed to pass courses in nursing science (p<0.001). In a multivariate analysis both upper secondary/high school grades and average examination attempts needed to pass were significant predictors for national clinical final examination score.

Conclusion: In sum, upper secondary/high school grades and examination attempts needed, especially for courses in medical science, may be regarded as important indicators of achieved knowledge and skills which are tested in the national final examination.

There is a demand for increased cooperation between higher education institutes and surrounding society, and different frameworks for such cooperation have been developed. University West in Sweden has a profile calledwork-integrated learning which could be regarded as a systematical approach for combining theory and practice.Actually work-integrated learning has become an ideologyfor the University which permeates all activities, i.e. education, research and cooperation with surrounding society. This article is a review, explaining and exemplifying our approach. We will also discuss strategies and challenges for bringing the relationship between theory and practice into a prospering marriage.

In Sweden today, there is an intensive debate discussing the changing conditions within higher education, one of the major issues is the one of meeting a new student cohort, i.e. millenials, or the generation Y students, etc. But what if the problem may not be the new students entering the university but the fact that we have to adjust to a new order ? Barnett, (2004) argues that we have to educate for a new work life. Implying that the students need to develop skills that are functioning in the world we live in right now. Bowden and Marton (1998) are talking about being able to transfer knowledge to new situations. Whilst Weiler ( 2005) argues that we have to meet the new cohort with new educational methods. Students of today are more visual learners, and we have to design for that in order to make the education meaningful.

This comparative small-scale (Swedish and Polish sample) longitudinal qualitative study investigates political science students' conceptions of their studies, their future profession and their workplace learning. The students (10 in Sweden and 11 in Poland) were interviewed twice, first when they were at the end of their studies and a second time when they had worked for approximately one year. The questions asked were designed to try to understand the transition from higher education to work life. The results indicate that they bring with them a set of academic generic skills from their education when they enter working life. Furthermore, the students in the two countries have very different perceptions of the subject Political Science, and the expectations they have regarding their studies and future working life also differ considerably.

For Sweden to be able to compete in the global economy, our students with a degree from higher education must be ready for a career in working life. Today's work life is facing a major ongoing transformation, characterized by increased complexity, higher specialization, and digitalization. This demands competencies beyond traditional theoretical knowledge, such as preparing for uncertainty and unknown outcomes (Barnett, 2000; Vallo Hult & Byström, 2021). Therefore, it is essential to engage students in learning to learn, i.e., lifelong learning so that the tools and methods for learning in higher education can also be developed through future work (Billett, 2014; Islind, Norström, Vallo Hult, & Ramadani Olsson, 2021). For University West, this means that our education programs must be developed in collaboration with industry partners from the surrounding society to provide arelevant and attractive education, which corresponds to the labour market's long-term competence needs. We want our students to develop abilities and skills that enable them to be part of and drive sustainable societal development in practice.

Work Integrated Learning (WIL) is University West's overarching profile, based on the concept of advanced knowledge – characterized by complex problem solving – and the mutual acknowledgment of advanced knowledge within the academy and among its partners. What characterizes WIL at University West is that we have developed and refined a combination of different approaches over a long period, including research -based WIL, through fundamental learning concepts such as socio- cultural, critical and action-oriented learning theories. These influences have shaped WIL at University West into a dynamic and academic area of knowledge and subject. 

In order to achieve a strategic and qualitative development of work-integrated learning, the University West Board decided to WIL-certify all educational programs with a clear sustainability perspective. The quality processis called the WIL certification process. It has now been developed at the university fortwo years.Experience andrefinements are ready to mature into an overall quality framework worth conceptualizing and disseminating to more universities that systematically want to develop WIL as an explicit quality dimension in higher educa tion. The project is still ongoing but have generated some preliminary findings and outcomes from the initial phase. Data collection activities include workshops and focus groups with selected participants from the target groups at the university (managers/prefects and teachers) as well as at the collaborative partner organization (managers and supervisors/mentors). The focus of the workshops was placed on capturing the participants understanding and perspectives on WIL as a concept, and to map the conditions for and experiences of conducting WIL in teaching and learning at work. We aim for identifying good (or less good) examples of WIL, what they are, how they are understood and why they are (or are not) important.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the lessons learned so far and present a conceptual quality framework for WIL in higher education with a clear connection to sustainable development. The quality framework may function as a mediating “support object” between higher education institutions, industry partners, and actors in the surrounding society to promote WIL concepts and experiences in collaboration strategies.

For graduates to be able to compete in the global world, study programmes must include knowledge, competences and skills that ensures that students with a higher education degree are ready for both a complex working life and continuous competence development. This demands competencies beyond traditional theoretical knowledge, such as preparing for uncertainty and unknown outcomes. Therefore, it is essential to engage students in learning to learn, i.e., lifelong learning so that the tools and methods for learning in higher education can also be developed through future work.

At University West (UW) in Sweden, this means that programmes are developed in collaboration with societal partners to provide a relevant and attractive educational offer. The University West uses the concept of work-integrated learning (WIL) to embrace a sustained/systematic collaboration with strategic partners outside academia. We consider that knowledge is created in the encounter between academia and our strategic partners, through the integration of knowledge, skills and competences acquired both within academia and work life.

To achieve a strategic and qualitative development of work-integrated learning (WIL), the Board of University West in 2018 decided to WIL-certify all educational programs including a sustainability perspective and enhance this process by engaging in strategic partnerships with stakeholders from civic society to international companies. The process is a development of existing and future programmes and their pedagogical approach. The WIL certification process has developed into a renewal of the pedagogical approach through a development process based on a lively exchange of experiences from study programme representatives from political science to nursing; and discussions with our strategic partners that benefits both students, staff as well as the strategic partners through competence development and lifelong learning.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the lessons learned so far and present a conceptual quality framework for WIL in higher education with a clear connection to sustainable development. Based on the experiences from the development of the institutional WIL project and a Swedish Innovation agency (VINNOVA) research project we aim for a better understanding and insights into how theoretical and practical knowledge can enhance learning both within academia and within strategic partners. Data collection activities include workshops and focus groups with selected participants from the target groups at the university (managers/prefects and teachers) as well as at the collaborative partner organization (managers and supervisors/mentors). Initial findings suggest that the meeting between academia, working life and the surrounding society can ensure that insights, solutions and mutual development are created to meet the challenges society faces. The paper will discuss the methodology of creating work-integrated learning environments that include well-functioning communication and a community of practice (Wenger, 1998) connecting learners, teachers, and other staff with local, regional and national stakeholders.

For 25 years University West has been the leading university in Sweden when it comes to Work Integrated Learning (WIL) and Co-operative Education (Co-op). This paper describes mainly the sustainable and mutual benefit between the companies and the students. How ever, Co-operative education is a model that does not only benefit the students – it's described as a win-win situation for all partners. This study will provide some explanatory examples from using Co-operative Education as a networking and bridging model between the students, the universities and industry. This model aims to enhance life long learning in the work place. It also provides an opportunity for the university staff to catch up the needs from the industry in their ongoing work – such as new competency development modules, research and development etc. The paper uses an educational design that describes the benefits for participants, as well as it provides an opportunity to scrutinise the possible obstacles that lie within this model. A questionnaire has been distributed to the persons that have the overall responsibility for introducing the student at the company, students that were in their first Co-op placement and students that had finished their second Co-op placement. The results were analysed with a content analysis focusing on text material.

Students who participate in a work-integrated learning (WIL) program - such as Cooperative Education during their university studies are often better prepared for the labour market compared to students who do not receive discipline specific practical experience. But does this better preparedness come with a price? Students who participate in WIL programs compared to non-WIL students often have less access to social support networks and the university community due to their alternating academic and work terms.There is reason to believe that the construct of belonging may have especially important implications among university students. There has been growing attention in recent years to mental illness amongst post-secondary students, particularly during their first few years of university study (Conley, Kirsch, Dickson, & Bryant,2014; Storrie, Ahern, & Tuckett, 2010). Research suggests that a sense of school belonging among university students may help buffer the stress associated with the transition to university (Brunwasser, 2012). Pittman and Richmond (2008), for example, found that students who experienced a positive change in their sense of university belonging throughout their first year tended to experience a drop in levels of anxiety and depression related internalizing behavioural problems. A study by Friedlander, Reid, Shupak, and Cribbie (2007), found that when compared to parental social support, higher levels of perceived social support from friends better predicted a healthy social, emotional, and overall adjustment to university among first-year university students. While evidence points to a relation between peer support and sense of belonging and university students' academic and psychological outcomes, such measures do not account for the impact of Social Media (SM) use. This study aims to understand and describe students perception on the role social media play in sense of belonging and peer support and what the relationship(s) arebetween sense of belonging, peer support, social media and well-being. Is really work integrated learning models a way of supporting the transition between H.E and W.L or are we creating other barriers that's needs to be overcome? This study comprise of a questionnaire and focus groups interviews. 164 individuals completed a 30-45 minutes long questionnaire in English, in the end of the questionnaire the students could choose to say yes to participate in a focus group, and it resulted in five focus groups including 15 students representing all four faculties. Preliminary results indicate that the students emphasize the importance of peer-support during both their academic studies and work periods. The Students seem to find solutions trying to achieve this through SM, it becomes a natural tool and creates a platform for students to connect and support each other virtually. In the presentation we will illustrate more results.

The aim of this study was to investigate critical incidents in a large medical exercise (mass casualty incident) including the Swedish Armed Forces (SwAF) and a regional hospital using activity theory. A total of 96 individuals played injured patients with a variety of injuries from simple cuts and bruises to severe head injuries. Patients were evacuated by different means of transportation i.e. minivan, ambulance, military as well as civilian ambulance helicopter.We participated in the final planning of the exercise in order to obtain access for the research team. Data was collected through observations, shadowing technique and 20 semi structured interviews. Professionals from the regional hospital and SwAF as well as evaluating personnel were interviewed. The interviewees were asked to describe significant events experienced during the exercise.

Two researchers observed the triage and registration process in the ambulance intake and the emergency room of the hospital. One researcher observed the command and control (C2) function within the mass casualty management (MCM).Two students from the Swedish Defense University and three from University West collected data by playing injured patients according to the determined injure play card provided by SwAF. The students were instructed to observe what they themselves would classify as critical incidents based on their own subject i.e. education, economics and command and control studies. Five questions guided the observations: What happened? Who were involved? What consequences did the incident have? How were these consequences handled by the organization? Did the incident affect other areas?Data was analyzed, thematized and coded using the third generation of activity theory and its areas: tools, rules, community, division of labor, subject and object as a guide for identifying contradictions within the regional hospital and the emergency medical plan developed for handling large casualty events.Preliminary results indicated that participating personnel were not faced with conditions mimicking real life but learned to deal with a corrected version of reality i.e. preparations before the start of the exercise created shortcuts affecting the veracity of the exercise. This was manifested through contradictions within and between the activity systems and the conflicting motives carried by the objects.The results might impact the future designs of large exercises, influencing the conditions that the participants will face in exercises and thereby increasing preparedness for authentic situations.