A number of international research studies have explored the benefits and challenges for post-secondary students who have experienced an international co-operative education assignment (e.g., Bentley & Broons, 1998; Coll & Chapman, 2000; Coll, Pinyonatthagarn & Pramoolsook, 2003; Ward & Laslett, 2004; Wong & Coll, 2001). A small number of studies in this field have suggested that a well organized program includes pre-departure planning, focused orientation programs, and opportunities for reflection (Bentley & Broons, 1998; Ward & Laslett, 2004). Mentoring relationships have also been shown to support the success of workplace opportunities (Collins, 1993; Thuynsma, 1997; Van Gyn & Ricks, 1998). However, the results of the research that highlight the development of various traits during the international experience do not distinguish between pre-placement and post-placement student characteristics that contributed to the students’ success in the international experiences. Therefore more research is required. The purpose of this study was to understand and report on specific factors that contribute to successful international co-operative education experiences from the perspective of college students and the program co-ordinator. The students and co-ordinator were all associated with a work integrated learning opportunity in an international business college program that requires students to complete an international co-operative experience. Three fundamental questions I set out to answer were: (a) What role does the pre-placement program play in students’ success in the international co-operative experience? (b) What characteristics of students and workplace supervisors as perceived by the students contribute to successful international co-operative education experiences? (c) What role, if any, does mentoring by a workplace supervisor play in students’ successful international co-operative education experience? The study findings emphasized the importance of understanding the characteristics that support a successful experience and discuss the implementation of goals for program design and delivery. The findings within the first theme focused on What Helped Students Succeed in the International Placement, the second theme highlighted What Impeded Students’ Success in the International Placement and the final theme outlined Goals Achieved. Most of the categories within the themes were anticipated in the research questions but what was surprising was there was little data on mentoring. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2012-01-25 17:23:11.267

A qualitative study was undertaken that explored the conditions for transformative learning (Mezirow, 2000) in a specific form of work-integrated education (WIE), co-operative education, towards the development of a theoretical model. The research question considered was ‘what pedagogical and workplace practices available during WIE contribute to transformative learning?’ WIE students, supervisors and their co-op coordinator were the participants in this study. Four case studies were developed based on evidence from interviewing these participants at the beginning and end of one work term. Aggregated data from the coordinator, student and supervisor interviews were analyzed. The Kelly repertory grid was used as a way to elucidate and rate participant constructs of transformative learning during WIE. Activity theory, which theorizes that expansive learning is a result of a dialectic, mediated process embedded in a socio-cultural context (Engeström, 1987), provided the theoretical framework to examine these constructs and their relationship to the conditions for transformative learning. The findings from the study revealed several results that add to our theoretical models for WIE. First, WIE, including co-operative education, relies heavily on the constructivist perspective of Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory (Kolb, 1984) yet the participants cited transformative learning from critical-cultural, psychoanalytical, situative and enactivist perspectives (Fenwick, 2000) with each perspective providing a different lens through which critical reflection, the antecedent to transformative learning, could be supported (Mezirow, 1998). Second, critical reflection, in addition to being supported from a variety of perspectives, was found to occur as a result of the resolution of contradictions found in the dialectic and mediated processes explicated by activity theory’s cycle of expansive transition (Engeström, 1987). Third, the enablers (mediators) most involved in contributing to this process were: opportunities for work and learning, a supportive environment, student capabilities, co-workers, supervisors, and assessment and reflection practices. Fourth, within the context of WIE, activity theory introduces the dimensions of time, context and transformative processes (Keengwe & Jung-Jin, 2013) to our understanding of how transformational learning occurs and results in the transformative outcomes of self-formation (Dirkx, 2012), and social transformation (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007). Fifth, the integration of these transformative outcomes into the WIE or workplace was dependent upon the time and value given to transformative processes, institutional requirements and a positive emotional environment that supported the resultant changes to the students’ world view and ability to act (Avis, 2009; Hanson, 2013; Holman, Pavlica, & Thorpe, 1997; Taylor, 2008). The implications of these findings are that WIE theoretical models include considerations of: perspective, socio-cultural context, dialectic and mediated processes and creating a positive emotional space to support the critical reflection necessary for transformative learning. Including these considerations shifts WIE theory from a constructivist perspective towards an enactivist perspective with the potential that programs intentionally support both students’ individual change and the social change of organizations where they work and study. Furthermore, adopting a view of WIE as an interaction between two systems, with the resultant “knotworking”, “boundary spanning” and “co-configuration” (Engeström, 2009), opens up possibilities for innovation and renewal in WIE programs and workplaces. / Graduate / 0515 / 0745 / nmcrae@uvic.ca

A qualitative study was undertaken that explored the conditions for transformative learning (Mezirow, 2000) in a specific form of work-integrated education (WIE), co-operative education, towards the development of a theoretical model. The research question considered was ‘what pedagogical and workplace practices available during WIE contribute to transformative learning?’ WIE students, supervisors and their co-op coordinator were the participants in this study. Four case studies were developed based on evidence from interviewing these participants at the beginning and end of one work term. Aggregated data from the coordinator, student and supervisor interviews were analyzed. The Kelly repertory grid was used as a way to elucidate and rate participant constructs of transformative learning during WIE. Activity theory, which theorizes that expansive learning is a result of a dialectic, mediated process embedded in a socio-cultural context (Engeström, 1987), provided the theoretical framework to examine these constructs and their relationship to the conditions for transformative learning. The findings from the study revealed several results that add to our theoretical models for WIE. First, WIE, including co-operative education, relies heavily on the constructivist perspective of Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory (Kolb, 1984) yet the participants cited transformative learning from critical-cultural, psychoanalytical, situative and enactivist perspectives (Fenwick, 2000) with each perspective providing a different lens through which critical reflection, the antecedent to transformative learning, could be supported (Mezirow, 1998). Second, critical reflection, in addition to being supported from a variety of perspectives, was found to occur as a result of the resolution of contradictions found in the dialectic and mediated processes explicated by activity theory’s cycle of expansive transition (Engeström, 1987). Third, the enablers (mediators) most involved in contributing to this process were: opportunities for work and learning, a supportive environment, student capabilities, co-workers, supervisors, and assessment and reflection practices. Fourth, within the context of WIE, activity theory introduces the dimensions of time, context and transformative processes (Keengwe & Jung-Jin, 2013) to our understanding of how transformational learning occurs and results in the transformative outcomes of self-formation (Dirkx, 2012), and social transformation (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007). Fifth, the integration of these transformative outcomes into the WIE or workplace was dependent upon the time and value given to transformative processes, institutional requirements and a positive emotional environment that supported the resultant changes to the students’ world view and ability to act (Avis, 2009; Hanson, 2013; Holman, Pavlica, & Thorpe, 1997; Taylor, 2008). The implications of these findings are that WIE theoretical models include considerations of: perspective, socio-cultural context, dialectic and mediated processes and creating a positive emotional space to support the critical reflection necessary for transformative learning. Including these considerations shifts WIE theory from a constructivist perspective towards an enactivist perspective with the potential that programs intentionally support both students’ individual change and the social change of organizations where they work and study. Furthermore, adopting a view of WIE as an interaction between two systems, with the resultant “knotworking”, “boundary spanning” and “co-configuration” (Engeström, 2009), opens up possibilities for innovation and renewal in WIE programs and workplaces. / Graduate / 0515 / 0745 / nmcrae@uvic.ca

Co-operative education in which senior high school students are placed in supervised workplace settings and gain credits towards a graduation diploma is the type of work-based education offered in Ontario. The purpose of this retrospective qualitative research was to examine how students learn in co-operative education placements and to explore the environmental conditions that facilitate student learning and motivation. The conceptual framework guiding this research consisted of three theories: Billet’s (2014) theory of mimesis, Munby et al.’s (2003) theory of metacognitive routines, and Snyder’s (2000) hope theory. Three former high school students who had been in automotive co-operative education placements participated in semi-structured interviews that followed a modified version of Seidman’s (2019) three interview technique. While the findings did not support Munby et al.’s (2003) ideas about routines, they corroborated the use of mimesis as a means of workplace learning (Billet, 2014) and Snyder’s (2000) writings about work and motivation. In this study, a successful placement involved three factors: social belonging and active learning and the reciprocal relationship between them, as well as the hope that was ignited, which crystalized the academic and career goals the students set for themselves. Moreover, workplace conditions that fostered a sense of social belonging and co-workers who provided informal instruction on technical and interpersonal skills contributed the most to the participants’ learning in their co-op placements. Implications for schools and co-operative education teachers are discussed.

This research report describes an illuminative evaluation study of the workplace learning component of the Diploma in Animal Health, a vocationally-oriented qualification offered by the University of South Africa (Unisa). In illuminative evaluation, a programme is studied by qualitative methods to gain an in-depth understanding of its "instructional system" – its intended teaching arrangements, as well as its "learning milieu" – the actual sites of learning interaction; this results in a rich description of the programme that allows "matches" and "mismatches" between the instructional system and learning milieu to be uncovered. In this study, this approach was applied to investigate the instructional system through document analysis, and the learning milieu through interviews, observation and a student questionnaire. The data revealed a number of "matches" but also "partial matches". Matches included the immersion of students in an actual work environment where they fully participated in real work activities; this generally allowed them to be work-ready on graduation, as intended. Partial matches included the component's intentions to have a well-functioning co-operative relationship, to have a curriculum that is fully relevant to student workplaces, and to have designated mentors who provide both academic and personal support; all these intentions were only partially achieved in the learning milieu. In uncovering these matches and partial matches the illuminative approach provided in-depth insights into the workplace component that might not have been obtained by using another evaluation methodology.

Co-operative education (co-op) is a form of work-integrated-learning that involves university undergraduate students undertaking full-time paid and discipline-related employment as a structured part of their program of study. Co-op programs provide learning opportunities for students that enable them to integrate their work and their academic experiences. Such opportunities, provided that a number of conditions are met, can lead to deep level learning. Deep level learning results when students engage in and interact with the material that they are learning so that the material is integrated into their knowledge and personal understanding. Whether or not deep level learning occurs through co-op, depends on various factors including the learning opportunities provided by co-op employers, the students' own commitment and ability to learn, and the commitment of university staff to support this learning. Insufficient resourcing of co-op programs by universities and ultimately the government places a major constraint on the programs' potential effectiveness in bringing about the desired learning outcomes for students. This is particularly the case in Australia where universities are under enormous pressure of reduced government funding and the long-term sustainability of co-op programs is under threat. In order to justify more funding for co-op programs, it is important to identify and measure the outcomes associated with undertaking co-op. There has been a great deal written about the outcomes of co-op programs and the associated benefits that accrue to the major co-op stakeholders; students, graduates, universities and employers. Most of the measurement of these outcomes has, however, taken place in North America. Furthermore, studies have generally focused on the outcomes for one, or sometimes two, stakeholder groups. The results of many of these studies have been limited by confounding variables and have been very mixed; with some providing evidence that supports co-op and others providing evidence that does not. Little work has been done to estimate the costs associated with running co-op programs. This thesis considered the research question of what is the added value of a cooperative education program. A positivistic paradigm was adopted and empirical measures of learning and employment outcomes were analyzed for co-op compared to non co-op students and graduates. The graduates taking part in the study were matched in an effort to overcome some of the methodological limitations of other studies. The majority of the graduates had completed an Economics, Finance or Commerce degree at one of two major universities located in Melbourne, Australia: one university provides a compulsory co-op program, the other does not. Through the analysis of the learning outcomes of co-op, this study found that co-op led to a reduction in the proportion of students adopting a surface approach to learning. The shift from students adopting a surface approach to students adopting a deep approach to learning as a result of co-op, was not evidenced as strongly as expected. This may have resulted in part, from the lack of funding necessary to provide the level of learning support required to bring about these learning outcomes. There is, however, evidence to suggest that co-op has a significant impact on the academic performance of students and particularly for those whose academic performance pre co-op was low. When employment outcomes for co-op graduates and non co-op graduates were analyzed, it was evident that 90% of co-op graduates, compared to only 19% of non co-op graduates, found discipline-related employment within one month of actively seeking a job. Furthermore, co-op graduates took an average of two weeks to find employment whereas non co-op graduates, with no undergraduate discipline-related work experience, took an average of three-and-a-half months. There is evidence that employers recognized, through increased salaries, the benefit of the co-op year over and above the experience that can be gained from summer placements, traineeships and post co-op discipline-related work. While the starting salary for co-op graduates, was significantly higher than for non co-op graduates, this difference disappeared when both cohorts had the same number of years of industry experience. Even though this result, which is consistent with other studies, appeared not to demonstrate the increased salary advantages associated with co-op, there is another factor that needed to be taken into consideration. The co-op graduates in this study had a range of academic achievements yet their graduate employment outcomes were at least the same as those for the non co-op graduates who were all high academic achievers. The impact that co-op has on the achievement of relevant strategic goals and key performance indicators specified by the co-op university was considered and an estimation was also undertaken of the cost of providing this co-op program over and above the government funding received for its support. It was found that while the co-op program attracted students with the same university entry score as the non co-op program, the non co-op graduates would, with hindsight, have chosen a co-op degree. This suggests that the pool of quality students applying for entry into the university offering co-op programs could be increased with more effective marketing of co-op to secondary school-leavers. Academic progression rates and retention rates, two university key performance indicators, were high for co-op students and co-op was a significant factor in achieving the university objective of graduate employability. While co-op has had a significant impact on the achievement of relevant university goals, it was also found that the university that offers co-op incurs a funding shortfall of approximately $1,300 for every Economics and Finance co-op student. This amounted to a total funding shortfall of $41,600 for the 32 co-op students included in this study. One option that is available to the university to find support for the long-term financial sustainability of co-op programs is to seek a share of the significant cost savings experienced by the two other major stakeholders in a co-op program - the government and the employers of co-op graduates. The estimated savings in graduate recruitment costs as a result of co-op students returning to companies as graduate recruits varied from $1,100 to $3,000 per graduate. This resulted in a total saving of between $19,000 and $51,000 for the 17 Economics and Finance students in this study who returned to their co-op companies as graduate recruits. The impact of co-op on social welfare payments made by the government was also quite significant. It was estimated that co-op led to savings of approximately $15,000 in social welfare payments for every co-op graduate - the total social welfare payments made to all the non co-op graduates being $147,000 higher than the total social welfare payments paid to the co-op graduates included in this study. To achieve these benefits of co-op, the government funds co-op programs at a rate of $1,800 per student. For the 800 RMIT Business students who currently undertake co-op each year, the funding shortfall experienced by RMIT was extrapolated to be $1.04m. The associated saving to graduate employers was estimated to be between $500,000 and $1.37m and the expected saving to the government in social welfare payments was estimated to be over $4m while the total funding of co-op programs for the 800 students by the government was $1.44m. These figures provide a strong case for an increase in the financial support of co-op programs. In conclusion, while there is a need to extend the research into the added benefits of a cooperative education program to a longitudinal study also covering other discipline areas, there is evidence to show that improved academic and employment outcomes occur for co-op graduates compared to non co-op graduates. There is also evidence of significant cost savings that accrue to the Australian Federal Government and to graduate employers as a result of co-op. If these data can be used to transfer resources to the universities that provide these programs then greater efforts can be made to direct the resources in a way that will further enhance the learning and the employment outcomes for co-op graduates.

This study explored the discourse of the University of Victoria Social Sciences Co-op Program. It reviewed literature that illustrates how neoliberal ideologies due to globalization lead to the marketization of post-secondary education. It provided an overview of the neoliberal discursive context in which the Co-op Program is situated and a semiotic analysis of the discourse of three documents. Particular focus was paid to metaphoric representations. A co-op practitioner conducted the study, which included a reflective discussion of the findings related to the role of the Co-op Program staff, students and employers. The study highlighted neoliberal discourses that may impact a student’s educational experience by limiting student agency, reinforcing power structures, and focusing on career training with little emphasis on learning. As a way forward, the study presented different discourses and metaphoric representations that could be drawn upon to emancipate the students and harness the potential of an experiential education program.

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Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T14:16:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Sonia Regina Tonetto.pdf: 1372040 bytes, checksum: 8041dda5cc94d8c48e9bf949419c38de (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-03-19 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This work aims to analyze the ideas about methods of teaching science in the early twentieth advocated by prominent scientists as Marcellin Berthelot, Paul Langevin and Henri Poincaré and the important contribution of these scientists in the reform of French teaching, 1902. Furthermore, we sought to understand the difficulties faced in teaching in French schools of that period, we sought to also to understand what these scientists believed to be the ideal science teaching method and the influence of positivist ideas in these discussions. We analyzed in particular the role of Co-operative Education of Mme Curie (1907-1908) and the objectives of the group of teachers, including Paul Langevin, which was involved in the discussions on the reform. This work was developed from the analysis of documents filed at the Institut Curie and at Bibliothèque Nationale de France, texts and books written by scholars and scientists, with direct and indirect participation in the reform, records of lectures, articles and manuscripts of the children who participated in the cooperative, as Isabelle Chavannes and Irène Curie / Este trabalho tem como objetivo analisar as ideias sobre métodos de ensino de ciências, no início do século XX, defendidas por cientistas de destaque, como Marcellin Berthelot, Paul Langevin e Henri Poincaré e a importante participação desses cientistas na reforma do ensino francês de 1902. Além disso, procurou-se entender as dificuldades enfrentadas no ensino nas escolas francesas daquele período, compreendendo o que esses cientistas acreditavam ser o método ideal para o ensino de ciências e a influência das ideias positivistas nessas discussões. Analisa-se em particular o papel da Cooperativa de Ensino de Mme Curie (1907-1908) e os objetivos do grupo de professores que, como Paul Langevin, se envolveu nos debates sobre a reforma. Este trabalho foi desenvolvido a partir da análise de documentos depositados no Institut Curie e na Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris, textos da época, livros escritos por estudiosos e cientistas com participação direta e indireta na reforma, registros de conferências, artigos publicados, manuscritos das crianças que participaram da cooperativa, como Isabelle Chavannes e Irène Curie