Students’ work placement learning and employability nexus: Reflections from experiential learning and social cognitive career theories

Abstract

To curtail difficulties in higher education relating to students’ learning with few or no real-life examples, poor acquisition of practical skills, a lack of confidence concerning their prospective career, and a fear of unemployment, it is imperative to engage students in real-life work environments before graduation. Drawing on the integration of Experiential Learning Theory and Social Cognitive Career Theory, the authors explore the work placement learning (WPL), career decision self-efficacy (CDSE), engagement in practical skills (EPS), and perceived employability skills (PES) nexuses. The participants in the study (N = 451) were technical and vocational education undergraduates drawn from four universities in Nigeria. Using data collected via a cross-sectional survey, the study results reveal that WPL is positively and strongly associated with PES. The results also show that WPL has a positive indirect influence on PES via CDSE and EPS, indicating the presence of serial mediation. The results further show that WPL has discrete positive indirect effects on PES via the dimensions of CDSE (self-appraisal, occupational information, goal selection, planning and problem-solving). The implications of the findings for higher education institutions are, accordingly, set out.

How do work placement learning instructional methods enhance students’ learning experiences?

“…Previous studies (Chukwuedo and Ementa, 2022; Okolie et al, 2021a; Okorie et al, 2022; Otache and Edokpolor, 2022) have found a positive and significant link between WPL and perceived employability, and employability preparatory behaviours. These findings are relevant given that, through WPL, higher education institutions (HEIs) can partner with industry to offer students opportunities to gain a practical understanding of work-related theoretical knowledge they may have gained in the classroom (e.g.…”

“…Thus, we consider the ELT appropriate for learning the best instructional methods that WPL instructors may adopt to enhance students’ learning experience. This is important, given that no meaningful learning can take place during placements if the instructors are unable to use appropriate instructional methods to actively engage students in the experience, and motivate them to reflect on the learning experience, to develop personal conceptualizations of the ideas and to apply problem-solving skills in using the new ideas (Chukwuedo and Ementa, 2022; Okorie et al, 2022). Therefore, it is important to identify the best instructional methods that WPL instructors can adopt to provide students with opportunities to learn how to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world practice and transform their practical experiences into applied knowledge and skills that will foster their employability after graduation.…”

“…Madichie and Fiberesima, 2021). Previous studies have focused primarily on the links between WPL and the development of employability skills (Chukwuedo and Ementa, 2022; Otache and Edokpolor, 2022) as well as other positive graduate outcomes (Nwosu et al, 2022; Okolie et al, 2021a; Poulter and Smith, 2006; Tennant et al, 2018). However, relatively little is known about the methods of delivery that WPL instructors can adopt to enhance students’ learning experience.…”

Enhancing the work placement experience of students with disabilities

“…Work placement learning has numerous other benefits, including enhancing self-efficacy, work readiness, reflexive capabilities and networking (Chukwuedo and Ementa, 2022; Inceoglu et al, 2019; Otache and Edopkolor, 2022). However, students with disabilities often have a different experience with regards to work placements (Kim and Sellmaier, 2020; Langørgen and Magnus, 2018).…”

“…This enables us to develop a new theoretical framework and perspective (Nguyen and Mogaji, 2022a; Snyder, 2019) for enhancing the work placement experience of students with disabilities in Nigeria. In doing so, we contribute to the existing body of work on innovative work placement practices (Chukwuedo and Ementa, 2022; Madichie and Agu, 2022; Otache and Edopkolor, 2022), on accommodating students with disabilities (Lindsay et al, 2021a; Moriña and Biagiotti, 2021), on students in business schools (Griffin and Coelhoso, 2019; Neelam et al, 2019), on support during work placement (Brooks and Youngson, 2016; Long and Fynn, 2018) and on universities’ and students' involvement in career preparatory behaviours as they engage with their work placement activities (Inceoglu et al, 2019; Okolie et al, 2020a).…”