The ‘Lunar Side’ of the Story: Exploring the Sustainability of Curricular Internships in Higher Education

Abstract

Curricular internships are increasingly seen as an effective strategy capable of contributing to the objectives and targets of the sustainable development paradigm, both in its social, economic and institutional dimensions. This positive outlook is ingrained within the large bulk of existing research, which has been focused on the discussion of positive outputs, such as the enhancement of graduates competences (employability) and their work integration (employment). An important, albeit relatively unexplored, feature of the sustainable institutional politics of curricular internship management pertains to the assessment of its associated liabilities and tensions. This article seeks to address this challenge, by analyzing two interrelated dimensions. First, it seeks to understand the internship processes ranging from the planning to the implementation stages. Second, it elicits the associated negative aspects (the 'lunar side') of internships, allowing for an assessment of the features where there is room for improvement. Empirically, this article draws on in-depth qualitative research. It presents the results of four focus groups, voicing the perceptions of top management structures and students involving first cycle degrees in the areas of Marketing, Management, and Accounting from four public Portuguese Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)-three polytechnics and one university. Findings confirm the general positive outlook of internships. Perceived negative perspectives report to both internal problems (such as the lack of institutional support and curricular design) and external problems (e.g., the shortage of suitable internship placements), constituting barriers towards sustainable institutional policies and strategies. Adaptive strategies to overcome specific difficulties are highlighted (e.g., establishment of advisory committees with local businessmen). Finally, recommendations regarding curricular internship management at HEIs are delineated (e.g., investment in monitoring and evaluation strategies of internships).

Crises conducting stakeholder salience: shifts in the evolution of private universities’ governance in Latin America

“… Sources: Authors on creation based on: Agopyan, 2020; Brewster et al , 2016; Brockliss, 2000; Carayannis and Campbell, 2009; El Garouani et al , 2017; El-Kassar et al , 2019; Etzkowitz et al , 2000; Gallo, 2012; Gonzalez-Perez et al , 2007; Gonzalez-Perez, 2011; Hardaker and Sabki, 2018; Harkavy et al , 2020; Kerr, 1994; Kruse, 2006; Lopes et al , 2019; Macgilchrist and Girgensohn, 2011; Mayorga, 2019; Minton and Lowe, 2019; Newman, 1852; Nybom, 2003; Pachura, 2017; Park, 2014; Powell and Walsh, 2018; Rothblatt, 1997; Shapin, 2012; Unkule, 2020 and Vine, 1976…”

What is an Internship Report? Contributions to the Construction of its Meaning

“…The internship is a preponderant element in the training in numerous study programmes (Andrade and Mesquita, 2016) in the search to establish dialogues between its theoretical component and the professional performance of the student in training. Thus, the internship is a suitable space for the emergence of stressful situations of and in the learning that are expected to be capitalised in training and reflection, either in the context of the pre-teaching profession (Parveen and Mirza, 2012;Braga, 2015) or in other training contexts of approach to the professional practice (Gomes and Santana, 2019;Lopes et al, 2019). According to Braga (2015) "The internship is an articulating activity of the study programme and should favour a creative and transformative practice" (p. 255).…”

Marketing of an academic program: case study of an engineering program

“…Bolat and O'Sullivan, (2017), Ivy (2008), Hayes (2007). Often, higher education is perceived in the broader paradigm of sustainable development (Lopes et al, 2019;Kuzior, 2010), which may have a positive impact on the image of a university and translate into better competitiveness in the education market. Relationship marketing is also gaining more and more important in promoting higher education (Trullas et al, 2018;Guilbault, 2016;Helgesen, 2008).…”