Work placement learning and student employability: Do student satisfaction, commitment and achievement matter?

Abstract

While the extant literature generally suggests a positive relationship between work placement learning (WPL) and student employability, the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear and under-researched. Against this background, this study draws on insights from experiential learning and self-determination theories to explore the mediating effects of student satisfaction, commitment and achievement on the relationship between WPL and student employability. The study adopted a quantitative approach, gathering data from 294 students in two public higher education institutions (HEIs) in Nigeria using a structured questionnaire. A serial mediation analysis was performed to test the study hypotheses. The results show that WPL is positively associated with student satisfaction, commitment, achievement and employability. The results also indicate that student satisfaction, commitment and achievement have strong positive impacts on student employability. Further analysis reveals that student satisfaction, commitment and achievement individually and sequentially mediate the relationship between WPL and student employability. This research demonstrates that student satisfaction, commitment and achievement help to maximize the positive impact of WPL on employability. The findings offer policy and practical implications for HEIs, policymakers, students and industry.

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.…”

Civic education and voting intentions among the electorate: the roles of attitudes towards voting behaviour and educational level

“…Model 4 of the PROCESS Macro was used to test the mediating effect of ATVB, and Model 1b was used to test the moderating effect of educational level because the moderator variable is categorical. The hypothesised relationships were considered significant if the confidence interval excluded zero (Otache et al , 2022; Otache and Edopkolor, 2022).…”

How academics can play a more influential role during a year-in-industry placement: A contemporary critique and call for action

“…However, there is an acknowledgement of the interplay between personal and structural factors of self-perceived employability (Vanhercke et al, 2014), captured via person, context, and time dimensions of a sustainable career (De Vos et al, 2020). One approach to enhancing students' self-perceived employability is a year-in-industry placement (herewith referred to as a placement) (Otache and Edopkolor, 2022). The placement forms part of a sandwich degree, whereby a traditional 3-year undergraduate course is supplemented by an additional placement year before the final year of study.…”