CCWT Publications

Zi Chen, Matthew Wolfgram, Pa Her & Matthew T. Hora (2019). Results from the College Internship Study at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

Abstract: This report includes preliminary findings from the first round of data collection for The College Internship Study, which is a mixed-methods longitudinal study of internship programs at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.

The study includes an online survey of students in the second half of their academic programs (n=221), focus groups with students who have and who have not had an internship experience (n=19), interviews with career advisors and faculty (n=11), and interviews with area employers involved in internship program administration (n=15). The research questions guiding this study focus on how stakeholders conceptualize and define the idea of internships, participation rates by certain demographic characteristics, and the relationship between internship program structure and student outcomes.

This report concludes with recommendations for specific steps that students, faculty and staff at UW-Oshkosh, and employers who supervise interns can take to increase participation rates, access, and program quality for internship programs in Oshkosh area in Wisconsin.

Chen, Z., Wolfgram, M., Her, P., & Hora, M.T. (2019). Results from the College Internship Study at the University of Baltimore. Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions, UW-Madison.

Abstract: This report includes preliminary findings from the first round of data collection for The College Internship Study, which is a mixed-methods longitudinal study of internship programs at the University of Baltimore.

The study includes an online survey of students in the second half of their academic programs (n=228), focus groups with students who have and who have not had an internship experience (n=24), interviews with career coaches and faculty (n=8), and interviews with an area employer involved in internship program administration (n=1). The research questions guiding this study focus on how stakeholders conceptualize and define the idea of internships, participation rates by certain demographic characteristics, and the relationship between internship program structure and student outcomes.

This report concludes with recommendations for specific steps that students, faculty and staff at the University of Baltimore, and employers who supervise interns can take to increase participation rates, access, and program quality for internship programs in Baltimore area in Maryland.

Benbow, R. J., & Lee, C. (2019). How faculty develop teaching-focused social capital: Personal networks and 21st century skills instruction. Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions, UW-Madison.

Abstract: While research shows that relationships or social ties give K12 teachers access to valuable information, knowledge, and advice that improves professional practice and student learning —resources conceptualized as “social capital”—few studies investigate how faculty develop the kinds of ties that help them better teach important 21st century skills like communication, teamwork, problem solving, and self-directed learning. Focusing on college faculty in one U. S. city, this mixed-methods study explores the association between science, technology, and medical (STM) instructor characteristics and personal social networks centered on discussing how to teach important skills. Survey responses (n=244) indicate that teaching experience, institution type, and teaching preparation time are correlated with network patterns linked to improved professional practice, while interview data (n=22) supplement these findings with instructor descriptions of how and why they developed teaching-focused social ties in their professional lives.

Matthew Hora, Zi Chen, Emily Parrott, and Pa Her. Problematizing College Internships: Exploring Issues with Access, Program Design, and Developmental Outcomes in three U.S. Colleges WCER Working Paper No. 2019-1 

Abstract: Internships for college students are widely promoted as a “high-impact” practice, yet the academic literature is limited by terminological imprecision, lack of data on intern demographics, and insufficient attention to the impacts of program format on student academic and developmental outcomes. In this mixed-methods study we analyze survey (n=1,129) and focus group (n=57) data from students in three diverse U.S. colleges by using inductive thematic analysis, chi-square, and hierarchical linear modeling to document intern characteristics, access-related problems, program structure, and impacts on student outcomes. Results indicate that internship participation varied significantly by race, institution, enrollment status, and academic program, and that 64% of students who did not take an internship had desired to do so but could not due to scheduling conflicts with work, insufficient pay, and lack of placements in their disciplines. Students also reported high degrees of supervisor support, supervisor mentoring, and relationship between internships and academic programs—all program features that were significant predictors of students’ satisfaction with internships and perceived value for their career development. Based on these results, we propose a processual model for studying internships, and we discuss implications for career advisors, faculty, and postsecondary leaders. Specifically, we urge employers, colleges and universities to ensure equitable access to internships for all students, to screen employer hosts for mentoring quality and capacity, and to recognize internships can be simultaneously a positive transformative experience for students and a vehicle for reproducing inequality.