Although internships are widely studied work-integrated learning (WIL) practices, microelectronics and defense-related engineering internships remain underexplored. This qualitative study examines how students' experiences in internships shape their professional and subjective development. Guided by existing scholarship, including the students' reflections of quality (RoQ) framework, the central research question-"What is the nature of students' relationship to their internship experience within WIL programs?"-is examined. The study also explores belonging, job pursuit intentions, developmental value, and satisfaction. Thirty-one participants from thirty-one institutions shared rich descriptions of their internship experiences that were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings show that internships fostered skill development and, when aligned with students' goals, positively influenced satisfaction and career clarity. Mentorship and organizational support were key to shaping belonging and intention to remain in the field. Results suggest that well-designed internships, co-created by students and employers, can bridge the gap between education and employment while cultivating developmental value.
As higher education faces shifting workforce demands and limited placement opportunities, this study examines how co-designed, non-placement work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences can foster student agency, applied learning, and professional growth across disciplines. Focusing on Creative WIL, an initiative involving pre-service and in-service education students and engineering students in a three-day project-based March Break camp for Grade 7 learners in New Brunswick, the study employs a constructivist, participatory orientation and reflexive thematic analysis within an iterative case study design. Centring student voice in shaping inclusive, strengths-based, interdisciplinary WIL experiences, findings show that participants developed key professional competencies, including collaboration, pedagogical responsiveness, and reflective practice, while actively influencing camp design and delivery through feedback and shared decision-making. Five themes emerged: respected autonomy, learning through being and doing, purposeful risk, refreshing perspectives, and hope through impact. This work underscores the transformative potential of student-informed, equity-conscious non-placement WIL models in bridging gaps found in traditional university-practicum-university transitions.
Work-integrated learning (WIL) is vital in higher education, enabling students to apply and enhance their knowledge and skills in real-world settings. This study explores WIL experiences and outcomes within a Bachelor's program in Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, emphasizing what students find important for their learning. Based on focus-group interviews, four key themes emerged: WIL curriculum design, host organization, the student themselves, and contextual factors. Overall, students valued WIL for its role in skill refinement and providing professional insights. While most students expressed enthusiasm about their work placements, some critiqued the university and host company, highlighting issues such as learning design, onboarding and supervision. This study provides valuable insights into managing WIL in challenging rural and remote coastal environments. By employing experimental and situated learning theories, this paper offers a comprehensive understanding of how students, as co-creators of WIL quality, navigate their WIL experiences to improve learning.
Globally, placements are an integral component of many allied health and nursing programs. Students are formally evaluated on their placement performance and may fail. Whilst research has explored placement failure, there remains limited insight from students, including the Australian occupational therapy context. This study involved 28, semi-structured interviews with occupational therapy students and graduates across Australia who had failed or almost failed a long-block placement in the past five years. Interview data was initially analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, followed by framework analysis using self-determination theory. Under selfdetermination theory, three themes and eleven sub-themes were identified. Findings highlighted when the three psychological needs of autonomy, relatedness and competence were compromised, how this influenced a student's performance and engagement on placement. Strategies for universities and agencies to support students before, during, and after placement failure were discussed, exploring how each can contribute to changing the student's experience.
This study analyzes the role of student voices in entrepreneurship education within the framework of workintegrated learning (WIL). Through an empirical, qualitative study supported by grounded theory, the research captures insights from eighteen semi-structured interviews conducted with students at a private higher education institution in western Mexico. The findings reveal three central themes. First, individual work emphasizes personal growth through learning, engagement with reality, and meeting expectations. Second, group work focuses on communication, teamwork, and adaptability. Third, students develop entrepreneurial skills, including creativity, innovation, and decision-making. Student narratives are not only reported descriptively but also serve as the core analytical material from which key categories and theoretical insights were inductively developed. By examining how students' perspectives and reflections shape their entrepreneurial learning, this paper underscore the transformative potential of entrepreneurship education when aligned with WIL principles and offers practical recommendations for strengthening entrepreneurship education through the active integration of student voices.
This introduction to the International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning special issue on student voice brings together 19 studies that collectively demonstrate how centering students' perspectives strengthens the quality, equity, and educational value of work-integrated learning (WIL). Spanning diverse disciplines, contexts, and methodological approaches, the papers show that listening to and partnering with students is important to developing effective WIL. The contributions are organized into three thematic areas: access, equity, and support; co-design and quality enhancement; and identity and agency. Across these themes, the papers highlight the multiple roles students now play in WIL inquiry, as consultants, co-designers, and co-researchers. Drawing across the special issue, four overarching insights about WIL that emerge through student voice have been identified: it reveals the hidden realities of WIL, underscores WIL as an ecosystem, illuminates the power dynamics that shape learning, and shows how co-design fosters meaningful program improvement. Together, the papers demonstrate that student voice is both a method of inquiry and a mechanism for quality. The article is concluded by outlining an agenda for future research and practice that embeds student voice before, during, and after WIL.
This qualitative case study, prompted by design assumptions in a work-integrated learning (WIL) capstone course, sought to examine and leverage student voice for learning design beyond traditional means of course surveys and instructor perceptions of quality in evidence of learning. While previous iterations of a capstone WIL course incorporated student feedback during and after the WIL experience, this study sought to proactively understand third-year students' perspectives and expectations prior to their enrollment decision between practicum or capstone. This study offers insights involving the student perceptions around practicum (paid) and capstone (unpaid) WIL experiences. The results of this study also offer insights into the student expectations of the role of student, instructor, institution, and industry partner in WIL experiences. By exploring student insights and raising student voice, we offer course design considerations for more informed decision-making and to enhance the quality of WIL experiences.
This paper reports on research that aims to better understand the lived experiences and potential opportunities for students in becoming agentic and responsible future professionals through centering their voices in workintegrated learning (WIL). In the context of a loss of trust and normalized misconduct in business and the perceived failure of business schools, we undertook qualitative research using a critical hermeneutics approach to data gathering, and analysis that seeks to create critical meaning making of multiple perspectives, experiences and voices. The paper contributes insights into preparing the future workforce to actively contribute to a more ethical, responsible and just future for all. Learning to be critically reflexive is central to preparing students for ethical practice (Cunliffe, 2016). These characteristics align with educating the deliberate professional (Trede & McEwen, 2016), serving to advance the conceptual framework proposed by Eady et al. (2025), and informing responsible management education.
This case study explores how student voice shapes perceptions of agency within a co-designed work-integrated learning (WIL) experience in a sport management program. Centred on collaborative planning and delivery of an authentic sport participation festival alongside elite events, the project placed students as active co-creators of their learning environment. Through semi-structured interviews and focus groups, students reported heightened confidence, stronger connections with peers and community partners, and a sense of ownership linking theory to practice. Merging co-creative pedagogies with work-integrated learning experiences through the elevation of student voice resulted in the creation of the Co-creative WIL planning matrix. The model is a practitioner-focused framework for embedding student-led co-design into WIL contexts. In doing so, it highlights the impact student perspectives have on authentic experiences, integrated curriculum, and reflective learning. By amplifying student voice in process and reflection, this research offers a guide for the implementation of student-led co-design in work-integrated learning across the UK, sport, and higher education sectors.
This paper aggregates the findings from five different studies that took place over a 15-year period and collected student voice data from liberal arts students who participated in one or more work-integrated learning (WIL) experience, not including co-operative education. The research was transdisciplinary and was not originally designed to exclusively explore WIL. However, the findings related to WIL align with the findings of current WIL research, and as a result, contribute additional evidence useful for defining and evaluating high-quality WIL. This paper also provides an example of an effective student voice research method that could be used to help WIL researchers gain a deeper understanding of the lived experience of WIL students. The paper concludes with ideas for future research and suggested opportunities for the WIL community to enhance its research dissemination through collaboration efforts.
The current study sought to better understand the experiences of Autistic students in work-integrated learning (WIL), identify barriers and facilitators to their successful engagement in these programs, and provide actionable recommendations for improving support. A participatory interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach was adopted, led by a team of Autistic and non-Autistic researchers. Five current and former Autistic co-op students from a Canadian university participated in a semi-structured interview, sharing their experiences in WIL. The findings highlight both the benefits of WIL and significant barriers to inclusion, including limited availability of postsecondary supports, a tendency to attribute difficulties to personal shortcomings, ambiguous workplace expectations, and communication breakdowns. Participants offered actionable recommendations for improving the accessibility and inclusivity of WIL for Autistic postsecondary students.
This study examines the long-term influence of an international work-integrated learning (WIL) program on Japanese university students' professional development. Four alumni of a national university corporation in Okayama, who participated in a cross-cultural internship with Canadian students, were interviewed 5-9 years after the experience. Data were analyzed using the modified grounded theory approach (M-GTA), resulting in 15 themes and four core categories related to students' motivations, learning outcomes, evolving career perspectives, and retrospective reflections. A process model was developed to illustrate how initial motivations led to direct learning outcomes, career consciousness shifts, and long-term impact, conceptualized as 'maturing learning.' The findings highlight the significance of intercultural interactions as a catalyst for deeper professional reflection. Although the small sample size limits generalizability, the study offers valuable insights into how WIL experiences can shape career trajectories over time and emphasizes the importance of student perspectives in understanding the full impact of international WIL programs.
Work-integrated learning (WIL) is essential for students' academic, career, and personal development. In Canada, engineering programs have long incorporated WIL through capstone projects, research initiatives, co-operative education, and internships. Despite these opportunities, Black students remain underrepresented in engineering, and their voices are rarely included in discussions about WIL. This study explores the experiences of Black engineering students in WIL across Canada. Using a conceptual framework incorporating CEWIL Canada and other global WIL types, social cognitive career theory, critical race theory, and intersectionality, interviews were conducted with 17 Black engineering graduates from diverse backgrounds. Findings revealed challenges included systemic barriers, such as lack of access to internships for international students, microaggressions including negative research project experiences, as well as engineering identity formation, for example, capstone projects providing opportunities for autonomy and cultural expression. This study offers insights to help educators and administrators create more inclusive WIL experiences for Black engineering students in Canada.
Work-integrated learning (WIL) is considered a valuable addition to doctoral education. However, there is currently no model for designing and implementing quality WIL at the doctoral level, and models of quality WIL at other levels overlook the unique requirements of doctoral-level WIL. This research aims to develop a new model for quality WIL at the PhD level. The research centers PhD student voices through 16 qualitative interviews, analyzed using grounded theory, complemented by a review of existing quality models and lessons learned from PhD WIL literature. The analyses result in the CO-LIRN model which endeavors to align WIL with the aims and objectives of doctoral education. The model consists of co-creation, orientated, learning, impact, relevance, and networking. CO-LIRN addresses a key gap in understanding, developing, administering, and assessing quality WIL for PhD students.
The underrepresentation of male teachers in the Foundation Phase (Grades R-3) challenges educational equity, particularly in community schools lacking relatable role models. This qualitative phenomenological study in the Western Cape explores the lived experiences and motivations of male pre-service Foundation Phase teachers at a University of Technology. Employing traditional and critical phenomenology, the research examined how personal motivations intersect with socio-cultural constraints. Data collection involved 22 survey respondents, 15 focus group participants, and 10 individuals interviewed one-on-one. Key themes included family influence, cultural representation, and the desire to serve as male mentors. Participants reported societal suspicion, limited emotional expression, and gendered isolation but found affirmation through learner engagement, mentorship, and recognition as role models. Findings highlight the transformative potential of increasing male teacher representation in early education and advocate for more inclusive initial teacher education that challenges normative gender discourses and supports equitable learning environments.
This study examines the impact of work-integrated learning (WIL) on first-generation student identities, challenging existing research that primarily focuses on professional identity transitions. While WIL generally benefits students, these benefits are unevenly distributed among equity-deserving groups, including firstgeneration students. Using an interactional sociolinguistic approach, we analyze how one first-generation student narrates and negotiates her identities in relation to vocational inheritance and WIL experiences. Unlike traditional WIL research that relies on thematic analysis, our methodology examines the specific linguistic resources students employ to construct identities in conversation and negotiate their own agency. The findings demonstrate the importance of allowing students to define relevant identities when reflecting on WIL experiences, rather than imposing institutionally determined categories. By attending to students' nuanced navigation of difference and challenge in educational and work settings, we propose a more inclusive reflective framework for all students engaged in WIL.
This study explores student-informed solutions to the barriers faced by students from equity-deserving groups (EDGs) in a co-operative education (co-op) program. Utilizing qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with 32 students and guided by a students-as-co-contributors framework, the study identifies strategies to tackle key challenges related to information access, discrimination and harassment, accommodations, and inclusive workplace practices. Participants proposed actionable recommendations for both co-op administrators and employers, including improving institutional communication and access to information, streamlining reporting processes, expanding student support mechanisms, aligning academic and co-op schedules to alleviate stress, and providing additional training and capacity building for employers to foster more inclusive policies and practices. The findings emphasize the importance of sustained collaboration among students, post-secondary institutions, and employers to advance equity goals in work-integrated learning (WIL). This study contributes to the expanding literature on student-centered approaches in WIL, offering practical, evidence-based strategies to ensure that WIL programs are equitable, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of all students.
Student-mothers are in tertiary education and undertaking work-integrated learning (WIL) but they are not seen or heard. This article presents the findings from the analysis of thirteen qualitative structured interviews with student-mothers in nursing and teaching degrees at a regional Australian University. The rising presence of student-mothers in higher education is reshaping our understanding of equity and inclusion. A thematic analysis of interviews derived three themes of navigating placement preparation, experiencing placement realities and processing placement outcomes. Further consideration is required to explore how to identify student-mothers before and during WIL, how to provide support that meets their needs and create more personalized reflection and placement feedback while ensuring the quality and benefits of WIL prevail. Overall, this paper illuminates the voice of student-mothers in work-integrated-learning, provides a student-voice on quality and reinforces the need for equity and inclusion in WIL.
The healthcare workforce in New Zealand faces critical shortages, exacerbated by high attrition rates in training programs requiring extensive clinical placements. With a focus on elevating the voice of nursing, midwifery, and mental health students undertaking degree qualifications, this paper explores the compounding stressors of unpaid placements. Findings highlight systemic inequities, including financial hardship, excessive workloads, and challenging power dynamics, which affect student skill development during placements, wellbeing, program completion, and transition to the workforce. The lack of remuneration for healthcare training, despite paid training in several male-dominated professions, reinforces gendered inequities and devalues healthcare professions. Recommendations include the introduction of a universal stipend for students in programs with compulsory placements and improved placement regulations. Addressing the challenges associated with unpaid placements is essential to address current inequities and ensuring sustainable workforce development.
Employability is now a key graduate attribute driving the design of curriculum in Australian universities. The value of embedding authentic assessment and work-integrated learning in programs to promote employability as a learning outcome is now recognized. This action research case study presents final year communications students' perspectives of their learning experience and outcomes after working with nonprofit clients in the Communication and Media Clinic, a pilot program developed with the aim of enhancing students' learning experience and outcomes by embedding authentic learning activities and assessment in courses in the Communication and Media program at the University of South Australia. Semi-structured interviews and reflections revealed that working with real clients in the clinic was engaging and enhanced employability. Students would like more WIL across all levels in their program. This article presents the challenges and actions in gathering and responding to the students' voice to codesign the Communication and Media Clinic.
