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PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCES OF WORK PLACEMENTS

PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCES OF WORK PLACEMENTS. Jacqui Akhurst and Fiona Paton, York St John University College. Project partially funded by Higher Education Academy Employability funding. Outline Background to the study Survey of differing practices

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PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCES OF WORK PLACEMENTS

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  1. PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCES OF WORK PLACEMENTS Jacqui Akhurst and Fiona Paton, York St John University College Project partially funded by Higher Education Academy Employability funding

  2. Outline • Background to the study • Survey of differing practices • Students’ experiences of year-long placements • Comparison of findings to those from CEBE • Potential future directions

  3. Background to the study • Graduate employability increasingly becoming a concern in HE • Generic work done in the LTSN, followed by a report in early 2005: • Need to explore more of the specifics of Work-based learning / work placements in psychology

  4. Early career learning at work and its implications for teachers of Higher Education A longitudinal study of the learning of Accountants, Engineers and Nurses at the start of their careers i.e. the transition from HE to employment Focus on the learning processes and activities related to the development of technical knowledge and generic skills Argues for Learning Trajectories as useful concept Highlights: the Performance Domain; the scope of Tacit Knowledge; and Transfer as a Learning Process. Eraut’s (2005) work …

  5. FACTORS AFFECTING LEARNING AT WORK (from Eraut, 2005) CONTEXT FACTORS Allocation and structuring of work Relationships at work Participation and expectations Challenge and value of the work Feedback and support LEARNING FACTORS Confidence and commitment

  6. Undertaken July 2004: telephonic interviews with 11 academics (4 x pre ’92 + 7 x post ’92 HEI’s) Varied levels of linking with Careers Services & other units Support from colleagues in couns & OP Building it back into UG curriculum not popular in some depts (e.g. size of UG groups & RAE pressures) Students’ needs: Part-time working Narrow view of psych Volunteering Increase awareness of skill development See applications of psych Survey of differing practices • Staff challenges / solutions: • Finding placements • Students & research projects • Integration into curriculum

  7. Different types of Work-related Learning From Hills, et al., 2004, p.40

  8. The project focused on 3 universities: - Aston, Bath & Surrey Information and data gathered through: - Interviews with placement tutors; - 3 individual interviews with Bath placement students; - 2 focus groups with final year students at Surrey & Aston. Students’ experiences of year-long placements

  9. Similarities: Aspects of preparation & support Length of placement Placement sites (students may compete) Mid-placement conference Certain assessments & grading Differences: Requirements (mandatory at Bath, norm at Surrey, optional at Aston) Supervision by Psychologist in practice Assignments & links with dissertation Student Experiences – Similarities & Differences

  10. Preparation & Feelings: Online searches, support from university. Students expressed fears about being able to cope. Roles: Research assistants in psychology-related projects (5), market research (2), human resources officer (1), prison (3), hospital setting (2). Adjustments: Expectations, deadlines, team dynamics, working independently. Challenges: Working alone, developing communication strategies, increasing confidence, time management, delivering reports & presentations, coping with workplace and team dynamics. Student Learning

  11. Key Learnings: Gaps between theory & practice, managing time, increasing confidence, teamwork. How Learning Occurred: actually doing it (example), communicating with others, drawing from previous learning & life experiences. Applying Learning to Future: better knowledge/clarification of career direction, job-seeking skills, contacts/networking. Students’ overall comments … Student Learning

  12. Differing terminology Levels of being ‘vocational’ Settings used & accessing placements Requirements for what students ‘should’ learn in WBL E.g. degree of specification from professional body, LO’s Assessment & students’ articulation of their learning Extent of involvement of ‘employer’ in assessing Whose responsibility? Mature students’ issues Influence of modularisation Comparison of findings to those from CEBE

  13. CONTEXT FACTORS Allocation and structuring of work Relationships at work Participation and expectations Challenge and value of the work Feedback and support LEARNING FACTORS Confidence and commitment Links to Eraut’s work …

  14. Investigation of different ways in which WRL is integrated into the curriculum The different models used in UG programmes and their comparative merits Methods of facilitating students’ reflection on their learning, and the making of links / transfer of learning … Potential future directions

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