A Mixed Methods Approach to Understanding How Cooperative Education Impacts Students Studying Entrepreneurship
Authors:   , Gallo Kristen , Adams Jennifer 
Published: February 2023

Institutions of higher education currently face serious challenges, including high costs for learners, demand for return on investment from students, and expectations from employers to produce work-ready graduates. Skills desired by employers are shifting as technology advances, putting further pressure on colleges and universities to adapt and meet these challenges. Experiential learning and new academic programs could offer students the opportunity to build in-demand skills and enhance their marketability post-graduation. Students should also have equal access to programs that provide these benefits. This mixed-methods study examined entrepreneurship students participating in a cooperative education program (co-op) at one private research university to understand the population, co-op process outcomes, and factors contributing to professional development during college. Secondary data about entrepreneurship student demographics and co-op process outcomes from the study site were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, one-way ANOVAs, and chi-square testing. Semi-structured interviews with graduates of the entrepreneurship degree program who participated in cooperative education were conducted, transcribed, and coded. The results of this study showed little diversity in the population of entrepreneurship students, but varied co-op process outcomes based on student demographic characteristics. Most students were male U.S. citizens enrolled in the 5-year/3 co-op program, with some variation in GPA among students. Unpaid co-op status analysis showed that female students, non-citizen students, and students securing employment in later recruiting rounds were statistically significantly more likely to hold unpaid co-op positions. Co-op salary statistically significantly differed based on time to employment. Additionally, descriptive statistics showed meaningful differences in co-op salary, unpaid co-op status, and time to employment based on student sex, citizenship, GPA, and co-op experience level. Interviews with graduates of the entrepreneurship program who had participated in cooperative education revealed factors influential to their professional development during college. Academic preparation helped students build transferrable knowledge and skills, though, at times, the entrepreneurship graduates viewed their major as a detriment to professional growth. Experiential learning, primarily cooperative education but also co-curricular and outside work experiences, positively impacted graduates' career development. Finally, graduates identified relationships critical to their development and a feeling of community among their peers. It is advised that the entrepreneurship program work to enhance access to beneficial aspects of the program among underrepresented groups and enhance course offerings to support students further. Further, the cooperative education program should seek to examine inequities in co-op process outcomes and implement practices to eliminate barriers for students. Further research into co-op process outcomes based on factors like race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity, along with comparisons between entrepreneurship students and students in other disciplines, is also recommended.