title: Learning through cooperative education work placements in science and technology

authors: Eames, Chris W.

abstract: Cooperative education (co-op) is a strategy of education that includes a requirement for successful completion of both formal classwork and work placements to gain a qualification. The work placements immerse the student in relevant productive work, and are seen as an integral part of the educational programme.

Although there is anecdotal and research data in the literature about the success of co-op programmes, little theorising and research about learning in placements has been published which could help practitioners legitimise their co-op placements as educational, and enhance development of appropriate pedagogy and curricula for co-op programmes. Sociocultural views of learning, that depict learning as a mediated, situated and participatory activity within a socially and culturally determined community of practice, were proposed to address these concerns.

This study addressed the lack of theoretical understanding of co-op by investigating, through a sociocultural view of learning lens, what and how a cohort of co-op students learnt through undertaking work placements in science and technology. An interpretive methodology was adopted to probe the students’ experiences within the placements they carried out as part of their BSc(Tech) degree programmes at the University of Waikato.

This study found that student learning in co-op work placements can be viewed as a socially mediated, situated and participatory activity. Most learning was achieved by working alongside a practising professional, engaged in authentic activities, as the students gained legitimate access to a new community of practice and became enculturated into ways of thinking and acting as a member of that community. The students learnt through social interactions, and the use of the language and other tools of the community. 

The students learnt about the practice of science and technology through their participation in science and technology workplaces. They came to understand the nature of the workplace enterprise, and developed specific skills and knowledge that allowed them to feel part of their community. 

This study has found that student learning in co-op placements can be seen as complementary to university classroom learning. Students felt they could integrate their learning between the two settings when they could apply discrete skills or knowledge from one to the other. Yet, for some students who could see little integration between their placement learning and that of the university classroom, learning in each setting may still complement the other to provide a valuable education. The students noted different learning and assessment modes between the two environments, indicating that they would benefit from a pedagogical and curriculum design in their co-op programme that would help ease the transition between the two. 

From a sociocultural perspective, these co-op students can be seen as learning within two distinct socially and culturally-determined communities of practice, the university and the workplace. How they are able to make connections between these communities, with the help of the co-op placement coordinator, will determine how they make the transition between student to science and technology practitioner.

text: Learning through cooperative education work placements in science and technology Cooperative education (co-op) is a strategy of education that includes a requirement for successful completion of both formal classwork and work placements to gain a qualification. The work placements immerse the student in relevant productive work, and are seen as an integral part of the educational programme.

Although there is anecdotal and research data in the literature about the success of co-op programmes, little theorising and research about learning in placements has been published which could help practitioners legitimise their co-op placements as educational, and enhance development of appropriate pedagogy and curricula for co-op programmes. Sociocultural views of learning, that depict learning as a mediated, situated and participatory activity within a socially and culturally determined community of practice, were proposed to address these concerns.

This study addressed the lack of theoretical understanding of co-op by investigating, through a sociocultural view of learning lens, what and how a cohort of co-op students learnt through undertaking work placements in science and technology. An interpretive methodology was adopted to probe the students’ experiences within the placements they carried out as part of their BSc(Tech) degree programmes at the University of Waikato.

This study found that student learning in co-op work placements can be viewed as a socially mediated, situated and participatory activity. Most learning was achieved by working alongside a practising professional, engaged in authentic activities, as the students gained legitimate access to a new community of practice and became enculturated into ways of thinking and acting as a member of that community. The students learnt through social interactions, and the use of the language and other tools of the community. 

The students learnt about the practice of science and technology through their participation in science and technology workplaces. They came to understand the nature of the workplace enterprise, and developed specific skills and knowledge that allowed them to feel part of their community. 

This study has found that student learning in co-op placements can be seen as complementary to university classroom learning. Students felt they could integrate their learning between the two settings when they could apply discrete skills or knowledge from one to the other. Yet, for some students who could see little integration between their placement learning and that of the university classroom, learning in each setting may still complement the other to provide a valuable education. The students noted different learning and assessment modes between the two environments, indicating that they would benefit from a pedagogical and curriculum design in their co-op programme that would help ease the transition between the two. 

From a sociocultural perspective, these co-op students can be seen as learning within two distinct socially and culturally-determined communities of practice, the university and the workplace. How they are able to make connections between these communities, with the help of the co-op placement coordinator, will determine how they make the transition between student to science and technology practitioner.

year: 2003

title: How does culture impact on women's leadership in higher education? A case study in Vietnam

authors: Le, Ngan Thi Thuy

subjects: women

abstract: Whilst the subject of women and educational leadership is well documented internationally, research in this field is rare in Vietnam. This scarcity consolidates the commonly held belief that equity has been achieved in this country which masks the persistence of gender discrimination and social injustice. Drawing on the experiences of six women leaders, this study explored how culture shaped the way women led as well as their beliefs and perceptions about leadership in higher education in Vietnam. This qualitative research was conducted within a phenomenological theoretical framework which is concerned with people’s lived experience. Five out of six women leaders were Heads of Departments or Divisions at a technical university. They were personally interviewed in depth and the data gathered was analyzed using a thematic approach. The findings indicated that both the indigenous and organisational culture substantially influenced the female participants’ exercising of leadership and consequently contributed to the poor representation of women in senior positions. The women encountered more challenges in filling their roles when they were younger. Age appeared to be a very important factor in the practice of leadership in Vietnam. The women in this study were overwhelmed with huge workloads and domestic duties. The merit awards they strove for assigned them more responsibilities and made it harder for them to balance their work and other areas of life. In spite of these difficulties, the women could be proud of their leadership because of the democratic and transformational leadership styles they embraced. Traditional gender roles and socio-cultural norms together with the selection process and stereotypical tasks lowered the women’s self-confidence and career aspirations. This study indicates that to promote women’s progress and their representation in leadership positions, cultural change is necessary. This process will require the efforts and cooperation of many authorities, organisations and policy makers.

text: How does culture impact on women's leadership in higher education? A case study in Vietnam Whilst the subject of women and educational leadership is well documented internationally, research in this field is rare in Vietnam. This scarcity consolidates the commonly held belief that equity has been achieved in this country which masks the persistence of gender discrimination and social injustice. Drawing on the experiences of six women leaders, this study explored how culture shaped the way women led as well as their beliefs and perceptions about leadership in higher education in Vietnam. This qualitative research was conducted within a phenomenological theoretical framework which is concerned with people’s lived experience. Five out of six women leaders were Heads of Departments or Divisions at a technical university. They were personally interviewed in depth and the data gathered was analyzed using a thematic approach. The findings indicated that both the indigenous and organisational culture substantially influenced the female participants’ exercising of leadership and consequently contributed to the poor representation of women in senior positions. The women encountered more challenges in filling their roles when they were younger. Age appeared to be a very important factor in the practice of leadership in Vietnam. The women in this study were overwhelmed with huge workloads and domestic duties. The merit awards they strove for assigned them more responsibilities and made it harder for them to balance their work and other areas of life. In spite of these difficulties, the women could be proud of their leadership because of the democratic and transformational leadership styles they embraced. Traditional gender roles and socio-cultural norms together with the selection process and stereotypical tasks lowered the women’s self-confidence and career aspirations. This study indicates that to promote women’s progress and their representation in leadership positions, cultural change is necessary. This process will require the efforts and cooperation of many authorities, organisations and policy makers.

year: 2011

title: Consequences of cultural satisfaction at work: A study of New Zealand Māori

authors: Haar, Jarrod M.

subjects: cultural satisfaction at work

abstract: To expand our understanding of indigenous workers and the importance of indigenous culture in the workplace, we tested the outcomes of cultural satisfaction at work using structural equation modelling with a sample of 174 Māori employees. We show that, consistent with social exchange theory, Māori who are more satisfied with the level of understanding of their cultural values in the workplace report better job outcomes. Cultural satisfaction at work directly predicted loyalty and organisational citizenship behaviours (OCBs). Furthermore, direct-effects and mediation models were tested, showing that loyalty fully mediated the influence of cultural satisfaction at work on OCBs. The implications for HRM are that indigenous workers who are more satisfied with the way their cultural beliefs are valued in the workplace are likely to be more loyal and may be superior performance. The findings highlight the importance for employers of having regard to the culture of their indigenous workers.

text: Consequences of cultural satisfaction at work: A study of New Zealand Māori To expand our understanding of indigenous workers and the importance of indigenous culture in the workplace, we tested the outcomes of cultural satisfaction at work using structural equation modelling with a sample of 174 Māori employees. We show that, consistent with social exchange theory, Māori who are more satisfied with the level of understanding of their cultural values in the workplace report better job outcomes. Cultural satisfaction at work directly predicted loyalty and organisational citizenship behaviours (OCBs). Furthermore, direct-effects and mediation models were tested, showing that loyalty fully mediated the influence of cultural satisfaction at work on OCBs. The implications for HRM are that indigenous workers who are more satisfied with the way their cultural beliefs are valued in the workplace are likely to be more loyal and may be superior performance. The findings highlight the importance for employers of having regard to the culture of their indigenous workers.

year: 2011