An official website of the United States government
Internships are a form of experiential learning whereby students can apply and practice their skills in a professional setting while gaining career and life experience. This study explored internship experiences among students attending an Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the Southeastern region of the U.S. Using Grounded Theory, 18 students participated in in-person small group interviews at Time 1 and 11 participated in follow-up individual phone interviews 1 year later at Time 2. The grounded theory that emerged from the data depicts the process by which students engaged with, and made meaning from, the internship process. Participants are unique individuals with individual and contextual factors that impact the values and beliefs they bring to the internship process. The internship application process is complex, and support from important others, limitations to internship opportunities, and financial considerations impact students’ experiences. These experiences shape perceptions regarding the value of internships, which informs students’ future projections. In combination, the internship process is a process that unfolds over time and in which students’ experiences mutually influence and inform one another. Implications for internship employers and higher education institutions, applications to career theory, and future directions for research are discussed.
more »
« less
A Multilevel, Agent-Centered Analysis of Intersectionality in a Hispanic-Serving Institution: The Case of College Internship Access for Latinx Students
Internships are widely viewed as “door openers” to opportunity, yet students without ample financial, social, and institutional supports are often excluded from these experiences. This exclusion is especially problematic for Latinx students attending Hispanic-Serving Institutions, for whom an internship could be transformative. In this article, we elaborate upon Núñez’s (2014) multilevel model of intersectionality to highlight how agents’ perceptions, social categories, embodied practices, and broader contextual forces interrelate to shape Latinx students’ access to internship opportunities at a university in the border region of Texas. Using inductive thematic, correlational, and social-network analysis techniques to analyze survey (n = 192) and focus group (n = 12) data, we find that gender, academic major, socioeconomic status, and race intersect with organizational (e.g., insufficient information) and contextual (e.g., labor markets) factors to shape students’ access and perceptions. We provide recommendations for disrupting systemic inequalities in internship access and culturally appropriate programming and ideas for future research.
more »
« less
- Award ID(s):
- 1920560
- PAR ID:
- 10468483
- Publisher / Repository:
- AERA Open
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- AERA open
- ISSN:
- 2332-8584
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
Background: Internships for college students can enhance their grades, skills, and employment prospects, but finding and completing an internship sometimes requires considerable resources. Consequently, before postsecondary institutions consider mandating this high-impact practice, more evidence is needed regarding the various obstacles students face as they seek an internship. Focus of Study: The purpose of this study was to document the prevalence and nature of obstacles to securing a college internship and how these factors interact in the lives of particular students. Field theory is used to highlight the ways that structural inequalities and forms of capital serve to facilitate or constrain access to an internship experience. Population: The participants in this study included students attending five postsecondary institutions—three comprehensive universities, one historically Black college and university (HBCU), and one technical college in the U.S. states of Maryland, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. Research Design: This concurrent mixed-methods study included the collection of survey (n = 1,549) and focus group and interview (n = 100) data from students who self-selected into the study. Given that this is a descriptive study, the aim was to document student experiences with obstacles to internships using varied sources of data. Data Collection and Analysis: Data were collected via an online survey (with a 26% response rate) and in-person focus groups or interviews at each campus. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis, social network analysis, and logistic regression techniques and interpreted in ways that highlight the situated and critical role of capital and structure in shaping opportunity and behavior. Findings: Among the 1,060 (69%) survey respondents who reported not having had an internship, 638 indicated that they had in fact wanted to pursue an internship but could not because of the need to work, a heavy course load, insufficient positions, and inadequate pay. The role of financial, social, and cultural capital also impacted students differentially depending on their majors, socioeconomic status, race, and geographic location, highlighting how context and enduring systemic forces—and not solely the possession of capital(s)—intersect to shape students’ abilities to pursue an internship. Conclusion: Internships are not universally accessible to all college students and instead favor students who have access to financial, social, and cultural capital while also being positioned in particular majors, geographic locations, and institutions. Before actively promoting internships for their students, colleges and universities should secure funding to support student pay and relocation costs, identify alternative forms of experiential learning for working students, and engage employers in creating more in-person and online positions for students across the disciplines.more » « less
-
null (Ed.)Increasingly companies assess a computing candidate's capabilities using technical interviews (TIs). Yet students struggle to code on demand, and there is already an insufficient amount of computing graduates to meet industry needs. Therefore, it is important to understand students' perceptions of TIs, and other professional experiences (e.g., computing jobs). We surveyed 740 undergraduate computing students at three universities to examine their experiences with the hiring process, as well as the impact of professional and cultural experiences (e.g., familial support) on computing identity. We considered the interactions between these experiences and social identity for groups underrepresented in computing - women, Black/African American, and Hispanic/Latinx students. Among other findings, we observed that students that did not have positive experiences with TIs had a reduced computing identity, but that facing discrimination during technical interviews had the opposite effect. Social support may play a role. Having friends in computing bolsters computing identity for Hispanic/Latinx students, as does a supportive home environment for women. Also, freelance computing jobs increase computing identity for Black/African American students. Our findings are intended to raise awareness of the best way for educators to help diverse groups of students to succeed, and to inform them of the experiences that may influence students' engagement, resilience, and computing identity development.more » « less
-
null (Ed.)Increasingly companies assess a computing candidate's capabilities using technical interviews (TIs). Yet students struggle to code on demand, and there is already an insufficient amount of computing graduates to meet industry needs. Therefore, it is important to understand students' perceptions of TIs, and other professional experiences (e.g., computing jobs). We surveyed 740 undergraduate computing students at three universities to examine their experiences with the hiring process, as well as the impact of professional and cultural experiences (e.g., familial support) on computing identity. We considered the interactions between these experiences and social identity for groups underrepresented in computing - women, Black/African American, and Hispanic/Latinx students. Among other findings, we observed that students that did not have positive experiences with TIs had a reduced computing identity, but that facing discrimination during technical interviews had the opposite effect. Social support may play a role. Having friends in computing bolsters computing identity for Hispanic/Latinx students, as does a supportive home environment for women. Also, freelance computing jobs increase computing identity for Black/African American students. Our findings are intended to raise awareness of the best way for educators to help diverse groups of students to succeed, and to inform them of the experiences that may influence students' engagement, resilience, and computing identity development.more » « less
-
null (Ed.)Increasingly companies assess a computing candidate’s capabilities using technical interviews (TIs). Yet students struggle to code on demand, and there is already an insufficient amount of computing graduates to meet industry needs. Therefore, it is important to understand students’ perceptions of TIs, and other professional experiences (e.g., computing jobs). We surveyed 740 undergraduate computing students at three universities to examine their experiences with the hiring process, as well as the impact of professional and cultural experiences (e.g., familial support) on computing identity. We considered the interactions between these experiences and social identity for groups underrepresented in computing —women, Black/African American, and Hispanic/Latinx students. Among other findings, we observed that students that did not have positive experiences with TIs had a reduced computing identity, but that facing discrimination during technical interviews had the opposite effect. Social support may play a role. Having friends in computing bolsters computing identity for Hispanic/Latinx students, as does a supportive home environment for women. Also, freelance computing jobs increase computing identity for Black/African American students. Our findings are intended to raise awareness of the best way for educators to help diverse groups of students to succeed, and to inform them of the experiences that may influence students’ engagement, resilience, and computing identity development.more » « less
- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
-
Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- The DOI is not currently available.
