Coop Ed Paper

AGENCY SUPERVISORS' AND STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF

QUALITY LEARNING INDICATORS FOR CO-OP/INTERNSHIP SITES

Richard L. Wiseman

Department of Speech Communication

California State University, Fullerton

Fullerton, CA 92834

(657) 278-3902

rwiseman@exchange.fullerton.edu

and

Norman Page

Department of Speech Communication

California State University, Fullerton

Fullerton, CA 92834

(657) 278-3571

npage@exchange.fullerton.edu

Paper presented to the joint meeting of the California Cooperative Education Association and the California Placement Association, Costa Mesa, California, April 1999. To be published in the Journal of Cooperative Education.

The cooperative education literature offers an array of direct and indirect advice on quality site practices. This advice is both diverse and occasionally contradictory. For this study a 60-item questionnaire sought opinions on site learning quality from both agency supervisors and past co-op/internship students. Using factor analysis, five quality indicators were isolated from agency supervisors and five were isolated from students. These items were compared with those of school coordinators from a prior study (authors, 2000). Both similarities and differences were discerned in the dimensions of quality learning distinguished by agency supervisors, student interns, and school coordinators of coops/internships. The results of the study provide a set of quality learning guidelines that should prove useful in enhancing coop/internship experiences for all three cohorts.

This study surveyed both past co-op/internship students and current and past co-op site supervisors for their perceptions of quality indicators at internship/co-op sites. It is a sequel to our prior study (authors, 2000) that examined school coordinators' perceptions of site learning quality. The purpose of the present study is to compare school coordinators' perceptions of quality learning from internships with those of student interns and site supervisors. The findings of the past and present studies should generate a set of nationally based criteria for judging the quality of site learning experiences for students. These criteria should assist in the selection and implementation of internships that provide optimal learning for students, benefits for sponsoring sites, and collaborative learning opportunities for schools and businesses.

The present study will begin by examining the literature on agency supervisors' and students' perceptions quality internships with brief mention of school coordinators' perceptions from a the prior study. We will then statistically compare these perceptions for the purpose of tailoring internships to meet the expectations of these three groups. We will conclude by formulating sets of criteria for quality internships that will assist in optimizing quality experiences for the benefit of all three groups integrally involved in developing and providing internships.

Surveys of agency supervisors normally probe for benefits to them and their organizations rather than contributions they make to student learning for students (Erlich, 1978; Hurd & Hendy, 1997; Laycock et al., 1992). Occasionally, however, the literature reflects on contributions of site personnel vis-a-vis student learning. Seven survey studies were isolated whose findings appear to cluster into four categories: sharing of information, role modeling, student productivity, and professionalism.

Agency supervisors link quality to sharing of information with school representatives; that is, the co-op experience is enhanced when site personnel know what the school expects of the students; they also desire guidance from schools in identifying helpful projects (Owens & Owens, 1982). In their study of both students and employers, Laycock et al. (1992) found support for the hypothesis that co-op quality is positively related to a realistic job preview.

Agency supervisors should serve as role models of professional behavior. Laycock et al. (1992) found that co-op quality is correlated to positive perceptions of supervisors. Supervisors expect to help students and share their professional expertise with them (Elrich, 1978; Laycock et al., 1992; Wiseman & Page, 1983). To facilitate role modeling, site personnel feel students should follow instructions and act responsive to their suggestions (Elrich, 1978; Neal, 1983; Wiseman & Page, 1983).

When asked for indicators of a quality learning experience, site personnel indicated student productivity to be central (Laycock et al., 1992; Wiseman & Page, 1983). Apostolidies and Looye (1997a), who surveyed employers of co-op students in urban planning, found that they expect students to be high in both quantity and quality of work. Students should be exposed to a variety of site learning experiences (Owens & Owens, 1982; Page et al., 1982) and provided with adequate resources to do their work (Wiseman & Page, 1983).

Site personnel expect students to learn and exhibit qualities of professionalism by adapting to the professional culture of the organization. Site supervisors look for students to show initiative (Owens & Owens, 1982) and work independently (Cross, 1975; Page et al., 1982). Neal (1983), who surveyed 330 co-op employers, found that students are expected to arrive for work and appointments on time and perform their responsibilities thoroughly. On the bases of these research studies, we can conclude that site supervisors of co-ops/internships anticipate that students will be productive, responsible, and independent. This makes perfect sense: if site supervisors had to spend an undue amount of time monitoring and training students, it would detract from their ability to do their own work.

What we know about students' perceptions of their internships/co-ops is usually revealed through surveys of past student interns. A review of literature based on student surveys revealed seven aspects of site learning quality: career clarity, student professionalism, a sense of belonging, effective supervision, student productivity, learning, and development of useful skills.

Students have indicated their co-op/internship experiences help them gain career clarity. Co-op experiences help students gain clarity in their career expectations and feel better prepared to enter a profession (Coll, Eames, & Halsey, 1997; Page, Wiseman, & Crary, 1982). In fact, Page et al. (1982), who surveyed 220 students just finishing their internships, found that clarity seems to be enhanced when site personnel explicitly discuss career options with students. Students also perceive that their co-op experiences help them gain a competitive edge in the job market (Cannon & Arnold, 1998; Downs, 1976) and help reduce "reality shock" of starting a first permanent job (Hall, Stiles, & Kuzma, 1995).

Students perceived their co-op experiences as opportunities to develop their professionalism. They associate quality experiences with being granted credibility and treated as regular professional employ8ees by site personnel (Apostolides & Looye, 1997b; Hall et al., 1995; Page, 1997). Students expect to experience the pressures of professional life (Apostolides & Looye, 1997b; Page, 1997), use their critical thinking skills and voice their own opinions (Apostolides & Looye, 1997b). Mueller (1992), who studied 20 students in their first co-op experience, found them wanting to work independently and to learn how to apply resources, and Hall et al. (1995), who surveyed 173 business students (most with internship experience), found they see internships as facilitating good work habits. Hall et al. (1995) also found that students expect to conform to the same norms of behavior and attire as expected of regular employees.

Co-op students desire to belong to a network of professionals. They want to extend their social learning (Cutt & Loken, 1995) by communicating in teams (Coll et al., 1997) and functioning in meetings and social situations (Van Gyn, Cutt, Loken, & Ricks, 1997). According to Apostolides and Looye (1997b), who surveyed architectural students, co-ops want to be exposed to clients and important professionals in the field. In their study of 1,103 high school students enrolled in an experience based career education program across 16 states, Owens and Owens (1982) found satisfaction with the co-op experience to increase with the number of interpersonal relationships the students establish.

Effective supervision is seen as an aspect of quality site experiences. Students perceive higher quality site learning when they experience positive relationships with their supervisors (Downs, 1976; Hall et al., 1995; Owens & Owens, 1982). Supervisors are expected to serve as a role models of professional behavior, remain open to ideas, share their professional time with students (Apostolides & Looye, 1997b), and provide training (Hall et al., 1995; Page et al., 1982). Students appreciate praise for their hard work and for the support from site personnel (Apostolides & Looye, 1997b; Coll et al., 1997; Owens & Owens, 1982).

Students are concerned about being productive at their sites (Laycock, Hermon, & Laetz, 1992; Page et al., 1982). This productivity can take such forms as working independently on projects, working in teams, and taking responsibility for specific tasks (Apostolides & Looye, 1997b). Page et al. (1982) found interns who are productively involved tend to develop an enhanced sense of professional identity.

Students view co-ops as valuable learning experiences that supplement their course work (Downs, Harper, & Hunt, 1976; Hall et al., 1995). This can involve learning from performing duties and through explicit instruction (Page et al., 1982). They relate quality learning with challenging work, adapting to new situations, and participating in a variety of tasks (Apostolides & Looye, 1997b; Coll et al., 1997; Hall et al., 1995; Owens & Owens, 1982). Students desire to apply the knowledge and special skills learned in the classroom (Apostolides & Looye, 1997b; Laycock et al., 1992; Stern, Stone, Hopkins, McMillion, & Cagampang, 1992). They report that their co-op experiences provide them with information about their studies making their school work more interesting and meaningful (Coll et al., 1997; Stern et al., 1992). Students are satisfied when their co-op work relates to their studies (Page, 1983; Stern et al., 1992).

Students want to learn skills that will be useful in their professional lives (Laycock et al., 1992; Owens & Owens, 1982; Stern et al., 1992). Hall et al. (1995) found high agreement on the statement, "internships help students identify job related abilities, interests, and values." Time management, oral and written communication (Apostolides & Looye, 1997b; Coll et al., 1997), and applied problem solving (Van Gyn et al., 1996) are mentioned explicitly. Page et al. (1982) reported that students find job pressure helpful in building confidence in their abilities (Page et al., 1982).

In summary, student inters perceived quality learning as opportunities to grow professionally. This growth may be in the form of enhanced networking, greater skill training, and better familiarity with the job market. Further, in the minds of the students, the growth is facilitated by working with site personnel--not merely autonomously or independently from the site personnel. This may result in a natural dialectic with the site supervisors' expectations, i.e., the site supervisor may desire greater independence whereas the co-op student may prefer greater interdependence. The university coordinator would do well to help this two parties negotiate this possible antagonistic dialectic.

Authors (2000) generated a 60-item questionnaire probing school coordinators/directors regarding their perceptions of site learning quality. Through factor analysis, they isolated five characteristics of quality site learning: professional development, professionalism, thinking and communication skills, challenging experiences, and demeanor of pride and competence.

From the literature surveyed, professionalism overlaps all cohort groups. Students expect to be treated professionally; to be taken seriously and treated like other professional employees, to participate in real work, to experience the pressures of professional life, to express their opinions, and to be granted credibility. Site personnel expect students to act professional, to be responsible, to show initiative, and to work effectively with others. School coordinators expect students to learn the norms of professional life, to be punctual, diligent, dependable, and to show initiative.

Both students and site personnel expect co-ops to be involved productively at their sites (Page et al., 1982). Students want to work productively and responsibly on their projects. Site personnel expect to assign a variety of tasks, and for students to be helpful to the organization. To accomplish these goals, sites should be willing to provide co-ops with the resources and challenges needed for students to be productive in the organization and in their own pursuits.

RQ2: What are the perceptions of site supervisors regarding quality of site learning?

RQ4: What are the perceptions of past co-op/internship students regarding quality of site learning?

RQ5: How can the findings of all cohort groups be combined to establish a set of

As noted in the Authors (2000) study, a total of 1080 survey questionnaires were sent nationally to school co-op/internship coordinators. The survey sample was the membership of two cooperative education associations having representatives from the United States, Canada, and the territory of Guam. A total of 383 completed and returned the survey generating a return rate of 35.4%. Nearly three-fourths (74.7%) of the participants had four or more years of experience in their respective co-op/internship programs

In the present study, 97 past interns participated. In terms of the organizations hosting them as interns, 47.3% were profit-motivated organizations, 14.0% were nonprofit organizations, and 38.7% were academic institutions. They participants came from academic internships throughout the United States. Finally, over half (55.7%) of the participants had one year or less internship experience while 29.8% had between involved between one and two years.

Further, a total of 164 site supervisors of internships participated in the study. In terms of the participants' organizations, 58.5% of the participants were from profit-motivated organizations, 36.0% were from nonprofit organizations, and 5.5% were from academic institutions. Further, the participants supervised academic internships throughout the United States. Finally, over half (50.6%) of the participants had over two years of experience working with internship programs.

As discussed by Authors (2000), the 60-item questionnaire was based on a literature review, along with input from four focus groups consisting of 24 co-op professionals at a cooperative education workshop. As can be seen in Table 1, the sixty items focused on specific aspects of the internship experience, for example, "site personnel should provide students with career advice" or "interns should ask informed questions." To facilitate completion of questionnaire, the items were clustered into three parts: how students should be treated while on site, what site personnel should do, and what students should do. It was felt that clustering these items would help focus the items as well as increase the ease by which the questionnaire would be completed. The respondents were asked to rate the items by generalizing across their professional co-op/internship experiences. To evaluate the items, each was assigned a 7-point scale ranging from “somewhat important” to “extremely important.”

Table 1 presents a breakdown of the three samples' mean agreements with each of the sixty internship quality items. Overall, the five items obtaining the greatest levels of agreement were: co-op students should be diligent and dependable (mean = 6.74), co-op student should demonstrate an ability to learn and perform abilities (6.55), co-op student should be receptive to constructive criticism from site personnel (6.49), site personnel should serve as role models of professional behavior (6.32), and co-op student should actively seek opportunities to contribute (6.29). Overall, the five items receiving the least agreement were: co-op student should be provided a personalized work space (4.45), co-op student should be exposed to "office politics" (4.54), co-op student should identify themselves as co-ops/interns in dealings with others (4.79), and co-op student should be given major responsibilities for projects (4.87).

In terms of the differences among the samples in their perceptions of quality learning, significant differences (p < .001) were found on 22 items. As noted in Table 1, School coordinators indicated significantly more agreement with the following items: (a) site personnel should provide students with written performance feedback, (b) co-op students should be compensated monetarily, (c) co-op students should view themselves as ambassadors for their schools, (d) co-op students should maintain contact with their school coordinator, (e) co-op students should apply their classroom learning to their work assignments, (f) co-op students should be exposed to "office politics," (g) co-op students should be assigned duties directly related to their fields of study, and (h) students should be invited to apply their classroom learning. Co-op students indicated significantly more agreement with the following items: (a) co-op students should express their appreciation for their co-op experiences, (b) co-op students should seek opportunities to network, (c) co-op students should be receptive to constructive criticism from site personnel, (d) co-op students should work at developing professional relationships, (e) site personnel should write letters of recommendation for deserving students, and (f) co-op students should actively seek opportunities to contribute.

Research question one (RQ1) asked how school coordinators' perceptions of site quality compare with those of the agency supervisors. A confirmatory factor analysis using structural equations was used to make the comparisons. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis indicated that there were significant differences between school coordinators' and site supervisors' perceptions of the quality of internships (P² = 1303.3, df = 65, p < .0001, Goodness-of-Fit Index = .86). These results suggest there are unique features in the site supervisors' perceptions of the quality of internships. In order to determine these unique features, an exploratory factor analysis was computed on the internship quality items rated by the site supervisors.

Research question two (RQ2) asked for the actual perceptions of the agency supervisors. The sixty internship quality items were analyzed using principal component analysis. Using Cattell's (1966) Scree Test and the interpretability of the results as criteria for factor extraction, a total of five factors were indicated. These factors accounted for a total of 38.7% of the total variance in the items. To determine a parsimonious and interpretable solution, these five factors were rotated using an Oblimin rotation with Kaiser normalization. The five-factor solution is presented in Table 2.

The first factor accounted for 11.0% of the total variance in the sixty items. As indicated in Table 2, a total of sixteen items had significant (i.e., > .40) factor loadings on this factor. The eight highest of these significant-loading items were: students should be receptive to constructive criticism from site personnel (factor loading = .74), co-op students should be diligent and dependable (.67), co-op students should demonstrate an ability to learn and perform duties (.65), site personnel should share their professional time/expertise with students (.61), co-op students should demonstrate measurable progress (.56), co-op students should contribute to the productivity of the organization (.56), co-op students should learn appropriate grooming/attire (.56), and site personnel should show thoughtfulness regarding co-op involvement (.56). The common thread running through these items involves the receptivity of the student to learning and constructive help. For this reason, this factor was labeled constructive learning climate. An inter-item reliabilities analysis was computed on the sixteen items and the results suggested high reliability (alpha = .87).

The second factor accounted for 8.3% of the total variance in the sixty items. Ten items had significant loadings on this factor. The five items having the highest loadings were: co-op students should be given help regarding their career direction (factor loading = .74), site personnel should provide students with career advice (.64), site personnel should help students network within the industry (.60), site personnel should help students establish their professional identities (.56), and co-op students should be given the perception of gaining an edge in the job market (.55). These items refer to the professional development of the student; thus, this factor was labeled professional development. An inter-item reliabilities analysis indicated a high degree of reliability for the eleven items loading significantly on this factor (alpha = .82).

The third factor accounted for 7.3% of the total variance in the sixty items and had nine items load significantly on it. These four highest loading items were: co-op student should conduct outside research on site-related problems (factor loading = .69), co-op students should keep a journal of site activities and insights (.68), co-op students should maintain regular contact with their school coordinator (.68), and co-op students should view themselves as ambassadors for their schools (.64). The prominent theme in these items focuses on the academic and scholarly dimension of internships. Thus, this factor was labeled internship academic integrity. The inter-item reliability analysis on the six items composing this factor was high (alpha = .80).

The fourth factor accounted for 6.5% of the total variance in the sixty items and had two items that loaded significantly on it. These two items were: co-op students should be exposed to practical problem solving methods (factor loading = .43) and site personnel should help students to identify and define problems (.43). Since these items suggest factors involving the development of problem solving skills in the co-op student, it was decided to label this factor, problem solving skills. The correlation between these two items was moderate and positive (r = .46, p < .001).

The fifth and final factor accounted for 5.6% of the total variance in the sixty internship quality items. The six items that had significant loadings on this factor were: co-op students should be encouraged to exercise independent judgment (factor loading = .66), co-op students should be given major responsibilities for projects (.54), co-op students should be given challenging duties/assignments (.47), co-op students should be assertive regarding the nature of their involvement (.46), and co-op students should be encouraged to think critically (.42). These items seem to refer to the students’ ability to work independently and productively at the worksite. Thus, the factor was labeled student’s independent work. The inter-item reliability for these four items was satisfactory (alpha = .70).

While the confirmatory factor analysis indicated that there were differences between the school coordinators' perceptions of quality internships and agency supervisors' perceptions of quality internships, some similarities seem to exist between the two sets of perceptions. To ascertain the nature of these similarities, factor comparisons were computed using Cattell et al.'s (1969) s index, which assesses the matches of pairs of factors and their item loadings. Table 3 presents the s indices for the two sets of factors. Three significant matches arose. Both cohort groups perceived three similar dimensions in the quality of internships, namely, quality internships should be constructive learning experiences, should enhance the professional development of the co-op student, and should have academic integrity (although School coordinators felt the students should assume a major role for the responsibility for academic integrity of the internship). Unique to School coordinators was the perceptions that the students should approach the experience professionally and that the students should have competent communication skills. On the other hand, unique to site supervisors was the perceptions that students should develop problem solving skills and that the students should work independently.

Research question three (RQ3) asks how school coordinators' perceptions of quality compare with those of the students. A confirmatory factor analysis using structural equations was used to make the comparisons. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis indicated that there were significant differences between School coordinators' and student interns' perceptions of the quality of internships (P² = 1226.0, df = 65, p < .0001, Goodness-of-Fit Index = .85). These results suggest there are unique features in the student interns' perceptions of the quality of internships. In order to determine these unique features, an exploratory factor analysis was computed on the internship quality items rated by the student interns.

Research question four (RQ4) ask for the actual perceptions of the students regarding site learning quality. The sixty site quality items were analyzed using principal component analysis. Using Cattell's (1966) Scree Test and the interpretability of the results as criteria for factor extraction, a total of five factors were indicated. These factors accounted for a total of 46.8% of the total variance in the items. To determine a parsimonious and interpretable solution, these five factors were rotated using an Oblimin rotation with Kaiser normalization. The five-factor solution is presented in Table 4.

The first factor accounted for 25.3% of the total variance in the sixty items. As indicated in Table 2, a total of seventeen items had significant (i.e., > .40) factor loadings on this factor. The six highest of these significant-loading items were: site personnel should help students network within the industry (factor loading = .63), site personnel should write letters of recommendation for deserving students (.62), co-op students should be given the perception of gaining an edge in the job market (.62), co-op students should be given major responsibilities for projects (.60), co-op students should work at developing professional relationships (.59), and site personnel should help students establish their professional identities (.59). The common thread running through these items involves the development of students' career potential. For this reason, this factor was labeled career development. An inter-item reliabilities analysis was computed on the seventeen items and the results suggested high reliability (alpha = .91).

The second factor accounted for 6.8% of the total variance in the sixty items. Ten items had significant loadings on this factor. The six items having the highest loadings were: co-op students should demonstrate an ability to learn and perform duties (factor loading = .63), co-op students should actively seek opportunities to contribute (.63), co-op students should contribute to the productivity of the organization (.63), co-op students should be receptive to constructive criticism from site personnel (.56), co-op students should ask informed questions (.52), and site personnel should serve as role models of professional behavior (.50). These items refer to the students' willingness and ability to act professionally in the organization; thus, this factor was labeled student professionalism. An inter-item reliabilities analysis indicated satisfactory reliability for the ten items loading significantly on this factor (alpha = .74).

The third factor accounted for 5.2% of the total variance in the sixty items and had sixteen items load significantly on it. The six highest loading items were: co-op student should be assigned duties directly related to their fields of study (factor loading = .64), site personnel should help students appreciate the meaning of occupational work (.63), site personnel should demonstrate patience with students as learners (.62), co-op students should be integrated into a work team (.60), site personnel should help students build self-esteem (.60), and co-op students should be given help regarding their career direction (.60). The prominent theme in these items focuses on the skills and motivation for the students' chosen occupation. Thus, this factor was labeled occupational skill building. The inter-item reliability analysis on the sixteen items composing this factor was very high (alpha = .91).

The fourth factor accounted for 4.9% of the total variance in the sixty items and had ten items that loaded significantly on it. The six items loading highest on this factor were: co-op students should maintain regular contact with their school coordinator (factor loading = .73), co-op students should view themselves as ambassadors for their schools (.64), co-op students should keep a journal of site activities and insights (.59), site personnel should be open to constructive feedback from school coordinators (.58), co-op students should identify themselves as interns in dealing with others (.54), and co-op students should learn appropriate grooming/attire (.54). Since these items focus on the academic and scholarly dimension of internships, this factor was labeled internship academic standards. The inter-item reliability for the ten items defining this factor was high (alpha = .83).

The fifth and final factor accounted for 4.5% of the total variance in the sixty internship quality items. The four items that had significant loadings on this factor were: co-op students should be encouraged to think critically (factor loading = .75), co-op students should be invited to apply their classroom learning (.70), co-op students should be exposed to the pressures of professional work (.67), and co-op students should be exposed to practical problem solving methods (.47). These items seem to refer to the students’ ability to think critically and apply theoretical principles to their internship work. Thus, the factor was labeled student critical thinking skills. The inter-item reliability for these five items was satisfactory (alpha = .73).

While the confirmatory factor analysis indicated that there were differences between the School coordinators' perceptions of quality internships and student interns' perceptions of quality internships, some similarities seem to exist between the two sets of perceptions. To ascertain the nature of these similarities, factor comparisons were computed using Cattell et al.'s (1969) s index, which assesses the matches of pairs of factors and their item loadings. Table 3 presents the s indices for the two sets of factors. Three significant matches arose. Both cohort groups perceived three similar dimensions in the quality of internships, namely, quality internships should be should enhance the professional development of the co-op student, the co-op student should approach the internship professionally, and the co-op student should have the necessary skills to successfully work at the internship site (although School coordinators felt these skills were more communicative in nature, while students felt these skills were more occupational in nature). Unique to School coordinators was the perceptions that the students should have a challenging learning experience and that the student should have an appropriate demeanor. On the other hand, unique to student interns was the perceptions that the internship should have academic integrity (involving both site supervisor and School coordinator, as well as themselves) and that students should utilize their critical thinking and integration skills.

Comparisons of the factors (Table 3) indicate that all cohort groups perceived student professional development to be an indicator of quality site learning. Site personnel should encourage each student to develop a professional identity and network with persons at, and associated with, the site. Students should also be given career direction and advice so they can perceive that they have attained an edge in the job market. The literature supports these claims. Canon and Arnold (1998), as well as Coll et al. (1997), suggested that co-op students feel better equipped to enter the professions. Apostolides and Looye (1997b) found the students they surveyed wanted exposure to clients and important persons in the field. Because of the agreement of all cohort groups on this factor, we feel confident in asserting that quality site experiences should facilitate professional development of the student.

Opinions of school coordinators and agency supervisors were highly correlated in the areas of challenging learning experiences and constructive learning climate. Site personnel expect students to learn and perform duties, while school coordinators expect those duties to be related to the student's studies. As site personnel are expected to thoughtfully share their professional expertise, students are expected to be diligent, dependable, and open to constructive criticism. Based on our analysis, we suggest that quality site experiences should provide students with challenging learning climates.

School coordinators and agency supervisors were also highly correlated in the areas of student demeanor and academic integrity. Students seem comfortable carrying over the norms of academia by keeping journals and conducting outside research on site related projects. Confidence and pride are generated when students identify themselves as interns/co-op students use the opportunity to effectively represent their schools. For these reasons, it is concluded that quality site experiences should relate to educational standards so the student can maintain a demeanor of pride and competence.

School coordinators and students were highly correlated in two factor areas: student professionalism and occupational skill building. Student professionalism is based on students abilities to demonstrate progress through diligently learning and performing assigned duties, seeking opportunities to be productive, and being receptive to constructive criticism. Studies based on student opinions suggest that students want to be treated as professionals and willingly expose themselves to the pressures of professional life (Apostolides & Looye, 1997b; Page, 1997). From this analysis, we claim that quality site experiences should provide opportunities for students to apply their acquired professionalism. Factors generated by school coordinators and students also correlated in the mastery of occupational skills. A wide range of skills was represented: communication skills (both written and oral), team work skills, as well as learning the meaning of professional work, showing patience, and applying business ethics. Skills frequently mentioned in the literature are critical thinking, applied problem solving, team work (Van Gyn, et al., 1996). Coll et al. (1997) advocated writing and communication skills. Because of the variety of skill generating this factor we conclude that quality site experiences should help the student develop a solid p8rofessional work ethic.

Two factors unique to the agency supervisors were practical problem solving and independence. The agency supervisors felt it important that students be able to identify and define problems in the practical world. Site personnel are often quite busy and appreciate student independence and not having to constantly shepherd them. Hence quality site experiences should expose students to practical problem solving. The other factor unique to site supervisors dealt with the student's ability to work independently. Although agency personnel expect to offer students challenging duties, they expect the student to be assertive, demonstrate independent judgment (critical thinking), and be willing to accept responsibilities for projects. According to Apostolides and Looye (1997b), students expect to work independently and to take responsibilities for specific tasks. It is concluded that quality site experiences should encourage students to work with some degree of independence.

Two factors, generated by students, did not correlate with other cohort groups were academic approach and critical thinking skills. Student concerns for academic integrity appear to be a carryover of school standards to their work sites. Students feel they should maintain regular contact with their schools and serve as good ambassadors for their schools. They also expect to keep records (or a journal) of their activities and progress. This leads to the following guideline: quality site experiences should incorporate scholarly norms. Another factor unique to students was critical thinking. Students want to apply their classroom learning on practical problems requiring critical thinking (Apostolides & Looye, 1997b). This leads to the expectation that quality site experiences should encourage students to think critically.

Research question five (RQ5) asked how the findings of all cohort groups might contribute to establish a set of guidelines to benefit site learning quality. Considering the findings of both studies, the following is a list of eight nationally-based indicators of site quality:

This list is general enough to provide useful guidelines of site quality. They were developed by agency supervisors, past internship/co-op students, and school coordinators; these are persons who represent a variety of internship/co-op perspectives. Readers should feel free to interpret them according to their local situations.

These guidelines might be applied in several ways. School coordinators may find them useful as a set of expectations when interviewing potential sites. Site personnel should be willing to commit to most of the guidelines before being seriously considered for hosting students. Once accepted by site personnel, they benefit students by communicating general expectations of the site and themselves. The communication loop is complete when all parties (students, site personnel, and school coordinators) share in the expectations of quality site learning. Finally, the guidelines can serve as the basis for a site evaluation instrument to be completed by the student upon completion of the experience. School coordinators should keep records of these evaluations as data for deciding to reuse a site. Ideally, using the guidelines will be more proactive and act as a screening tool to reduce the necessity of removing a site from the list. It is believed that the continued incorporation of these guidelines will help ensure high quality site experiences in internships and cooperative education.

5. given the perception of gaining an edge in the job market 5.22 5.37 5.43 1.4 n.s.

18. assigned duties directly related to their fields of study 5.31a 5.93b 5.97b 16.5 .001

21. show thoughtfulness regarding co-op/intern involvement 6.16 6.28 6.17 .6 n.s

24. provide students with written performance feedback 5.33a 5.98b 6.29b 42.2 .001

25. be open to constructive feedback from school coordinators 5.33 5.64 5.65 4.3 n.s.

29. help students appreciate the meaning of occupational work 5.58 5.64 5.43 1.7 n.s.

30. provide instruction sessions for co-op/intern students 5.02 5.27 4.92 2.3 n.s.

35. write letters of recommendation for deserving students 5.80ab 6.14a 5.47b 11.3 .001

36. help students establish their professional identities 4.87 5.40 5.09 4.6 n.s.

37. negotiate duties with students early in the experience 5.41 5.65 5.81 4.9 n.s.

38. share their professional time/expertise with students 5.80 6.07 5.90 2.3 n.s.

40. encourage students to interact with a variety of workers 5.84 5.95 5.75 1.4 n.s.

41. seek out opportunities to network beyond the immediate site 5.02a 5.96b 5.56b 17.5 .001

42. express appreciation for their co-op/internship experiences 5.21a 6.36b 5.95b 32.2 .001

43. apply their classroom learning to their work assignments 5.68a 6.07b 6.23b 18.6 .001

46. identify themselves as co-ops/interns in dealings with others 4.74 4.86 4.81 .2 n.s.

48. be receptive to constructive criticism from site personnel 6.21a 6.69b 6.56b 16.0 .001

49. view themselves as ambassadors for their schools 5.24a 5.59ab 6.05b 23.3 .001

51. maintain regular contact with their school coordinator 5.09a 5.49ab 5.91b 21.7 .001

54. be assertive regarding the nature of their involvement 5.46a 6.09b 5.56a 10.0 .001

55. extract principles which guide actions of site personnel 5.24 5.56 5.39 2.2 n.s.

* Means with different letters are significantly different using the Tukey criterion at p < .001.

Factor Comparisons between School Coordinators, Student Interns and Agency Supervisors

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