Abstract
Learning through work is a common feature of preparing health professionals for practice. Current understandings of work-integrated learning or a ‘work-based placement’, focus on students being consumers of experiences rather than providing a reciprocal benefit to the organisation in which they are placed. More nuanced understanding of the ways that students can offer value to organisations may provide new opportunities and increased capacity for workplace learning. This study drew on Social Exchange Theory to explore the perceived value and benefits of work-integrated learning experiences to the organisations in which students are placed. The focus was on population health placements undertaken by dietetics students at a large Australian university. An interpretive approach was employed with interviews with placement educators and document analysis of student-generated products from their placement. Seventeen of 20 eligible placement educators were interviewed, with interview data coded using thematic framework analysis. These data were supported with document analysis of student scientific posters completed as part of assessment to develop themes which were interpreted with social exchange theory. Three themes were identified: (1) students add to the organisation’s capacity, (2) benefits outweigh time cost of planning and supervising and (3) explicitly valuing students for their contributions may build trust and further potentiate bi-directional benefits. Results suggest that student placements can add value to organisations. This reciprocity of benefits should be communicated to all stakeholders involved in the university-community collaboration, including students. Social exchange theory sensitised researchers to nuanced findings that may support the translation of these study findings to other student work-integrated learning settings.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ash, S., Martin, E. K., Rodger, S., Clark, M., & Graves, N. (2015). Student and supervisor productivity change during nutrition and dietetic practice placements: A cohort study. Nutrition & Dietetics, 72(2), 163–169. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/1747-0080.12093.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2018). How much does Australia spend on health care? In A. Government (Ed.), Australia’s Health 2018. Australian Government.
Billett, S. (2016). Learning through health care work: premises, contributions and practices. Medical Education, 50(1), 124–131. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.12848.
Bourne, E., Short, K., McAllister, L., & Nagarajan, S. (2019). The quantitative impact of placements on allied health time use and productivity in healthcare facilities: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Focus On Health Professional Education: A Multi-Professional Journal, 20(2), 8–40.
Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document Analysis as a Qualitative Research Method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.3316/QRJ0902027.
Carless, D. (2013). Trust and its role in facilitating dialogic feedback. In D. Boud & E. Molloy (Eds.), Feedback in higher and professional education. New York: Routledge.
Cook, K., Cheshire, C., Rice, E., & Nakagawa, S. (2013). Social exchange theory. In Handbook of social psychology (pp. 61–88). Springer.
Crampton, P. E. S., McLachlan, J. C., & Illing, J. C. (2013). A systematic literature review of undergraduate clinical placements in underserved areas. Medical Education, 47(10), 969–978. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.12215.
Cropanzano, R., & Mitchell, M. (2005). Social exchange theory: An interdisciplinary review. Journal of Management, 31(6), 874–900.
Dharamsi, S., Espinoza, N., Cramer, C., Amin, M., Bainbridge, L., et al. (2010). Nurturing social responsibility through community service-learning: Lessons learned from a pilot project. Medical Teacher, 32(11), 905–911. https://doi.org/10.3109/01421590903434169.
Dietitians Association of Australia. (2017). Accreditation Standards for Dietetics Education Programs version 2.0. Deakin, ACT.
Gale, N. K., Heath, G., Cameron, E., Rashid, S., & Redwood, S. (2013). Using the framework method for the analysis of qualitative data in multi-disciplinary health research. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 13, 117–117. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-13-117.
Hauer, K., Oza, S., Kogan, J., Stankiewicz, C., Stenfors-Hayes, T., et al. (2015). How clinical supervisors develop trust in their trainees: A qualitative study. Medical Education, 49(8), 783–795. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.12745.
Hays, R. B. (2013). Utilisation of the healthcare system for authentic early experience placements. Rural and Remote Health, 13(2), 2328.
Hughes, R., Begley, A., & Yeatman, H. (2016). Consensus on the core functions of the public health nutrition workforce in Australia. Nutrition & Dietetics, 73(1), 103–111. https://doi.org/10.1111/1747-0080.12168.
Hughes, R., & Margetts, B. (2011). Practical public health nutrition. West Sussex: Wiley Blackwell.
Hunt, J., Bonham, C., & Jones, L. (2011). Understanding the goals of service learning and community-based medical education: A systematic review. Academic Medicine, 86(2), 246–251. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0b013e3182046481.
Lavrakas, P. J. (2008). Encyclopedia of survey research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Molloy, E., Woodward-Kron, L. S., Delany, R., Dodds, C., Lavercombe, A., Hughson, M. J (2018). Medical student clinical placements as sites of learning and contribution. Melbourne: University of Melbourne.
Noble, C., & Billett, S. (2017). Learning to prescribe through co-working: Junior doctors, pharmacists and consultants. Medical Education, 51(4), 442–451. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.13227.
Patton, M. (2015). Qualitative research and methods: Integrating theory and practice. London: Sage Publications Ltd.
van der Vleuten, C., Schuwirth, L., Driessen, E., Dijkstra, J., Tigelaar, D., et al. (2012). A model for programmatic assessment fit for purpose. Medical Teacher, 34, 205–214. https://doi.org/10.3109/0142159X.2012.652239.
Varpio, L., Ajjawi, R., Monrouxe, L., O’Brien, B., & Rees, C. (2017). Shedding the cobra effect: problematising thematic emergence, triangulation, saturation and member checking. Medical Education, 51, 40–50. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.13124.
Waters, L., Lo, K., & Maloney, S. (2018). What impact do students have on clinical educators and the way they practise? Advances in Health Sciences Education Theory and Practice, 23(3), 611–631. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-017-9785-y.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Interview data collection and analysis were performed by CK and LvH with support from CP, SK and JB. Document analysis was completed by CP and SK. The first draft of the manuscript was written by CP and CK and all authors contributed to subsequent versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kemp, C., van Herwerden, L., Molloy, E. et al. How do students offer value to organisations through work integrated learning? A qualitative study using Social Exchange Theory. Adv in Health Sci Educ 26, 1075–1093 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-021-10038-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-021-10038-x