In the right placement at the right time? An investigation of the psychological outcomes of placement learning

Work integrated learning (WIL) provides an authentic experience of work practices in an occupational setting and the opportunity to develop personally and professionally. We examined whether psychological differences exist between WIL and non-WIL students (n=802), and if these differences intensify through multiple experiences. The results suggest that more work-related experiences a student had, the more hope, agency, intrinsic goal orientation and academic self efficacy they reported (p<0.05). Thus it is not simply a question of the right placement at the right time, but that WIL is most influential when students consistently build on the gains they make via multiple experiences.