International students' perception of workplace experiences in Australian study programs: a large-scale survey

International students' perception of workplace experiences in Australian study programs: a large-scale survey

Across the globe there are increased numbers of students undertaking university level study in foreign countries. Many of the programs they enrol in, include a workplace experience (also known as work integrated learning, internship and/or practicum). The Work Placement for International Student Programs (WISP) project was conducted across Australia and aimed to identify current practices related to international students’ workplace experiences as well as develop resources to improve these experiences overall. This paper focuses on a large-scale survey distributed to international students (n=252) throughout Australia to explore their perception of their experience whilst on their required placement. Results showed that students rated their overall workplace experience highly however, their confidence in completing assessment items where reflection and self-evaluation were required was a concern. Students also rated their self-perception of employability as uncertain despite having positive experiences in the workplace context. Findings showed that there is a need for universities to better support international students in completing reflective and self-evaluative assessment. In addition, more work needs to be done to improve confidence levels of international students around employability.

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