Faculty Willingness and Ability to Engage with Work-Integrated Learning (WIL): Piloting the Faculty Engagement Model in the WIL Sphere

CJ Eubanks Fleming; Letitia Henville; Catherine Wilson; Kristin Geraty; Denyse Lafrance Horning

doi:10.20343/teachlearninqu.14.14

Authors

CJ Eubanks Fleming Elon University https://orcid.org/0009-0003-6932-9058
Letitia Henville Writing Short is Hard Consulting https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0327-566X
Catherine Wilson Housing Hub of New Brunswick
Kristin Geraty North Central College https://orcid.org/0009-0005-5601-2347
Denyse Lafrance Horning Nipissing University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.14.14

Keywords:

work-integrated learning, internship, faculty engagement

Abstract

Much of the literature that addresses faculty engagement in work-integrated learning experiences (WIL; i.e., internships, practicum, and co-op experiences) focuses on experiential education broadly or on specific forms of WIL programs, such as service learning. The faculty engagement model (FEM) is the primary model of faculty participation in community-based learning experiences, and it accounts for the myriad factors known to influence faculty engagement, including personal, professional, communal, and institutional factors. Although relevant to WIL, this model has not been used specifically in WIL communities. Thus, the current study sought to examine the utility of the faculty engagement model within the context of WIL. Participants included 72 full-time university faculty drawn from the United States, Canada, and other countries. The researchers recruited participants through personal networks, and the participants completed an online survey asking about the domains of the FEM. Results indicated that faculty are primarily engaged in WIL in the form of internships, and that they highly value both department and discipline support for WIL. The aspects of the FEM that clearly related to faculty engagement in WIL were high department support, high community interest in university collaboration, personal history of participating in WIL, and low institutional support. This pattern suggests that factors across the faculty engagement model contribute uniquely to each faculty member’s decision to engage with WIL activities, and that the FEM can be a useful tool in the WIL realm.

Author Biographies

CJ Eubanks Fleming, Elon University

CJ Eubanks Fleming (United States) is an associate professor of psychology at Elon University. She is a clinical psychologist who served for six years as the Faculty Fellow for Internships and is an enthusiastic advocate for experiential learning of all types.
Letitia Henville, Writing Short is Hard Consulting

Letitia Henville (Canada) is an independent consultant at Writing Short is Hard Consulting. She is an award-winning writing instructor and freelance editor who helps researchers to articulate their goals to an audience of their peers.
Catherine Wilson, Housing Hub of New Brunswick

Catherine Wilson (Canada) is a real estate development coordinator at the Housing Hub of New Brunswick.
Kristin Geraty, North Central College

Kristin Geraty (United States) is a sociologist and academic administrator at North Central College, where she served as the inaugural dean of engaged learning. In that capacity, she provided oversight for career education and experiential learning programs.
Denyse Lafrance Horning, Nipissing University

Denyse Lafrance Horning (Canada) is an associate professor of business and former teaching chair of experiential learning at Nipissing University. Her career began as an industry practitioner, which inspired her work-integrated teaching approach and research program.

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