How work-integrated learning shapes students’ professional identity
Datos Bibliográficos
| ID | 21458772 |
|---|---|
| Autores | Yan Wang (0009-0009-9633-0023, Xiamen University), Renjie Li (0000-0001-9381-8933, Nanjing Agricultural University, autor de correspondencia), Yang Hang (0000-0001-8552-7925, Soochow University) |
| Año | 2026 |
| Páginas | 1-18 |
| Fecha de publicación | 2026-02-13 |
| Peer Reviewed | Sí |
| Open Access | No |
| Tipo | ARTICLE |
| Revista | Studies in Continuing Education (JOURNAL) |
| Identificadores de la revista | ISSN: 0158-037X • E-ISSN: 1470-126X |
| Editorial | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/0158037x.2026.2627572 |
| OpenAlex | W7128771267 |
| Idioma | EN |
| Referencias citadas | 44 |
Work-integrated learning (WIL) plays a critical role in fostering students’ professional identity. Although prior research has underscored the significance of WIL in enhancing students’ employability, limited attention has been paid to the specific dimensions of identity that are developed through WIL and the processes by which such development occurs. To address this gap, this study draws on in-depth qualitative interviews with 23 engineering students from Chinese universities. The findings demonstrate that WIL contributes to professional identity development in three key domains: cultivating a pragmatic and collaborative professional mindset, enhancing practical problem-solving and interpersonal competencies, and fostering emotional identification with the values of the profession. Moreover, students’ self-positioning during WIL, such as viewing themselves as proto-professionals rather than mere interns, significantly influences their level of engagement. The interplay between self-observation and social interaction within professional communities further shapes their emerging professional self-concept. Finally, the complex real-world contexts provided by WIL offer rich opportunities for students to engage in authentic project work, thereby facilitating the deep integration of disciplinary knowledge with professional practice. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of both the nature and trajectory of professional identity development within WIL contexts
Adult education · Experiential learning · Higher education · Professional development · Professional learning community · Educational Theory and Curriculum Studies · Higher Education and Employability · Innovative Education and Learning Practices
Supporting the development of a professional identity
Professional identity
Research and scholarly methods
Developing pre-professional identity in undergraduates through work-integrated learning
Academic Identity and Communities of Practice
Students’ learning outcomes from engineering internship
Work-integrated learning students’ experience of a change laboratory
Factors Influencing Engineering Identity Development of Latinx Students
Provisional Selves
Professional identity development
A review of research on student teachers' professional identity
Reconsidering research on teachers’ professional identity
On Two Metaphors for Learning and the Dangers of Choosing Just One
Cognitive and Situated Learning Perspectives in Theory and Practice
A measure of professional identity development for professional education
Employability skill development in work-integrated learning
Work integrated learning initiatives
Becomingprofessional
Realising the educational worth of integrating work experiences in higher education
Situated Learning
The Constant Comparative Method of Qualitative Analysis
| Velocidad de citación | historical |
|---|---|
| Altamente citado | No |