The Evolution of Students’ Perceptions during Participation in an Internship Program
Abstract: This study will report how an internship program was designed and supported by a community. The study examined how students’ perceptions evolved as they participated in a short-term internship program for college students. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire with a descriptive format and student interviews. The same questionnaire was conducted three times over a period of four months, and interviews were conducted with the students as they participated in the post-training internship program. All data were coded and categorized and compared to see how the students’ perceptions evolved over the course of the internship. The findings showed that they learned and discovered things they initially had not expected to learn. Four aspects of learning appeared to emerge at different times, depending on the students’ experiences, namely practical learning, viewpoint of working in a company, finding oneself, and realization of career goals.