Examining the influence of selected factors on perceived co-op work term quality from a student perspective

Abstract : This study discusses and tests a conceptual model of coop work-term quality from a student perspective. Drawing from an earlier exploration of coop students' perceptions of work-term quality, variables related to role characteristics, interpersonal dynamics, and organizational elements were used in a multiple linear regression analysis to predict coop students' perceived work-term quality. A survey of coop students (n = 1,937) measured their perceptions of selected variables following a recent coop work-term. Results show that the variables explained a large percentage of variance (51.4%) in the outcomes variable, suggesting the conceptual model does explain students' perceptions of quality. Implications for practice and for future studies are discussed.