Between Work and Studies

Author(s):

Satu Merenluoto

Conference:

ECER 2009

Network:

22. Research in Higher Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

22 SES 08 C, Higher Education, Labour Markets and Employability

Paper Session

Time:

2009-09-30

08:30-10:00

Room:

HG; HS 29

Chair:

Mari Karm

Contribution

Working during studies has been identified ion Finland as the one of the main factors in prolonging the study process even though the connection is not quite as straightforward as portrayed (Mannisenmäki & Valtari 2005, 83-86; Warren etc. 2000, 943). It is also an issue of importance in Europe in general and the statistics of the transfer from school to work is closely monitored (Lindberg 2005; 2007a, 2007b; Lindberg 2008). It can prolong studies, act as an escape from studies, and hinder returning to finish ones thesis as it may be hard to return to the more austere economical situation of the student (Hofman & Van Nen Berg 2000, 93-110; Hung etc. 2000, 455; Hunt etc. 2006, 3-18: Kurri 2006, 40; Mannisenmäki & Valtari 2005, 107; Watts & Pickering 2000, 129-134). At the same time it can motivate the student to graduate, to see the connection between studies and their concrete importance after graduation (Aaltonen 1993, 15; Kurri 2006, 72; Warren etc. 2000, 943). However, viewing students' working habits only in connection with the duration of studies obscures the fact that they are, during their studies, already preparing for their working career. In doing so, they work hard at ensuring job opportunities and contracts as graduating with a prolonged duration of studies is seen as a better strategy than graduating to unemployment lines (Lindberg 2007, 552-553; Lindberg 2008). It is therefore important to view the connection of studies and work in a wider viewpoint. The focus of this presentation is to a) view the meaning of work for the students, b) see, whether their strategies for employment after graduation, are effective, and c) does working during studies affect these graduates and if so, why.

Method

Presented study is a part of a Ph.D. study focusing on time-to-degree and issues related to it. In the study an ex post facto criterion group design was used, where the criterion group consisted of students, whose time to the completion of a master’s degree was among the 18% fastest graduates in their respective faculties. The control group was collected among those, whose duration of studies was average or slower than average. The method used was a survey as well as interviews. The amount of participants was 40 in the criterion group and 29 in the control group. They represented all the six faculties in the University of Turku, which are Medicine, Law, Education, Natural sciences, Humanities and Social sciences and graduated in 1999, 2000 or 2001.

Expected Outcomes

Working during studies can have a negative impact on studies, but depending on the personality of the students. Some can work even long hours during term time and still graduate with a short duration of studies, while for others both, studying and working, may pose a problem resulting in the prolongation of studies. For the participants, working during studies had many meanings. It was a) a way of contacting possible employers, b) a source of motivation c) means of seeing the practical implications for the theories studied, e) motivation for graduation as a way for better employment and economical situation and f) reason for graduation as the employer offered better career prospects and encouraged the student to graduate. As a conclusion: work as an issue in the prolongation of studies is an important viewpoint, but it is not the only one. The transfer to employment after graduation is crucial also.

References

-Aaltonen, K. 1993. Korkeakouluopiskelijat ”oikeassa työssä”. Mistä opiskelijoiden työssäkäynnissä on kysymys? [Higher education students in 'real work'. What is the issue of undergraduate employment.] In J. Silvonen (Eds.) Kolme näkökulmaa 1990-luvun opiskelijakulttuuriin [Three viewpoints ofthe 1990s student culture]. The research foundation for student organizations OTUS rs publication series 1/93, 9-20. - Hofman, A. & Van Nen Berg, M. 2000. Determinants of Study Progress: The Impact of Student, Curricular, and Contextual Factors on Study Progress in University Education. Higher Education in Europe, vol XXV, no 1, 93-110. - Hung, F.-S., Chung, Y.-P. & Sui-Chu Ho, E. 2000. To work or to continue to higher education? The choice of senior secondary students in Shenzhen, China. Higher Education 39, 455-467. - Hunt, A., Lincoln, I. & Walker, A. 2004. Term-time Employment and Academic Attainment: evidence from a large-scale survey of undergraduates at Northumbria University. Journal of Further and Higher Education, vol 28, no 1 (february), 3-18. - Kurri, E. 2006. Opintojen pitkittymisen dilemma. Tutkimus opintojen sujumattomuustekijöistä yliopistoissa ja niihin vaikuttamisen keinoista [The dilemma of the prolongation of studies. A research on the issues affecting the prolongation of studies and the ways of having an impact on them]. The research foundation for student organizations OTUS rs 27/2007. - Lindberg, M. 2005. Is it worth Beint ‘Traditional’ in An Era of Mass Individualization? Higher Education in Europe, 30, Nos 3-4 (Lokakuu-Joulukuu), 385-398. - Lindberg, M. 2007a. ’At the Frontier of Graduate Surveys’. Assessing participation and employability of graduates with master’s degrees in nine European countries. Higher Education, 53, 623-644. - Lindberg, M. 2007b. Connections between the differentiation of higher education participation and the distribution of occupational status. A comparative study of seven European countries. European Societies, 9(4), 551-572. - Lindberg, M. 2008. Diverse Routes from School, via Higher Education to Employment. A Comparison of Nine European Countries. The Research Unit for the Sociology of Education raport 70. Turku. - Mannisenmäki, E. & Valtari, M. 2005. Valmistumisen vallihaudalla. Opintojen kesto 2000-luvun hyvinvointivaltiossa. [On graduation. The duration of studies in the 2001st century welfare-state] Helsinki: Edita. - Warren, J., LePore, P. & Mare, R. 2000. Employment During High School: Consequences for Students’ Grades in Academic Courses. American Educational Research Journal 37, 943-969. - Watts, C. & Pickering, A. 2000. Pay as you learn: student employment and academic progress. Education + Training, no 3, 129-134.

Author Information

Satu Merenluoto

University of Turku

Department of Education

Laitila

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