Improving professional identity is crucial for enhancing students' mental health in the health sciences and addressing the scarcity of health professionals (Tang et al., 2022). Internship experiences have been found to be crucial in shaping the vocational identity development of university students (Gao et al., 2022; Jackson, 2017). Vocational identity is defined as an individual's sense of self in relation to their career that having a solid and clear understanding of one's objectives, passions, and skills (Holland et al., 1993). It is a key aspect of career development that can be influenced by various factors (Wong & Kaur, 2018), including the quality of internship experiences (Gamboa et al., 2021; Khampirat, 2020; Porfeli et al., 2011). The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between internship quality and vocational identity status in university students.

Theory:

The Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) (Lent et al., 1994) and the Career Construction Theory (CCT) (Savickas, 2005) were applied and integrated in this study.

SCCT (Lent et al., 1994) posits that individuals develop their vocational identity through a process of self-reflection and exploration, in which they consider their interests, abilities, and values, and how these relate to potential career options. This theory suggests that high-quality internship experiences can provide opportunities for students to gain knowledge, skills, and self-awareness that can enhance their vocational identity development (Pan et al., 2018).

CCT (Savickas, 2005) proposes that vocational identity formation is a dynamic, ongoing process that occurs through a series of career-related experiences, including internships. CCT states that internship experiences can provide students with opportunities to explore their interests and values and to develop a sense of self in relation to their careers (Chen et al., 2022).

Empirical evidence supports the relationship between internship quality and vocational identity status in university students. For example, a study by Gamboa et al. (2021) found that VET students who had high-quality internship experiences reported greater vocational identity exploration than those who had lower-quality internships. Another study by Ng et al. (2022) found that students who had high-quality internships were more likely to report a sense of vocational self-efficacy and career decision self-efficacy than those who had lower-quality internships.

In conclusion, this study aims to investigate the relationship between internship quality and vocational identity status in university students, drawing on the theories of SCCT and CCT. The results of this research may provide valuable insights for university educators and career counselors to enhance the quality of internship experiences and facilitate the vocational identity development of university students.

Participants: This was a cross-sectional study. The participants were 117 health sciences students who were randomly sampled from universities in Thailand (male = 22, female = 95). All participants provided informed consent and were aware of their rights as research participants. Data was collected and analyzed in accordance with ethical guidelines and regulations. Instruments: - The Vocational Identity Scale (VISA) is a measure of vocational identity developed by Porfeli et al. (2011). It is a self-report measure that assesses the degree to which an individual has a clear, stable, and committed sense of self in relation to their vocational interests, values, and goals. The VISA consists of 30 items that are rated on a 5-point Likert scale. The Cronbach’s alpha for the VISA subscales ranged from .802 to .831, with an overall Cronbach’s alpha of 0.918. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) results supported the second-order measurement model of VISA with a good model fit (chi-square (333) = 1329.057, chi-square/df = 3.991, CFI = 0.961, TLI = 0.949, RMSEA = 0.040 [0.038, 0.042], SRMR = 0.045). - The Internship Experience Questionnaire (InExp) is a tool used to measure the quality of internships. It was developed by combining the questionnaires of Luk and Chan (2020), Anjum (2020); Marinaș et al. (2018), Nghia and My Duyen (2018), and Khampirat and McRae (2016). The scale includes 20 items that are divided into four subscales: clear goals (4 items), university support (3 items), workplace support (3 items), perceived value (6 items) and assessment (4 items). Participants are asked to rate each item on a 5-point Likert scale, with 1 indicating "strongly disagree" and 5 indicating "strongly agree." The Cronbach’s alpha for the InExp subscales ranged from .761 to .878, with an overall Cronbach’s alpha of 0.934. The CFA results supported the second-order measurement model of InExp with a good model fit (chi-square (152) = 407.125, chi-square/df = 2.678, CFI = 0.986, TLI = 0.983, RMSEA = 0.030 [0.026, 0.033], SRMR = 0.021). Data analysis: Nominal and ordinal variables were described using frequency and percentage, whereas continuous variables were described using means and standard deviations. The variations in VISA and InExp rating between two or more groups were examined using the t-test and ANOVA. Pearson’s correlation was applied to explore the correlation between variables in this study. The influence of Internship Quality and VIS was analyzed via partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-PM, PLS-SEM).

The results of this study provide evidence for the relationship between internship quality and vocational identity status in university students, particularly in the context of health sciences students in Thailand. The findings suggest that high-quality internship experiences can lead to greater vocational identity exploration, self-awareness, and self-efficacy among these students. These results are consistent with the predictions of the Social Cognitive Career Theory and Career Construction Theory, which posit that internship experiences can play a crucial role in vocational identity development. The implications of these findings are particularly relevant for educators, practitioners, and career counselors in the health sciences field in Thailand, as they suggest that efforts to enhance the quality of internship experiences can have a positive impact on the vocational identity development of students. This includes providing opportunities for self-reflection, exposure to diverse career options, and guidance in the decision-making process. Additionally, this research could also be applied to other fields and in other countries, including in the European/international dimension. As the theories used in this study are widely accepted across cultures and fields, the relationship between internship quality and vocational identity development is likely to be generalizable to a variety of contexts. Therefore, the findings of this study could be used to inform internship policies and practices in other fields and countries to promote vocational identity development among university students. In conclusion, this study has provided valuable insights into the relationship between internship quality and vocational identity status in university students, specifically in the field of health sciences in Thailand. Furthermore, the findings of this study have the potential to be applied in other fields and countries to enhance the vocational identity development of university students.

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