Abstract

In order to thrive in the workplace there is recognition that students need to leave Higher Education with professional facing skills to complement their subject specialism. A key aspect of this has traditionally been a placement. As a Lecturers within the school of Social Sciences here at the University of Sunderland, I have been involved in the delivery of placement modules. I have witnessed first-hand the complex issues that contribute to providing students with opportunities to engage with professional facing placements whilst studying with us. This CASS talk will provide an overview of the first piece of research from a suite of proposed studies. This initial survey-based study uses the COM B model of behaviour to gain an insight into the behavioural determinants that impact the extent to which students engage with placements during their undergraduate studies. By considering the factors that students perceive to be facilitators and barriers to their engagement with placements within a sound theoretical framework, I aim to be able to provide an enriched understanding of how to best support students.