Working Knowledge: Work-Based Learning and Education Reform

Increasingly, the success of education systems is being judged on the performance of their students on tests of academic achievement and by college entry rates. While academic courses are effective for many students, they often fail to engage or motivate others. The belief growing amongst many is that the integration of classroom learning with experiences outside of the school is a more effective approach to engage students and prepare them for education and work after high school. This book explores the potential for using work-based learning as a part of a broad education reform strategy, with the aim of strengthening the educational preparation of many young adults. The authors of the book make four main claims about the benefits of work-based learning: that it reinforces and improves academic learning; that it enhances students' work-related skills and their understanding of careers; that it advances participants' social and emotional development; and that it engages them in new modes of thought seldom found in schools. The book outlines a study undertaken by the authors in which 25 students were observed during internships and interviewed at length. The results of this study are then compared against the four work-based learning claims originally outlined, with most of these being proved true.