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Assignment 2 Research Proposal

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[Year]

[Document title]
[DOCUMENT SUBTITLE]
MELANIE CORNESCHI
Table of Contents

Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................... 1


Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................... 2
Background ......................................................................................................................................... 3
Marketing Problem ......................................................................................................................... 3
Research Problem ......................................................................................................................... 3
Research Objectives and Research Questions ......................................................................... 4
Secondary Data and Academic Literature ...................................................................................... 5
Research Objective 1 .................................................................................................................... 5
Research Objective 2 .................................................................................................................... 5
Research Objective 3 .................................................................................................................... 6
Proposed Research Design .............................................................................................................. 7
Phase 1: Descriptive (Survey) ...................................................................................................... 7
Target Population, Sampling and Measurement........................................................................ 7
Research Objective 1 .................................................................................................................... 8
Research Objective 3 .................................................................................................................... 8
Ethical Considerations ....................................................................................................................... 9
References ........................................................................................................................................ 10
Appendix ........................................................................................................................................... 12
Appendix 1 – Measurement and Research Instruments......................................................... 12
Appendix 2 – Survey (Research Objective One, Two and Three)......................................... 14

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Executive Summary

This research proposal presents a thorough response and analysis to Swinburne’s’ Work
Integrated Learning research brief prepared by Swinburne students in Marketing Research
and Analytics unit (MKT20019).

Through valuable insights of secondary data and academic research, parts of the research
questions in all three objectives can be address however are limited and requires primary
research and data to be answered specifically for Swinburne Work Integrated Learning for
their undergraduates. Primary data and research will also ensure gaps to the founded
secondary data and ensures clarified answers for all research questions and objectives.

The proposal suggests one phase through descriptive (Survey) research and layout where a
cross-sectional, non-interactive survey through email of our target population (18–25-year-old
Swinburne undergraduate students). Snowball sampling will be used where Swinburne
students will recruit future subjects that fit the target. A total of 21 Questions will be asked to
ensure participant answers are measured for the respected research questions and
objectives.

This research design considers and conforms with all aspects of the Australian Code for the
Responsible Conduct of Research, the Australian Market and Social Research Society Code
of Professional Behaviour and the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research.

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Background

Work Integrated Learning links to programs and facilities that integrate academic learnings of
university disciplines with practical applications within the workplace. Swinburne University of
Technology is one of the many universities that take part in this national program that is known
worldwide.

Swinburne’s Work Integrated Learning (WIL) program provides both work internships that
consist of 18-24 days of project work and full-time placement position in a professional
organisation for 6-12 months (Kalantari 2021). Benefits of this program include:

• Networking with colleagues and potential employers.


• Developing professional skills and industry experience.
• Converting your learning and knowledge to practise and work skills.
• Get paid while earning academic credit

Currently, Swinburne’s Work Integrated Learning program’s main objective is to boost


attractiveness of and increase student applications with students successfully completing the
program. With only 20% of eligible students registering and 16% completing the program
(Kalantari 2021), WIL looks to achieve a higher number of applicants by building a more
meaningful method of engagement to create value in the program.

The following report outlines a research proposal based on the Work Integrated Learning
research brief in which the following were identified:

Marketing Problem

How can WIL increase the number of students undertaking WIL, including both professional
placements, and internships?

Research Problem

Investigate awareness and preference towards, Swinburne WIL.

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Research Objectives and Research Questions

Research Objective 1: Investigate the awareness of WIL programs

RQ1: What is the level of awareness for professional placements and internships?
RQ2: What are the relationships between awareness of WIL programs and age of
participants?

Research Objective 2: Evaluate attitude towards WIL

RQ1: Does interest towards the 12-month paid placement (full-time) differ by student’s
current employment status?
RQ2: Does overall attitude towards WIL differ by student factors (Gender and Faculty)?
RQ3: Is there a relationship between interest in a 12-month paid placement and attitudes
related to WIL? How about interest and GPA?
RQ4: Is there a relationship between fear of COVID-19 and interest toward the 12-month
paid placement (full-time)?

Research Objective 3: Examine communications channel preferences of undergraduate


students

RQ1: What is the most preferred communication channel to receive information from
Swinburne?
RQ2: What is the most preferred communication message of undergraduate students?
RQ3: Which of these variables, age, income, gender, year of study, and overall attitude fear
of COVID-19, predict interest toward a 12 month paid placement? Is there any other
variables that impact on interest toward a 12 month paid placement?

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Secondary Data and Academic Literature

Research Objective 1

A study conducted by Universities Australia showed students aged between 20 and 29 had
the highest participation rate at 49 per cent which also can suggest their engagement and
awareness with the WIL programs and directly related to RQ2 (Universities 2019) Awareness
of WIL programs for the intended audience can be affected in different way according to
secondary data and academic research. The measure of ‘extent to which learners have
blended academic learning with workplace experience’ run by the AUSSE (ACER 2008) found
only 33.9% of Australia’s higher education students incorporating academic learning and
workplace experience. Although it varied across different institutions, generally mature age
and later year students reported greater blending which is relevant to RQ2 (Mclennon 2008).

Research Objective 2

There are many reasons why Swinburne students’ attitudes towards WIL can be affected such
as their current employment status, their gender and faculty, their GPA and interests and the
relationship in fear of COVID-19 and how it has impacted their studies and health. According
to a report from Universities Australia's longitudinal study of student finances (2013), more
than two-thirds of students are concerned about their finances, this could affect students’
hours on how much they work, their employment status and therefore affect participation in
WIL. A student commented in a study ‘I get good grades, but I work and that means I might
not get as much time as I'd like to spend on assignments and to get the most out of studying.’
(Maintaining a good GPA can cause students to spend more time and prioritise study and less
time in the workforce gaining ‘suitable skills or establishing a suitable workplace mindset.’
(Brint & Cantwell 2010) which links to RQ3. However, according to a study conducted in 2003,
WIL experiences potentially have a correlation to academic performance due to promoting
career ambition and ‘demonstrate pathways from university into professional settings’ (Folsom
& Reardon 2003). RQ2, Work Integrated Learning participation rates segregated by field and
faculty showed in 2017, 57.7 per cent of students enrolled in health participated in WIL,
followed by agriculture, environmental and related studies (56.5 per cent), education (53.9 per
cent), and architecture and building (44.2 per cent) (Universities 2020). COVID-19 has heavily
impacted university students wellbeing with students reporting that COVID-19 had a huge
impact on their studies in the last two weeks of the study conducted (86.8%), with this impact
being mainly negative on their overall learning experience (70.9%) (Dodd et al 2021) Variables

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that also can impact of WIL participation were the burdens students were experiencing during
the pandemic such as financial pressures, mental health deteriorations (anxiety, stress and
loneliness), limited study time, feeling unmotivated and uncertainty and concerns about future
impacts on grades, graduation, job security, academic progression and dissatisfaction with
online learning (Dodd et al 2021). This will heavily impact RQ3 and RQ4 due to fears of
COVID-19, applications for WIL and the impact of student GPA.

Research Objective 3

Secondary data and academic research can help examine the communication channel
preference of undergraduate students. Today, student engagement is strongly linked to social
media usage, as social media popularity among students is a worldwide trend with the
potential to be used for education (Meyliana, et al 2015). Due to the nature of social media
information, such as Facebook and Twitter, students can create a unique learning experience
– a combination of formal and non-formal learning. This is because students favour digital
communication rather than face-to-face communication (McEwan 2011) which closely relates
to RQ1 and RQ2. The Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) follow young
Australians from the age of 15 to 25, examining their experiences as they leave school, begin
post-secondary education, and enter the workforce. 19% of participants were employed full-
time, however, the majority were employed part-time at 43% (NCVER 2021). This is a variable
(relates to RQ3) that could affect the interest of a 12-month paid placement as they are already
spending their time studying and working.

Although secondary data and academic research can provide clarity to some research
objectives and questions, primary data through the next stage of this report (proposed
research design) should be obtained to accurately complete these questions for Work
Integrated Learning and to provide results to the Marketing Problem.

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Proposed Research Design

To address the research objectives from the Work Integrated Learning Brief, the research
design outline one phase through descriptive (Survey) research and layout.

Phase 1: Descriptive (Survey)

Descriptive Research is the most favourable form of research to support and clarify research
objectives one, two and three with their respective research questions. Surveys provide
primary data through the represented sample of individuals (Kalantari 2021). The survey will
be in the format of a self-administered, non-interactive setting through an electronic survey via
emails. This will provide the advantages of cost-effectiveness, easy to quantify attitudes and
reponses, generalise results and convenience (Kalantari 2021).

Target Population, Sampling and Measurement

Swinburne Undergraduates students between the ages 18–25 will be sent a cross-sectional
email through snowball sampling to acquire the answers from initial respondents who then
refer additional respondents that fit the target, in this case, Swinburne undergraduates
referring to other Swinburne undergraduates. (Kalantari 2021). The benefits of using this
sampling is providing greater precision, cost effective and only requires a small sample to
begin with (Kalantari 2021). However, the sample in the report will provide a disclaimer that is
can be bias and not accurately representative. Our sampling frame, provided by the university
and WIL, is Swinburne Undergraduate students which is approximately 22,080 students
according to Swinburne’s Annual report (Swinburne University of Technology 2021). Our
sample size with snowball sampling should be around 400 Swinburne undergraduate
students.

Measurements will be categorised into factors with gender, age, faculty. Age will be
represented by ratio as the numbers signify magnitude of a characteristic and there is an
absolute zero. Nominal measurement will represent gender and faculty as it has no numerical
meaning (Kalantari 2021). Two of these measurements will be included at the start of survey,
and one near the end.

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Research Objective 1

RQ1 will use an ordinal/interval scale through a Likert scale 1-5 that is parted into two
categories for placements and internships. Separating the two will allow participants to
specifically answer the level of awareness of each program from not aware = 1 and completely
aware = 5 (Appendix 2, Q5 and Q6) This will indicate a definite answer and a degree of
agreement or disagreement by respondents. For RQ2, survey respondents require to put in
their age through a dropdown chart (Appendix 2, Q1) and previous data collected through the
response of age, represented by ratio and the results on the previous question will inform this
relationship. Awareness for RQ1 can also we measured in Q7 – Q11 in a Likert scale with
strongly disagree = 1 and strongly agree = 5. Using a closed question in this form will force an
answer from the participant in a simple way and will be easy to draw conclusions to answer
research questions.

Research Objective 2

RQ1, to determine employment status participants will be asked on a choice scale where
answers are definitive and then cross-examined that addresses the interest of undertaking in
WIL programs in a Likert scale which goes from not interested at all = 1 to extremely interested
= 5. RQ2 can also be cross-examined with the results addressing the interest in the
participation of WIL between gender and faculty. RQ3 can be answered in Appendix 2, Q22
where participants must answer in a short text. For RQ4, the interval/ordinal measurement via
Likert scale will be best with strongly disagree = 1 and strongly agree = 5. This is to ensure
the effect of COVID-19 and how much it has affected the interest of participating in a full-time
placement.

Research Objective 3

To answer RQ1 a choice scale (Appendix 1, Q16) will be used to determine the preferred
communication channel for participants to receive information. RQ3 can be related to previous
questions and data that has to do with age, gender, and year of study they’re currently in. To
determine participants hourly work hours in a week a ranking scale can be used to determine
the average for different age groups (Appendix 2 Q4) and employment status (Appendix 2
Q3). This will be cross-examined with previous data on interest in paid placement and the
effect of COVID-19 on their health and studies. Using a Likert scale to categories students’
thoughts relating to COVID-19 will provide a simple analysis for a part of RQ3.

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It is preferred to use interval numerical scales rather than a quantitative symbolization of an
attribute as it narrows down people’s answers, is easy comprehensibility, simplistic and easy
to compare and interpret, keeping this constant in the survey is also important for uniformity.
It is easy to draw conclusions, data, graphs, and analysis with quantitative data represented
in multiple choice or Likert scale form. Participants are also able to select a midpoint if they
are uncertain about the meaning of a question.

Ethical Considerations

This research report is guided and conducted responsibly, ethically and with integrity through
the principles of the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (the Code).
The practise will be accurate, ethical, and ensuring participants are respected and informed
of the purpose of the research prior to the participation in the survey and practise. Data from
this research will be retained securely by our researches and participants information will be
stored securely and protected by Australian Privacy Principles. Any misconduct and/or
breaches will be reported immediately (National Health 2018).

The Australian Market & Social Research Society (AMSRS) framework is used to self-regulate
objectives such as increasing public trust in rights and safeguards and encouraging voluntary
and consensual participation. A forthright approach will be taken to ensure the research
purpose is known and participants feel comfortable and safe. All research findings will always
be reported accurately and never used to mislead anyone in any way (Kalantari 2021).

All research elements will be reviewed by Swinburne’s Human Research Ethics Committee
(SUHREC) and Dr. Hassan Kalantari Daronkola with full compliance in accordance with the
National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007) (Kalantari 2021).

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References

ACER 2008, ‘University Students Less Engaged than US counterparts, ACER, Camberwell; Victoria,
viewed 15 September 2021

Brint, S, Cantwell, A. M 2010, Undergraduate time use and academic outcomes: Results from the
University of California Undergraduate Experience Survey 2006. Teachers College Record, vol. 112,
no. 9, pp. 2441-2470, viewed 15 September 2021

Dodd, R, Dadaczynski, K, Okan, O, McCaffery, Pickles, K 2021, ‘Psychological Wellbeing and


Academic Experience of University Students in Australia during COVID-19’’, International Journal of
Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 886, viewed 15 September 2021
< http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18030866 >

Folsom, B, Reardon, R 2003, College career courses: Design and accountability, Journal of Career
Assesment, vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 33-37, viewed 15 September 2021

Halliday-Wynes, S, Nguyen N 2014, Does financial stress impact on young people in tertiary study?,
Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth, Research Report 68, pp. 7-26. viewed 15 September 2021
< https://www.lsay.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0034/181699/LSAY_ResearchReport68_2732.pdf >

Kalantari, H 2021, Meet the Client, 1 August, viewed 19 Aug 2021 <
https://swinburne.instructure.com/courses/37927/pages/our-client?module_item_id=2263990 >.

Kalantari, H 2021, ‘Lecture Week 5 - Survey Research and Measurement’, MKT20019: Marketing
Research and Analytics, Learning materials via Canvas, Swinburne University of Technology, 3
September, viewed 15 September 2021.

McEwan, B 2011, ‘Hybrid engagement: How Facebook helps and hinders students’ social integration’,
Higher Education Administration with Social, vol. 2, pp. 3-23, viewed 21 September 2021
< https://doi.org/10.1108/S2044-9968(2011)0000002004 >

Mclennon, B 2008, ‘Work-integrated learning (WIL) in Australian universities: The challenges of


mainstreaming WIL’, ALTC NAGCAS National Symposium, Melbourne; Victoria, viewed 15
September 2021

Meyliana, Budiardjo, E, K, Hidayanto, A, N 2015, ‘Evaluation of Social Media Channel Preference for
Student Engagement Improvement in Universities Using Entropy and Topsis Method’, Journal of

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Industrial Engineering and Management, vol 8, no. 5, pp. 1676-1697, viewed 21 September 2021
< DOI:10.3926/jiem.1652 >

National Health and Medical Research Council 2018, ‘Australian


Code for Responsible Conduct of Research’, Universities Australia, viewed 21 September 2021
< www.nhmrc.gov.au/guidelines/publications/r41 >

NCVER 2021, ‘Generation Z: life during COVID-19’, The Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth
(LSAY), Infographic, viewed 15 September 2021
< https://www.lsay.edu.au/publications/search-for-lsay-publications/generation-z-life-during-covid-19 >

Swinburne University of Technology 2021, Annual Report 2020. [Online] viewed 21 August 2021
< https://www.swinburne.edu.au/about/strategy-initiatives/annual-report/ >

Universities, Australia 2019, ‘Work-integrated learning in universities’, Universities Australia, pp. 4 –


34 viewed 15 September 2021 <
https://internationaleducation.gov.au/internationalnetwork/australia/InternationalStrategy/EGIProjects/
Documents/WIL%20in%20universities%20- %20final%20report%20April%202019.pdf >.

Universities, Australia 2020, ‘Higher Education Facts and Figures’, Universities Australia, pp. 52-53,
viewed 15 September 2021
< https://www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/200917-HE-Facts-and-
Figures-2020.pdf >

Universities Australia 2013, University student finances in 2012: a study of financial circumstances of
domestic and international students in Australia’s universities, Centre for the Study of Higher
Education, University of Melbourne. viewed 15 September 2021

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Appendix

Appendix 1 – Measurement and Research Instruments

Question 1 – How old are you?

Age – Whole Number, Under 18 – 30+

Question 2 – What is your gender?

A = Male, B = Female, C = Non-Binary, D = Prefer Not to Say

Question 3 – What is your employment status?

A = Unemployed, B = Casual, C = Part-time, D = Fulltime

Question 4 – On average, how many hours do you work in a week?

A = Not Applicable, B = 1-10, C = 10-15, D = 20-25, E = 25-30, F = 30+

Question 5 - What is your level of awareness with the following WIL programs? Professional
Statement.

1 = Not Aware at all, 5 = Extremely Aware

Question 6 - What is your level of awareness with the following WIL programs? Internship.

1 = Not Aware at all, 5 = Extremely Aware

Question 7 – How interested would you be in undertaking this program as part of your degree?
Professional Placement.

1 = Not Interested, 3 = Moderately Interested, 5 = Extremely Interested

Question 8 - How interested would you be in undertaking this program as part of your degree?
Internship

1 = Not Interested, 3 = Moderately Interested, 5 = Extremely Interested

Question 9 - Do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Professional Placement and/or
Internship will help me find a job after graduating.

1 = Strongly Agree, 3 = Neither Agree/Disagree, 5= Strongly Disagree

Question 10 - Do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Professional Placement and/or
Internship will help me get workplace skills.

1 = Strongly Agree, 3 = Neither Agree/Disagree, 5= Strongly Disagree

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Question 11 - Do you agree or disagree with the following statements? I don't know if I have the right
qualifications and requirements to apply for WIL programs (Professional Placement and/or Internship)

1 = Strongly Agree, 3 = Neither Agree/Disagree, 5= Strongly Disagree

Question 12 - Do you agree or disagree with the following statements? I don't have enough time to
complete or apply for WIL programs (Professional Placement and/or Internship).

1 = Strongly Agree, 3 = Neither Agree/Disagree, 5= Strongly Disagree

Question 13 - Do you agree or disagree with the following statements? COVID-19 has affected my
studies.

1 = Strongly Agree, 3 = Neither Agree/Disagree, 5= Strongly Disagree

Question 14 - Do you agree or disagree with the following statements? COVID-19 has affected me
from applying for WIL programs (Professional Placement and/or Internship).

1 = Strongly Agree, 3 = Neither Agree/Disagree, 5= Strongly Disagree

Question 15 - Do you agree or disagree with the following statements? I fear of COVID-19.

1 = Strongly Agree, 3 = Neither Agree/Disagree, 5= Strongly Disagree

Question 16 - What communication channel do you prefer to use for uni information?

example: a university advertisement

A = Student Email, B = In Lecture/Tutorials, C = Campus Posters, D = Brochures, E = Letter in the


mail, F = SMS

Question 17 - What social media platforms do you use?

A = Whatsapp, B = Twitter, C = Instagram, D =Tiktok, E = Snapchat, F = Facebook, G = Linkedin, H =


Reddit

Question 18 - What faculty are you in at the moment?

1 = Business and Law, 2 = Health, Art and Design, 3 = Science, Engineering and Technology

Question 19 – Which suits you best?

A = Domestic Student, B = International Student, C = Not Sure

Question 20 – Currently, what year of your degree are you in?

1 = 1st, 2 = 2nd, 3 = 3rd, 4 = 4th, 5 = 5th+, 6 = Unsure

Question 21 – What is your GPA? GPA: Grade Point Average

Numerical value

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Appendix 2 – Survey (Research Objective One, Two and Three)

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