Article Gold Open Access 2022

An interview study to explore the perceived usefulness of in-house training programs in tourism and hospitality education

Heliyon
Journal · Vol. 8 · Issue 12 · Art. e12547
Abstract

COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption of online teaching and learning modes. It has also abruptly changed the traditional teaching and learning methods that originally relied on physical attendance, including student internships. In-house training programs were launched by the university to offer students an alternative to their regular internships. The study is designed to investigate how university students in tourism and hospitality education perceive the usefulness of their in-house training in absence of industry placements. An exploratory methodological approach was adopted by conducting 25 semi-structured in-depth interviews with student interns to understand their experiences during the in-house training. The empirical findings revealed that the in-house program, in its current state, is not to be considered a permanent alternative for tourism and hospitality undergraduate students. The article concludes by presenting implications for educators, policymakers, and education researchers derived from the academic and practical discussions based on the findings. © 2022 The Author(s)

Keywords

Author Keywords

Higher education COVID-19 Internships Competency development Undergraduate Tourism and Hospitality Education

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism, Prince of Songkla University, Hatyai, Songkhla, Thailand
Funding & Acknowledgements
Prince of Songkla University, PSU
Twenty-five (25) semi-structured interviews were conducted with full-time undergraduate students at the Prince of Songkla University in Phuket, Thailand. The semi-structured interviews were conducted in April 2022 by the lead investigator and were supported by a research assistant. The interviews were completed in-person off-campus within the vicinity of the university. The semi-structured interviews were guided by an eleven-item interview guide ( Table 2 ) with appropriate probing questions for each item. The length of the interviews ranged from 20 min to 37 min with an average duration of 27 min.
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