Measuring internship quality in education: A Systematic review and comparative synthesis of internship scales
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21831/jpv.v15i2.78700Keywords:
internship quality, measurement scale, vocational education, work readinessAbstract
Internship programs play a strategic role in bridging academic learning and workplace practice; however, the quality of these programs is often assessed using diverse and fragmented instruments. The absence of standardized and theoretically robust internship quality scales has resulted in inconsistent measurement, limiting cross-study comparability and evidence-based improvements. This study systematically reviews and compares measurement scales that have been used to evaluate the quality of internship programs in educational contexts. Employing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, articles were identified from Scopus and Google Scholar using predefined keywords, screened through identification, eligibility, and inclusion stages, and filtered based on year of publication (2000–2024), focus on internship quality, explicit reference to measurement instruments, and student samples. Twelve empirical studies met the inclusion criteria. The review highlights several key instruments, including the Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS), Internship Quality Inventory (IQI), Questionnaire for Professional Training Evaluation (Q4TE), Vocational Internship Evaluation Scale, and other adapted scales. Findings show that while employee-based instruments (e.g., JDS) capture job characteristics and motivation, education-specific scales (particularly IQI) provide a more comprehensive conceptualization by integrating autonomy, supervision quality, learning opportunities, and social support. Nonetheless, none of the identified scales fully address contextual, cultural, and programmatic variations across institutions. This review contributes a consolidated mapping of internship quality scales, clarifies their strengths and limitations, and underscores the need for developing theoretically grounded, context-sensitive, and standardized instruments for educational settings. Future research should emphasize scale validation across cultures and disciplines and integrate mixed-methods approaches to strengthen construct validity and practical relevance.
References
Aminah, S., Hidayah, N., Hanurawan, F., & Indreswari, H. (2024). Tailoring of the career adaptabilities scale for Indonesian youth. Children and Youth Services Review, 166, 107914. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107914
Anwar, Z., Hanurawan, F., Chusniyah, T., Setiyowati, N., & Rehman, S. (2024). Measurement Models and Predictors of Student Academic Success: A Systematic Literature Review. Scientia, 3(1), 29–42. https://doi.org/10.51773/sssh.v3i1.252
Azky, S. & Mulyana, O. P. (2024). Faktor-Faktor Yang Mempengaruhi Kesiapan Kerja Mahasiswa: Literature Review. Innovative: Journal Of Social Science Research, 4(3), 3178–3192. https://doi.org/10.31004/innovative.v4i3.10762
Balzer, W. K., Kihm, J. A., Smith, P. C., Irwin, J. L., Bachiochi, P. D., Robie, C., & Sinar, E. F. (1997). User's manual for the job descriptive index (JDI; 1997 revision) and the job in general (JIG) scales. Bowling Green State University.
Barbarash, M. (2016). Assessing internship learning: A qualitative case study approach. Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 17(4), 285–298.
Billett, S. (2014). Learning through work: Workplace affordances and individual engagement. Journal of Workplace Learning, 26(5), 273–285.
Cho, S. (2006). The impact of internship program features on interns' satisfaction and job performance: Evidence from Korea University Business School. Asia Pacific Education Review, 7(2), 214–226.
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). Sage.
Dessler, G. (2009). Human resource management (11th ed.). Pearson Prentice Hall.
Ebner, A., & Soucek, R. (2021). The impact of internship quality on job satisfaction and organizational commitment: A study of Austrian university students. European Journal of Training and Development, 45(3), 266–282.
Erbil, N., Yılmaz, F., & Erbil, G. (2023). Development and psychometric testing of the nursing student internship evaluation scale. Nurse Education Today, 118, 105585.
Gamboa, D. (2011). The internship quality inventory [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. The University of Texas at Austin.
Gault, J., Leach, E., & Duey, M. (2000). International' ratings of career skill preparation. Journal of Employment Counseling, 37(1), 26–38.
Grohmann, A., & Kauffeld, S. (2013). Evaluating professional training: Development and validation of a questionnaire. International Journal of Training and Development, 17(4), 251–265.
Hackman, J. R., & Oldham, G. R. (1974). The job diagnostic survey: An instrument for the diagnosis of jobs and the evaluation of job redesign projects. JSAS Catalog of Selected Documents in Psychology, 4(1), 159.
Hidayah, N. (2015). Mengasah Keterampilan Berpikir Kritis dan Kreatif.
Jackson, D. (2015). Employability skill development in work-integrated learning: Barriers and best practice. Higher Education Research & Development Society of Australasia.
Jackson, D., & Collings, D. (2018). Work-integrated learning in Australian higher education: Perspectives on the student experience. Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, 9(2), 50-65.
Knouse, S. B., & Wan, Y. (2013). Measuring internship quality: Development and initial validation of the internship quality inventory. Journal of Employment Counseling, 50(2), 72–85.
Lam, T., & Ching, L. (2007). An exploratory study of an internship program: The case of Hong Kong students. Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, 1(1), 70–83.
Neelam, R., Jain, V., & Neelam, S. (2015). A study on internship satisfaction of MBA students in select management institutes in Delhi and NCR [National Capital Region]. International Journal of Research in Economics and Social Sciences, 5(11), 1–12.
Nghia, T. L. H., & Duyen, N. T. M. (2019). Internship programs: An investigation of internship satisfaction and perceived learning outcomes. Journal of Education and Work, 32(1), 1–18.
Rizqiansyah, M. Z. A., Hanurawan, F., & Setiyowati, N. (2017). Hubungan Antara Beban Kerja Fisik Dan Beban Kerja Mental Berbasis Ergonomi Terhadap Tingkat Kejenuhan Kerja Pada Karyawan PT Jasa Marga (Persero) Tbk Cabang Surabaya Gempol.
Rodríguez-Molina, M. í., Rodríguez-Ariza, L., & Heilbron, D. C. (2022). Internship quality and career adaptability: The mediating role of career satisfaction. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 135, 103720.
Safitri, N., Farida, I. A., Eva, N., & Puspitasari, D. N. (2022). Hubungan Antara Harga Diri dan Optimisme Dalam Menghadapi Dunia Kerja Pada Mahasiswa. Flourishing Journal, 2(4), 267–276. https://doi.org/10.17977/um070v2i42022p267-276
Åžahin, S., Åžendir, M., & Åžahin, F. (2016). The development and validation of the Nightingale intern program evaluation scale (NIPES). Nurse Education in Practice, 19, 1–7.
Santosa, P. I. (2024). Pengaruh Job Crafting Terhadap Kinerja Karyawan Melalui Employee Engagement Pada Karyawan Generasi Milenial dan Generasi Z di Industri Media [Unpublished thesis]. Universitas Indonesia.
Silva, P. N., Lopes, A. F., & Silva, M. C. (2016). Internship programs: A tool for the development of professional skills. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 228, 376–382.
Suyanto, M., Machali, I., & Soesanto, H. (2019). The influence of internship program on students' work readiness: The mediating role of career adaptability. Journal of Social Studies Education Research, 10(3), 127–144.
Uslu, í–. (2022). Development of vocational internship evaluation scale. Journal of Measurement and Evaluation in Education and Psychology, 13(1), 187–208.
Weng, Q., McElwee, G., & Warren, A. M. (2019). Enhancing student learning through work-integrated learning (WIL): The role of reflection. Higher Education Research & Development, 38(4), 760-773.
Yi, X. (2022). Internship quality and turnover intention: The mediating role of job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 46(1), 126–147.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Citation Check
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Jurnal Pendidikan Vokasi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The authors submitting a manuscript to this journal agree that, if accepted for publication, copyright publishing of the submission shall be assigned to Jurnal Pendidikan Vokasi. However, even though the journal asks for a copyright transfer, the authors retain (or are granted back) significant scholarly rights.
The copyright transfer agreement form can be downloaded here: [JPV Copyright Transfer Agreement Form]
The copyright form should be signed originally and sent to the Editorial Office through email to jpvokasi@uny.ac.id
Jurnal Pendidikan Vokasi by http://journal.uny.ac.id/index.php/jpv is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
