Tourism and cooperative education in UK undergraduate courses:: are the benefits being realised?

Abstract

This article presents a critical appraisal of the extent to which students primarily, but also host Departments and employers in the tourism sector, are realising the benefits attributed to cooperative education in course design and delivery in undergraduate tourism management courses. Although the study is based on research in the UK, it is argued that the discussion and findings are of relevance and potentially applicable to similar courses irrespective of where they are delivered. The article draws extensively on the findings of a comprehensive investigation into the planning, practices and outcomes of the most frequently practised form of cooperative education, namely student work experience. Key outcomes of this study are presented and in the process comparisons drawn with the results of earlier studies. In the light of the results and given contemporary developments in higher education and in business practices in the 1990s the authors question whether any real progress has been made in realising the benefits of this substantial element of cooperative education since the late 1980s. Recommendations to address this are presented.