2023-2024 Program Evaluation and Education Research (PEER) Group Undergraduate Internship Report
Executive Summary
The Program Evaluation and Education Research (PEER) Group at the Friday Institute at North Carolina State University developed an innovative undergraduate internship program in the 2020 – 2021 academic year. The two-semester-long paid internship was developed to provide undergraduate students from underserved communities with exposure to educational research and evaluation opportunities, and it is paid for through Federal Work-Study grants with supplemental funding from the Friday Institute’s Executive Director. The internship emphasizes that no prior research experience is required to help create more equitable pathways for paid internship opportunities.
Now in its fourth year, the program continues to adapt to meet intern and PEER Group team member needs. This evaluation documents the strengths and areas of growth of the internship program. This program evaluation found that interns developed technical research and evaluation skills, such as learning software programs to help them collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative data. They also gained transferable skills that they could take with them as they pursue their studies or in the workforce. In particular, interns improved their ability to communicate using different methods, and they learned how to use softwares, such as Qualtrics, Zotero and Atlas.ti, which could help them in future roles. PEER Group members also felt that due to working closely with specific interns this year, they were more efficient in their work.
This year’s evaluation produced a number of recommendations to help the internship become even more effective in the future. These include having regular check-ins between interns and PEER Group members, conducting more in-person meetings for better communication and camaraderie and providing more networking opportunities for interns.
Evaluation Findings
- How, and to what extent, did the PEER internship program expose interns to the environment and expectations of educational research and evaluation?
Interns gained new insights into the field of education. For the first time, they were exposed to educational research and evaluation. They were able to see what occurs behind the scenes in education rather than sitting in a classroom on the receiving end of education. For some, the amount of and types of work that go into research and evaluation was a surprise, and they realized there is much more to education than attending school.
Perhaps one of the greatest hallmarks of this program is that the recruitment process emphasizes that no prior research or experience in education is required. This therefore helps attract students from the entire University across disciplinary fields, yet it provides cross-cutting research and evaluation skills they can use in their own disciplines. This year, it was obvious that students appreciated and were introduced to specific skills, such as undertaking literature reviews and learning how to code qualitative data, but they were also exposed more generally to the many different aspects of conducting educational research. These will be examined more specifically in the following section.
- How, and to what extent, did the PEER internship program develop interns’ transferable workforce skills?
Throughout the internship, students gained opportunities to expand transferable skills that they could use as they continue their academic careers as well as in a future job. One of the biggest areas of growth for interns was their ability to communicate. This included with supervisors and teammates as well as the different tools for communication, such as through person-to-person conversations and online via Slack. Other major areas of growth for interns included learning new softwares and gaining skills to teach and lead others.
- How, and to what extent, did the PEER internship program enhance PEER Group operations?
A focus group with three PEER Group members who worked closely with interns over the 2023 – 2024 program year revealed the advantages of hiring interns to support the team. In particular, interns contributed to PEER Group operations in four different ways: (1) completing tasks that PEER group members delegated to interns that matched their novice research and evaluation skills; (2) contributing to the overall efficiency of small project teams; (3) contributing to the cost efficiency of project teams; and (4) providing PEER Group members with mentorship and professional development opportunities.
Future Directions
- Conduct in-person meetings from the beginning. Conducting meetings in person will be beneficial for creating a sense of community from the beginning. Interns expressed how they wanted to get to know each other better, and implementing this practice in the fall semester can help provide interns with more opportunities to make deeper connections with each other.
- Match interns to specific projects. Interns and PEER Group members alike had positive experiences when they worked closely together on a long-term project. For the interns, this created buy-in on the project, and they understood project details. For PEER Group members, they felt their time was used more efficiently as they did not have to re-explain the project to a different intern each week. It also provided PEER Group members with mentorship opportunities.
- Ensure a diversity of professional development opportunities. To continue facilitating learning, the internship coordinator will continue to seek new professional development opportunities for interns. This will be particularly important when and if any interns return for a second year. Ensuring that new speakers are brought in and new learning opportunities are provided will continue ensuring that the internship remains relevant and up-to-date.
- Provide more networking opportunities. Interns appreciated opportunities when they could meet other Friday Institute staff. While they experienced professional development sessions, including interns in events at the Friday Institute, such as team meetings, lunch and learns, and retreats, they will be able to interact with more people in the education field and build their professional network.
- Encourage collaboration among interns. While interns enjoyed working on individual projects with PEER Group team members, they expressed wanting opportunities to work with each other. To facilitate this, the internship coordinator will seek opportunities where interns can work together on a dedicated project.
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Authors and contributors
Related Resources
2022-2023 Program Evaluation and Education Research (PEER) Group Undergraduate Internship Report
This evaluation report details the implementation and impact of this program during its third year.
This evaluation report details the implementation and impact of this program during its second year.
This brief summarizes the pilot year evaluation report that details the implementation and impact of the Program Evaluation and Education Research (PEER) internship program for undergraduate students. Findings suggest that the program was successful in accomplishing its three goals.
This evaluation report details the implementation and impact of this program during its pilot year. Findings suggest that the program was successful in accomplishing its three goals.
Projects
The Program Evaluation and Education Research (PEER) Internship Program for Undergraduate Students
This internship is a paid work-study opportunity for undergraduate students to learn new research, evaluation and leadership skills. Interns will receive training in educational research and evaluation techniques while contributing to PEER Group projects.
Published
2024
Resource Type
Report
Published By
Friday Institute for Educational Innovation