Analysis of the current situation and identification of alternative approaches to internship learning environments in engineering curricula of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

The present article is in search of identifying the type of exposure to designing internship learning environments for engineering students. The research method was descriptive and document analysis. In the analysis of the experienced curriculum, the statistical society included engineering students of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad who had passed the internship unit and their number was 250 people. A total of 135 people were selected using the Cochran’s formula as a sample and answered a  researcher-made questionnaire that consisted of 23 items and corresponded to the nine elements of the curriculum. In the intended curriculum analysis, 6 curriculum documents were selected as a targeted sample. The results were analyzed using one-dimensional chi-square test (chi-square). The results showed that students evaluated the experienced curriculum in terms of dimensions such as the relevance of content to professional activities and scientific needs of the industry (p < 0.001) and in other cases significantly evaluated the type of educational design as partial educational design  (p < 0.05).The results of the intended curriculum by reviewing the curriculum approved by the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology and evaluating the curriculum of the faculty members of the Faculty of Engineering of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad also showed that the design of internship learning environments has been neglected. Adopting a holistic approach based on task-based learning environments is suggested as an alternative approach in internship training design.