An Eventful Experience: Measuring student voice and satisfaction through co-designed work-integrated learning in sport management education

This case study explores how student voice shapes perceptions of agency within a co-designed work-integrated learning (WIL) experience in a sport management program. Centred on collaborative planning and delivery of an authentic sport participation festival alongside elite events, the project placed students as active co-creators of their learning environment. Through semi-structured interviews and focus groups, students reported heightened confidence, stronger connections with peers and community partners, and a sense of ownership linking theory to practice. Merging co-creative pedagogies with work-integrated learning experiences through the elevation of student voice resulted in the creation of the Co-creative WIL planning matrix. The model is a practitioner-focused framework for embedding student-led co-design into WIL contexts. In doing so, it highlights the impact student perspectives have on authentic experiences, integrated curriculum, and reflective learning. By amplifying student voice in process and reflection, this research offers a guide for the implementation of student-led co-design in work-integrated learning across the UK, sport, and higher education sectors.