Does Employer Communication Improve Student Learning?
When vocational students juggle full-time employment with day-release education, who holds the key to their success? Catherine Kimpton's fascinating action research project challenges assumptions about the role of employer engagement in student achievement.
Working as course manager for first-year ophthalmic dispensing students, Kimpton noticed a concerning pattern. Communication between the college, students, and their workplace supervisors seemed virtually non-existent. Drawing from her own experience as a former student on the same course, she recognized this disconnect might be undermining student support and engagement.
The research premise appeared logical: better communication should create a supportive triangle between educator, learner, and employer, leading to improved outcomes. Kimpton implemented a systematic approach, sending detailed letters to 55 employers explaining their supervisory responsibilities and requesting ongoing dialogue about student progress.
What makes this study particularly valuable is its honest examination of unexpected results. Despite Kimpton's best efforts to engage employers, only 11 out of 55 responded to her communications. More surprisingly, when comparing exam results with the previous year's cohort, student performance actually declined rather than improved.
The research revealed some uncomfortable truths about vocational education partnerships. Many employers appeared content to send students for training while maintaining minimal involvement in their educational journey. Even when supervisors did engage following poor attendance issues, interventions often came too late to prevent failure.
Through both quantitative analysis of exam results and qualitative observations of individual student cases, Kimpton discovered that student success remained primarily in the learner's own hands. External communication, however well-intentioned, couldn't substitute for personal motivation and commitment.
The study's strength lies in its methodological reflection. Kimpton carefully considered variables that might have skewed her results – different markers, exam timing changes, and natural cohort variations. This honest self-evaluation demonstrates mature research thinking and provides valuable lessons for future investigations.
Rather than viewing her findings as failure, Kimpton embraced the learning opportunity. Her research challenges the assumption that more communication automatically equals better outcomes, while highlighting the complex dynamics between education providers and industry partners.
For educators in vocational settings, this research offers realistic insights into employer engagement challenges and student responsibility dynamics, proving that sometimes the most valuable research outcomes are the ones we didn't expect.