Communication Barriers Cause Student Dropouts in Vocational Higher Education, New Research Reveals

Ilustration by AI 

FORMOSA NEWS

A new study published in 2026 by researchers Muhyiddin Aziz and Teguh Priyo Sadono from Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya reveals that communication breakdowns among students, academic advisors, and parents are major drivers of college dropouts and academic leave. The research, which focused on the D3 English Study Program at Politeknik Negeri Madiun, indicates that student attrition is often caused by a failure to coordinate meaning and a lack of empathetic communication, rather than a lack of academic ability. These findings matter because national dropout rates in Indonesia persist between 3% and 5% annually, making effective support networks critical for student retention.

Background: Relational Tensions in the Digital Era

Student retention remains a global benchmark for university success. In Indonesia's vocational institutions, Generation Z students encounter intense pressure as they transition into independent higher education environments. These digital natives experience unique learning conditions, financial stress, and high family expectations.

Traditional university interventions frequently focus solely on grades and attendance. However, minor interpersonal misunderstandings often grow into severe relational tensions over time. Fragmented communication networks prevent academic advisors and families from recognizing early warning signs before a student decides to withdraw entirely.

Methodology: Analyzing Triadic Interaction

The researchers utilized a qualitative case study design to examine the relational dynamics in their natural setting. They relied on purposive sampling to select 18 primary informants, including:

• 8 students at risk of dropping out or holding a GPA below 2.75
• 4 academic advisors
• 6 parent representatives

Data collection combined three separate qualitative techniques: participant observation during advising sessions, in-depth interviews across all informant groups, and secondary verification via official academic records. The accumulated qualitative data were condensed, mapped, and interpretively analyzed using NVivo 12 software to categorize specific communication hurdles.

Key Findings: Three Vectors of Failure

The analysis by Muhyiddin Aziz and Teguh Priyo Sadono identified three distinct clusters of communication failure that heighten dropout risks:

• Sociological Distance: Students from working-class backgrounds lack the higher education cultural capital to navigate campus terminology and administrative rules. Observational data showed highly asymmetrical, rigid hierarchies where students remain passive and treat advisors as authority figures rather than accessible mentors.
• Academic Expectation Mismatch: A sharp gap exists between student desires and institutional reality. Academic advisors demand independent, self-directed learning, whereas students expect step-by-step guidance. Furthermore, students interpret academic setbacks as personal failures, while advisors view them as an ongoing lack of student adjustment.
• Triadic Network Disintegration: Communication channels function in isolation. Advisors speak to students only during rigid administrative windows, parents rely on incomplete updates from their children, and zero formal joint forums exist. Consequently, parents discover severe academic trouble only when a student faces immediate dismissal.

Implications and Real-World Impact

These findings provide a clear roadmap for vocational higher education institutions aiming to safeguard student retention. By moving away from reactive, administrative, and purely prescriptive advising, universities can build structural trust that encourages early intervention.

To solve this, the study details a practical, multidimensional collaborative communication model that institutions can implement immediately:

1. Preventive Systems: Structuring mandatory, recurring check-ins that actively connect the student, advisor, and parent before problems escalate.
2. Empathetic Advisor Training: Reconstructing the advisor's institutional role into a humanistic facilitator trained in relational communication.
3. Integrated Information Platforms: Launching dedicated portals that supply parents with direct, real-time access to student performance data.

Implementing these steps transforms parents into proactive communication partners and bridges the expectation gaps threatening Generation Z learners.

Academic Perspective

"The phenomenon of students taking academic leave and eventually dropping out remains a serious challenge across higher education institutions," state researchers Muhyiddin Aziz and Teguh Priyo Sadono from Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya. "Academic leave and dropout risk are caused not only by academic difficulty but also by failures of meaning coordination and weak empathic communication."

Author Profiles

• Muhyiddin Aziz holds an academic degree from Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya. He specializes in educational communication, student retention strategies, and qualitative institutional research.
• Teguh Priyo Sadono is a researcher and academic faculty member at Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya. His area of expertise includes higher education sociology, communication networks, and vocational student development.

Source Information

Article Title: A Critical Evaluation of Multidimensional Communication Barriers: Reconstructing the Role of Academic Advisors and Parents in Mitigating Student Dropout
Journal Name: Formosa Journal of Social Sciences (FJSS)
Publication Year: 2026
DOI : https://doi.org/10.55927/fjss.v5i2.10
URL : https://journalfjss.my.id/index.php/fjss/index