Nevison, C., & Pretti, T. J. (2016). Exploring cooperative education students' performance and success: A case study. Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 17(3), 325-335.
The success of cooperative education programs depends upon the mutual benefit of the student and supervisor. This study looks to investigate how the workplace environment, including the support and the requirements of the role, can impact the performance and productivity of the co-op student, resulting in greater outcomes for both the student and the supervisor. Through a qualitative case study, the experiences of the cooperative education (co-op) student workers were explored within a specific co-op workplace that has consistently produced high levels of student performance. Interviews conducted with the student workers of the workplace of interest revealed useful insight into how student performance can be improved. Emerging themes such as self-determination theory, organizational commitment, and mentorship were explored with the aim of making recommendations that may be applicable across co-op workplaces. A model to describe the findings is proposed.