Perspective of workplace supervisors on their role as “teachers” of transferable skills

Workplace attachment organised as part of the university curriculum are excellent opportunities for students to gain transferable skills that are valuable when they graduate (Feldmann, 2016). Yet unlike a formal classroom curriculum, workplace learning is not as structured and work attachment supervisors thus play an important role ensure that learning takes place. Using the theory of constructive alignment (Biggs, 2011), the perspective of supervisors were sought through semi-structured interviews in terms of their expectations (learning outcomes), coaching (teaching strategies) and appraisal (assessment) of the student that they supervised. A thematic analysis of the data revealed variations in the manner that expectations were set, the role supervisors play in coaching students, as well as how they arrive at a judgement on how the student performed. Finally, a method of co-creating workplace learning outcomes was recommended to address the gaps and mirror the tripartite relationship between university, industry and student in work-based learning (Morley, 2001).