Analysing Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Students’ Performance Evaluation: A Focus on Supervisors’ Feedback

Description

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21886772

Penitence Ndebele (Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Management, iYunivesithi Walter Sisulu, Butterworth, South Africa)

Work-integrated learning (WIL) has become a largely significant component of higher learning for some programs and some authorities have mandated that WIL be part of the learning curriculum. During WIL placements, students are supervised by industry experts who can train and evaluate their performance. Supervisors’ feedback is essential, as it reflects students’ abilities and skills relative to industry requirements. Research has largely focused on the students’ own reflection of their WIL experience, thus indicating a gap in the use of industry supervisors’ feedback to measure performance. Secondary supervisors’ feedback data from students’ logbooks were used to analyse students’ performance and the study found that students were highly dependable but lacked problem solving skills, taking risks and making independent decisions. It is recommended that during theoretical learning, students are tasked with assignments that will help them develop critical thinking, independence and risk-taking skills.