The pitfalls of work placement learning: perceptions of mechanical engineering students from a South African university

ABSTRACT

This article reports on a qualitative multi-case study exploring the challenges mechanical engineering students experience during work placement. The study collected data from 34 purposively selected mechanical engineering students. It found that constraining learning environments, ineffective industry mentors, low quality work affordances and negative student characteristics can compromise students’ work placement learning outcomes. It suggests that the coupling of ineffective mentors and constraining learning environments tends to be associated with low quality work affordances. Industry mentors were considered ineffective if they could not perform the dual role of work supervisors and teachers. It further suggests that some student attributes can also compromise work placement learning outcomes. It found that students who are not proactive or assertive often experience low quality work affordances. To remedy these shortcomings, universities should provide pre-placement training for students and industry mentors in the form of a seminar for industry mentors and simulated work placement for students.

KEYWORDS:

• Work placement learning
• constraining learning environment
• work affordances
• student experiences
• industry mentor

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tiyamike Ngonda

Dr Tiyamike Ngonda works for the Cape Peninsula University of Technology as a Senior Lecturer in Thermo-fluids. Tiyamike is also a practising engineer, registered as a Professional Engineer with the Engineering Council of South Africa. He obtained his PhD from the University of Cape Town in 2020. His research interests include vibrations of machine elements, thermodynamics and engineering education. His engineering education research focuses on placements and employability.

Corrinne Shaw

Dr Corrinne Shaw is based at the University of Cape Town in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Centre for Research in Engineering Education (CREE). In her role as Deputy Director of CREE, she manages the postgraduate portfolio. Dr Shaw completed her PhD degree at the University of Cape Town and is currently researching transitions in engineering education. Work placement represents a transition from an academic environment to a different socio-technical system, the workplace. The role and influence of different stakeholders and variables underlying the transition process are explored in this context.

Bruce Kloot

Dr Bruce Kloot is an Academic Development Lecturer in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Cape Town (UCT). He is a member of UCT’s Centre for Research in Engineering Education (CREE), a board member of the South African Society of Engineering Education (SASEE) and the Editor-in-Chief of the Southern Journal of Engineering Education (SJEE). Dr Kloot obtained his PhD in engineering education from UCT in 2015 and has authored various publications in higher education and engineering education. His work is influenced by the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu and he is currently focused on exploring the relationship between engineering and society, a research thread that weaves itself through a third-year course that he teaches called ‘Engineer in Society’.