Thesis (MPhil)-- Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: At the core of clinical education, within the allied health professions, is the teaching-learning relationship between the clinical educator and the student which is reinforced by and grounded in the explanatory theories of socio-constructivism, experiential learning and positioning. A good teaching-learning relationship is fundamental to the success of the students’ learning in the clinical environment. Clinical educators fulfil a dual role as mentors and assessors to students. The purpose of this study is to explore the students’ and clinical educators’ perceptions of the dual role of a clinical educator of students in the physiotherapy clinical environment, and how the perceptions of both parties influence the teaching-learning relationship. By following a phenomenological qualitative research approach with an interpretivist paradigm the researcher obtained data from focus groups and individual interviews. Data analysis involved a contextualised interpretive content analysis paradigm. The perceptions of the participants in the teaching-learning relationship, their particular expectations, challenges and preferences, reflect their experiences and are presented in the findings of the study. The findings of this study are comprehensively discussed and recommendations are made to transform the teaching-learning relationship by repositioning the participants (both students and clinical educators) in order to enhance the quality of the clinical learning experience within the physiotherapy clinical environment. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die onderrig-leerproses-verhouding tussen die kliniese dosent en die student vorm die kern van kliniese onderrig, ondersteun deur en op grond van die verduidelikende teorieë van sosiale konstruktivisme, leerervaring en posisionering, vir verwante gesondheidsberoepe. Die onderrigleerproses- verhouding word daarom beskou as die grondslag vir die sukses van leergeleenthede, aangesien die kwalitiet van die verhouding deurslagggewend is om studente se leerproses in die kliniese omgewing te ondersteun. Kliniese dosente speel ‘n dubbele rol as mentors en assessore vir studente. Die doel van die studie is om studente en kliniese dosente se sienings van die dubbele rol van ‘n kliniese dosent van studente binne die kliniese onderrigveld van fisioterapie in die kliniese omgewing te ondersoek, asook hoe die persepsies van albei partye die onderigleerproses- verhouding beinvloed. Die data word verkry van fokusgroepe en individuele onderhoude deur ‘n fenomenologiese kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering met ‘n interpreterende paradigma te volg. Die data is ontleed volgens ‘n kontekstuele interpreterende inhoudsontledingsproses. Die persepsies van die deelnemers aan die onderrig-leerprosesverhouding, hul spesifieke verwagtinge, uitdagings en voorkeure as drie breë temas van hierdie tesis, weerspieël hul ervarings en word weergegee in die bevindings van die studie. Die navorsing bespreek hierdie bevindings en doen regstellende aanbevelings oor die bevindings. Hierdeur kan die onderrig-leerproses-verhouding, deur herposisionering van albei partye (studente sowel as kliniese dosente), getransformeer word en die gehalte van die kliniese leerervaring in die fisioterapeutiese kliniese omgewing verbeter word.