Feedback is a tool that can be used to give students the confirmation of their accomplishments , helping them to increase understanding of the results of a performance and to alert students if change is required for future performance. Other studies and reports regarding clinical practice in education has shown that students feel that feedback has good impact on learning and positive effects such as enhanced self-confidence. Onboard training forms a major part of the education at the four-year nautical science education in Kalmar, in four years, one year is spent on board ships. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to find out how students at the four-year nautical science program in Kalmar felt that they receive feedback after completing on board training and how they wish that such feedback would be given. Six students were interviewed, three from grade one and three from grade three. The interviews were directed to an open form with a low degree of standardization. The results showed that all respondents felt they would prefer feedback from the school, even though all of them felt they had received good feedback on board the ships. The students would like to be given feedback by mentoring from other students during training, group discussions after on board training or short individual meetings between representative from the school and the student after completing on board training. All of the respondents felt that feedback is important to be able to learn from on board training and to know how to prepare for the next on board training. The study also revealed that students at the four-year nautical science program would like to gain more confirmation of what they are supposed to perform and if good results are obtained after completing on board training.

Syftet: Vi har undersökt sambandet mellan teoretiskt och praktiskt lärande på det fyraåriga sjökaptensprogrammet vid Linnéuniversitetet. Vi inriktade oss på att undersöka huruvida teoretisk kunskap är en förutsättning för att förstaårsstudenterna skall kunna uppfylla förväntade studiemål för den första fartygsförlagda utbildningen. Metod: Vi gjorde en litteraturstudie som omfattade det fyraåriga sjökaptensprogrammet samt tre närbesläktade yrkesutbildningar. I vårt teorikapitel behandlade vi även tre olika typer av handledningsmodeller som samtliga på ett eller annat sätt är applicerbara på nämnda utbildningar.  För att kunna kritiskt granska vår litteraturstudie och för att ta reda på det faktiska förhållandet i frågan genomförde vi fem informantintervjuer. Resultat: Vi har kunnat se en rad likheter i utbildningarnas upplägg mellan teoretiskt och praktiskt lärande samt kunnat urskilja vilka handledningsmodeller som används. Slutsats: Den Grundläggande säkerhetsutbildningen är en förutsättning för studenten att få gå ut på den första fartygsförlagda utbildningen men är inte en förutsättning för att studenten skall kunna uppnå de förväntade studiemålen av densamma. Vi har kunnat konstatera att handledaren och handledarens kunskap och kompetens spelar en mycket central roll för vilka förutsättningar som studenten ges för att kunna uppnå studiemålen för den första fartygsförlagda utbildningen / The purpose: We have investigated the relationship between theoretical and practical learning of the Nautical Science Program(4years) at the Linnaeus University. We focused on examining whether the theoretical knowledge is a prerequisite for the students to meet the expected learning outcomes during the first ship based training. Method: We preformed a literature review covering four different educations. We did also look in to three different types of mentoring models which in one way or another are applicable to those courses. In order to critically examine our literature and to find out the actual condition, we conducted five interviews with informants. Result: Made it possible to see a number of similarities in educational programs approach between theoretical and practical learning and guidance models used. Conclusion: The Basic Safety Training is a prerequisite for students to go out on the ship based training but it is not a prerequisite for achieving the expected learning outcome. We have noted that the supervisor and the supervisor’s knowledge and skills plays a central role for the conditions in which the student is given in order to achieve the study objectives of the first ship based training.