The main instrument of improving the social work education in the Czech Republic is the guideline The Minimum Standards of Education in Social Work issued by the Association of Educators in Social Work. According to this Standard, a student of social work, as a future social worker, shall have not only theoretical, but also practical knowledge which include professional practical training and supervision. It is also essential to become aware of the fact that a student, as a future social worker, will bear the responsibility when helping people in difficulties. Therefore, the school should ensure that any information a student receives during his/her study, is supplied to him/her in a seizable form. That is why it is important that the school provides its students with a supervision which is to improve the quality of their professional preparation, offer them insight in social worker profession and help them solve not only any divergences a student can see between theory and practice. The aim of the Dissertation is to seek higher-education supervisors´ and students´ views of the supervision implemented as a part of future social workers´ studies. Two research questions have been raised within the Dissertation. How do the students future social workers perceive the supervision which is implemented as a part of studies? What do supervisors consider as the purpose of supervision (which is realised as a part of studies) for students future social workers? The necessary information for the elaboration of the Dissertation were acquired through qualitative research. Interviewing and a semi-structured dialogue technique were chosen as the most suitable data collection method. Two research groups were chosen for the needs of the Dissertation. The first group consists of highest-class students in the field of social work at the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences and Faculty of Theology at the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. The other research group consists of supervisors operating at the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences and Faculty of Theology at the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. The research showed that students perceive supervision as useful and purposeful. Students appreciate the possibility of exchanging their experience. Differences appeared regarding the duration of the supervision session. Students mostly do not know what to talk about during supervision. Greater part of the students has not a problem to confide to a supervisor, but shortcomings were also found in this respect. Regarding the supervisors of professional practical training, in their opinion, the purpose of supervision is especially to educate students, improve students' knowledge, interconnect the theory and the practice, support students in the course of their professional practical training and give students the opportunity to reflect their own practical experience. There was also raised an idea to establish supervision directly in workplaces, where students exercise their professional practical training. The Dissertation may serve as a feedback for supervisors and as an educational material for students. It can also be used to obtain a more comprehensive picture of functioning of school supervisions of professional practical training that takes place in universities.

Universities in Zimbabwe have universally adopted a full-year integrated undergraduate student workplace-based learning pedagogy following the precedent set in 1991 by one pioneering university, the National University of Science and Technology. In this explorative study I analyse participants’ views, reflections and understanding of how the full-year model of workplace-based learning enhances quality academic practices and impacts on short, medium and long-term visions and opportunities for students and other stakeholders. I employed the embedded concurrent mixed methods research design (Creswell&Clark, 2007) using interviews with lecturers, university administrators and industry supervisors, as well as open-ended questions in three matched versions of a questionnaire to students, lecturers and industry supervisors respectively. The same questionnaire provided quantitative data that was statistically analysed. Interviews were conducted with 24 participants from the university under study, industry and other universities, while 363 university students, 40 NUST lecturers and 34 industry supervisors responded to the respective questionnaires. Students, lecturers and industry supervisors concurred on the coherence between industry experiences and university learning, the beneficial experiences at the workplace, and the relevance of those experiences to society, confirming the expressed view that industry-based learning promoted quality learning and teaching, and enabled students to become work-ready. However there were perceptions of inadequate student supervision and assessment, unsatisfactory student welfare safeguards, inadequate research enthusiasm among lecturers, and the lack of involvement of the whole spectrum of industry categories. There was an underlying regard for lifelong learning enabling societal transformation into the increasingly dominant industrialised culture. Lecturers indicated an appreciation for a holistic orientation to teaching and learning (Taylor, 2009), and were inclined towards adopting the hermeneutic approach to education (Danner, 2002). It is recommended, among other things, to revitalise effective practices through staff development efforts, increasing student knowledge and empowerment, and strengthening collaborative platforms between the university and its industry partners. Chief among the suggestions for future research is the understanding and promotion of student welfare during their placement in the workplaces. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / unrestricted