Factors Influencing Supervisor-Supervisee Trust Relationship in Workplace-Based Assessments

Introduction:

Workplace-Based Assessment (WBA) is essential for medical training programs. The effectiveness of WBA depends on how supervisors and learners utilise the assessments. Studies suggest that variable behaviours during performance assessment may reflect the beliefs and perspectives of assessors and learners towards WBA. Many supervisees still perceive WBA as high-stakes, resulting in tokenistic participation and staged versions of their performance instead of showing their authentic work to create a positive impression. However, this approach can compromise the learning process.

 

The level of trust a person has in someone else is influenced by various personal factors. In the case of supervisor and supervisee, trust plays a crucial role in learning and development. However, the factors involved in developing trust between supervisor and supervisee are poorly understood. There is little information available about how the development of trust processes of both supervisor and supervisee may influence each other. Therefore, gaining insight into the development of the mutual trust relationship between supervisors and supervisees in a workplace-based assessment is crucial.