Scoping review finds clinical supervision of radiography students in Africa lacks structure and training

Clinical supervision of radiography students across Africa is shaped more by informal habits than by structured systems, according to a scoping review published in BMC Medical Education. The review synthesised reported supervisory knowledge, attitudes and practices within African radiography contexts, where clinical placements are central to developing professional competence and clinical reasoning but where theory–practice gaps frequently undermine learning.

The reviewers searched Scopus, Web of Science and PubMed, supplemented by manual reference screening, and included primary empirical studies published in English. Of 1,115 records identified, 15 studies from five African countries met the selection criteria. Data were extracted and synthesised using thematic analysis, following Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review framework.

Three themes emerged from the analysis. The first concerned limited formal supervisory training: many radiographers relied on experiential learning and informal “trial-and-error” approaches rather than structured preparation for their teaching role.

The second theme centred on motivation and systemic constraints. While intrinsic motivation to teach was evident among supervisors, high workload, staff shortages and resource limitations negatively influenced supervisory engagement and contributed to reduced student engagement on placement.

The third theme described supervisory practices that were frequently unstructured, characterised by the absence of standardised guidelines, inconsistent student orientation and limited formative feedback. These challenges were compounded by student overcrowding and weak institutional collaboration between universities and clinical sites.

The review’s authors note that across many African contexts, the absence of structured clinical education frameworks may compromise placement quality. Their synthesis indicates that the barriers to effective supervision are structural, organisational and pedagogical in nature, operating simultaneously at the level of individual supervisors, clinical departments and institutional partnerships.

As a scoping review, the study maps reported practices rather than testing interventions, and its findings are limited to the 15 included studies from five countries, so the picture may not be uniform across the continent. The review was conducted on published English-language empirical research, which may exclude relevant work in other languages.

To improve student outcomes, the authors conclude that supervisor roles should be professionalised through formal appointments and incentives, that standardised training and continuous professional development programmes should be implemented, and that robust partnerships between educational institutions, clinical sites and professional bodies should be fostered. They add that alignment with international best-practice benchmarks is critical to developing a competent, safe and sustainable radiography workforce across the region.

The review was published open access on 31 August 2026 as a research article in BMC Medical Education, providing a consolidated evidence base for educators and policymakers seeking to strengthen clinical education in African radiography training programmes.

Subject of Research: Clinical supervision practices for radiography students in African clinical placements

Article Title: Clinical supervision of radiography students in Africa: a scoping review of supervisory knowledge, attitudes, and practices

Article References: Ago, J. L., Ofori-Manteaw, B., Chau, M., Abdul-Razak, W., & Angaag, N. A. (2026). Clinical supervision of radiography students in Africa: a scoping review of supervisory knowledge, attitudes, and practices. BMC Medical Education. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-026-10311-w

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12909-026-10311-w

Keywords: clinical supervision, radiography education, scoping review, Africa, clinical placements, health professions education, supervisory training, student outcomes, medical education, workforce development, Clinical, supervision