Learning Through Experience: The Transition From Doctoral Student to Social Work Educator

2013 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julianne S. Oktay ◽  
Jodi M. Jacobson ◽  
Elizabeth Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Doctoral Student ◽  
Learning Through Experience

Art of Becoming a Social Work practice educator

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1-2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shabnam Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Worker ◽  
Doctoral Student ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Supervisory Relationship ◽  
Reflective Supervision

      Through this practice note, I share some of my reflections and learning of becoming a practice educator.  The experience has enhanced my skills as a social worker and team manager and now as a social work doctoral student.  Based on my observations of supervision as a practice assessor and my experience of having many different managers throughout my career, I have noticed when social workers move into management without a practice educator qualification, the supervisory relationship experience is a different one than that of a practice educator – turned manager.  I question why this is.  Is reflective supervision only reserved for students? I am suggesting that it should not be.  Each supervisor should be supported and enabled to connect with their Art, as supervision is a form of Art.   

scholarly journals A Tribute to the Late Dr. Sulayman Shehu Nyang

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 122-127
Author(s):  
Altaf Hussain
Keyword(s):  
Social Movements ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Department Chair ◽  
Doctoral Student ◽  
Associate Professor ◽  
Policy Practice ◽  
Rare Exception ◽  
Howard University ◽  
The World ◽  
School Of Social Work

It was Fall 1998, here I was, at Howard University, the mecca. Walking thehistoric grounds of the campus, I was tracing the footsteps of luminariesand intellectual giants, scientists and activists, who gave birth to inventionsand social movements, and who were of African, Afro-Caribbean and AfricanAmerican descent, among others. Before enrolling in the doctoralprogram in the School of Social Work, I had known of Dr. Nyang but onlyinteracted with him in passing at a few programs. All over the world, fornearly four decades, among Muslims, Howard University was synonymouswith Dr. Sulayman Shehu Nyang. This proud and brilliant son of Africa wasknown for his Gambian roots, his prolific scholarship, his contagious smile,his wit, his insights, his at once profound brilliance and his down to earthdemeanor, and his steady hand as Chair of the African Studies departmentat Howard University. I can count with rare exception the number of timesI introduced myself as being a doctoral student, an administrator, a facultymember and now a department chair at Howard University, and the almostinstant reaction among Muslims – Oh yeah, Dr. Nyang is at Howard.I have never met anyone like him. That was my first reaction when Ifinally got to spend time with Dr. Nyang on the campus of Howard Univer-Altaf Husain serves as Associate Professor and Chair of the Community, Administrationand Policy Practice Concentration at the School of Social Work, HowardUniversity ...

FEATURES OF PRACTICAL EDUCATION OF SOCIAL EMPLOYEES IN PRACTICE IN HIGH SCHOOL OF POLAND

2019 ◽  
pp. 22-35
Author(s):  
Zhanna Shevchenko
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Worker ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Professional Preparation ◽  
Practical Training ◽  
Social Sphere ◽  
Development Workers ◽  
Learning Through Experience

The article is devoted to the practical component of the professional training of a social worker in a Polish high school. Conceptual approaches are considered in relation to professional preparation of development workers and experience actualized by them with practical preparation at higher school of Poland. It is found out, that preparation of development workers in Poland is a difficult and dynamic process, that permanently changes in accordance with international standards, normative requirements, social changes and necessities on this type of services. As a result of scientific research, the tendency to introduce professional training in the practice of Polish social workers on the progressive approaches of practical experience in the social sphere of European countries and the United States has been traced. It is noted that the model of structured learning is based on the use of a curriculum on a modular basis. Different teaching methods, especially simulation and activity (training in the "team") are used. Equally important is the acquisition of skills, and the assimilation of the value basis of the student's work. Assessment is based on the criteria of competence. The student works under the direct supervision and supervision of the practice leader. Emphasis is placed on the theory of practical learning through experience. According to the results of the study, the organizational and pedagogical conditions of the organization and content of practical training of social workers in practice in Poland are set out: legislative regulation of general principles of practice and internship in Polish universities; the removal of a significant part of the study load (from 40% to 60%) into the obligatory volume of the organization of students' practice directly at the workplace; continuity of the practical orientation of the educational process to practical learning through experience in practice; compliance of modules of practical training programs in practice under the Framework Program for the qualification of a social worker: knowledge, skills, social competences; the variability of the proposals for places of practice for students and the proposed contact letters at the information stands of the departments of social work (pedagogy); provision of means for checking the implementation of modules by trainees through the electronic network, depending on the form of training and the student's capabilities (stationary, correspondence, distance, etc.); providing support for practical training of future social workers in practice (contact hours, independent work, literature to silabases (programs) of practice, etc.); consistency of the procedure for managing and controlling individual programs of student practice from the university and social institution; Settlement of the appointment of students responsible for passing the practice: the coordinator (for bachelors, mainly masters), a mentor, a representative from the practice institution and the manager of the management of the career bureau. The study concluded that the practical component of the program for the training of future social workers in Ukraine should be based on familiarizing students with the European forms, methods and techniques of work, and also involving them in direct and continuous practical activities, under the guidance of experienced mentors and consultants. The exposure of progressive ideas of experience of practical aspect of preparation of development workers in Poland will assist the scientific ground of strategy of development of professional preparation of specialists of social sphere in Ukraine on the stage of her transformation and integration in European and world educational space. The prospects of research of directions of co-operation of establishments of education are certain with employers and other social partners in the process of professional preparation and passing of types of practices by the future specialists of social work.

The Unsettling Feminism(s) Unconference

Affilia ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 357-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bharati Sethi
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Doctoral Student ◽  
Multiple Identities ◽  
Education Practice ◽  
Work Education ◽  
Intellectual Creativity ◽  
Academic Conferences

In this article, the author shares her experiences as a doctoral student at the Unsettling Feminism(s) conference in Chicago. She argues that this unconference forced her to question how the academy conceives of “academic conferences” as venues of student–professional development. From the perspective of a racialized woman, an immigrant, a scholar, and a person with a disability, such professional gatherings that honor social workers’ and researchers’ multiple identities and offer valued spaces for marginalized stories to be told and heard can be personally and professionally transformative. The author uses the metaphor of an elephant in the room to argue that even though it may be unsettling, the academy must be willing to risk uncomfortable dialogues to advance social work education, practice, and research and to enhance students’ intellectual creativity.

scholarly journals The AGESW Pre-Dissertation Fellows Program: Participants’ Perceptions of Mentorship and Training for Academia

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 549-549
Author(s):  
Noelle Fields ◽  
Allison Gibson ◽  
Stephanie Wladkowski ◽  
Cara Wallace ◽  
Abigail Latimer
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Student Success ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Doctoral Education ◽  
Doctoral Student ◽  
Doctoral Training ◽  
And Training

Abstract Good mentoring is key for doctoral student success. In 2010, AGESW began offering the Pre-Dissertation Fellows Program (PDFP) to enhance social work doctoral students’ professional development and skillset for academia. The purpose of this study was to examine student participants’ perceptions of the PDFP in its role to providing mentorship and training for an academic position. This qualitative study examined eight cohorts (2010-2018) of the AGESW PDFP (N=85). Using thematic analysis, responses identified a number of aspects of professional development gained, gratitude for the training, an appreciation for candid advice received, and areas of professional development they felt they were lacking within their doctoral training. Findings bolster support for structured programs and professional development that supplement doctoral education in a student’s first two years. Implications for doctoral education, mentorship training, and avenues to enhance the AGESW pre-dissertation program will be discussed

scholarly journals Social Work Doctoral Student Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Descriptive Study

10.28945/4840 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 569-592
Author(s):  
Kylie E Evans ◽  
Megan R Holmes ◽  
Dana M Prince ◽  
Victor Groza
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Degree Completion ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Doctoral Student ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
Emotional Connection ◽  
Work Related

Aim/Purpose: This descriptive study examines indicators of well-being and sources of emotional connection for social work doctoral students at American institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic, including symptoms of depression, anxiety, work-related burnout, emotional connection to others, and changes in child care among parent respondents. This study also explores if particular groups of doctoral students experience heightened risks to well-being during the pandemic. Background: Social isolation strategies associated with the COVID-19 pandemic present challenges for doctoral student well-being, mental health, professional relationships, and degree persistence. Of particular concern is the potentially disproportionate impact the pandemic may have on the well-being of students who already face additional barriers to degree completion, such as parents and caregivers, as well as those who face obstacles associated with structural oppression, including persons of color, women, and sexual minority (SM) students. Methodology: Baseline data was used from a longitudinal survey study conducted by the authors on social work doctoral student well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants (N = 297) were recruited through the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work’s (GADE’s) publicly available list of 89 member institutions in the United States. The majority of respondents identified as women (80.1%), 35% of the sample identified as a person of color and/or non-White race, 30% identified as a sexual minority, and 32% were parents of children under 18 years of age. Contribution: This study contributes to the larger body of literature on factors associated with risk, resilience, and well-being among doctoral students, and it offers a specific exploration of these factors within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study deepens our understanding of social work doctoral students in particular, who have higher rates of doctoral enrollment by women and persons of color than many other academic disciplines. Findings: Emotional connection to loved ones was significantly correlated with lower levels of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and work-related burnout. Outcomes varied by race, with Black and Asian respondents indicating higher levels of emotional connection to loved ones as compared to White respondents, and Black respondents indicating lower levels of anxiety and depression compared to White respondents. SM respondents indicated significantly lower levels of emotional connection and higher levels of depression and anxiety, as compared to heterosexual respondents. Parents reported receiving substantially less child care assistance than they were before the pandemic, but also reported lower levels of anxiety, depression, and work-related burnout compared to childless respondents. Recommendations for Practitioners: Recommendations for doctoral program directors and chairs include implementing a purposive communication strategy, faculty modeling self-care and boundaries, creating opportunities for connection, scheduling value-added activities driven by student interest and needs, approaching student needs and plans of study with flexibility, and creating virtual affinity groups to help students connect with those facing similar challenges. Recommendation for Researchers: Outcome evaluation studies of doctoral program initiatives and policies to promote student well-being--both during and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic-- is warranted. Impact on Society: The COVID-19 pandemic presents complex financial, interpersonal, and programmatic challenges for doctoral faculty and program directors, many of which affect the well-being and mental health of their students. Findings and recommendations from this study may be used to address the needs of doctoral students and support their path to doctoral degree completion. Future Research: Future studies should include measures that tap a broader range of indicators of depression, anxiety, and emotional connection, and additional domains of well-being. Multivariate analyses would permit predictive conclusions, and follow-up qualitative analyses would offer deeper insights into doctoral students’ well-being, coping skills, and experiences within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Teaching Note—Mapping the Science of Social Work Debate: An Exercise in Doctoral Student Education

2018 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 598-606
Author(s):  
Jeanelle S. Sears ◽  
Alton Nathan Verbist ◽  
Jordan Wilfong ◽  
Tammi A. Thomas ◽  
Shannon Mount ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Doctoral Student ◽  
Student Education

Doctoral student mentorship in social work education: a Canadian example

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 98-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Elizabeth Fulton ◽  
Christine A. Walsh ◽  
Carolyn Gulbrandsen ◽  
Hongmei Tong ◽  
Anna Azulai
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Doctoral Student ◽  
Collaborative Teaching ◽  
Teaching Expertise ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Education

Purpose This paper aims to present a thematic analysis investigating the experiences and reflections of doctoral students in social work at a Canadian university who were mentored in the development of teaching expertise, including course design, delivery and evaluation, by a senior faculty member. Recommendations to others who are considering engaging in doctoral student teaching mentorship are presented. Design/methodology/approach The paper examines the authors’ reflections on their experiences of doctoral student mentorship through their involvement in collaboratively designing, teaching and evaluating an online undergraduate course. The inquiry used a qualitative approach grounded in Schon’s concept of reflexive learning. Findings Based on the results of the thematic analysis of the mentees’ reflections, this paper presents the collaborative teaching mentorship model and discusses how receiving mentorship in teaching facilitated the mentees’ development as social work educators. Originality/value Although quality guidelines in social work education recommend that doctoral students should be adequately prepared for future teaching opportunities, there is limited discussion about doctoral student development as educators within the academic literature, especially from the perspective of doctoral students. There is also limited articulation of specific models of doctoral student mentorship in developing teaching expertise. The authors hope that sharing their reflections on their experiences and describing the collaborative teaching mentorship model will serve to deepen understandings and promote further exploration and development of doctoral student mentorship in teaching.

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