scholarly journals "There is competition": Facing the reality of field education in New Zealand

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 16-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Hay
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Professional Associations ◽  
Field Education ◽  
Regulatory Body ◽  
Tertiary Institution ◽  
Tertiary Institutions ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Group Interviews

INTRODUCTION: Anecdotal evidence of increasing competition for field education placements has raised concerns about the availability of quality learning opportunities for students and so it was considered timely to examine stakeholder perspectives.METHOD: In late 2014, 15 tertiary educators from 11 tertiary institutions and 31 social work students from three Aotearoa New Zealand tertiary institutions engaged with the researcher in individual or focus group interviews on aspects of quality field education.FINDINGS: Overall, the tertiary educators revealed considerable pressure on them to secure quality student placements due to competition with other tertiary providers, limited placement opportunities in some locations, high workloads and inadequate funding. Students recognised these pressures but questioned whether the educators are adequately supported by the tertiary institution. Placement availability was also affected by organisations experiencing funding pressures, placement fatigue, limited space and physical resources, and high workloads.CONCLUSIONS: These qualitative findings raise questions for all the key stakeholders in field education: tertiary institutions, educators, social service organisations, the professional associations, the regulatory body and students. The findings from this study signal the need for a comprehensive, sector-wide examination of the social work field education context in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

scholarly journals ‘Times that by 100’: Student learning from international practicum

2018 ◽  
Vol 61 (6) ◽  
pp. 1187-1197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Hay ◽  
Simon Lowe ◽  
Gina Barnes ◽  
Alex Dentener ◽  
Rochelle Doyle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Tertiary Institutions ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand

International placements are uncommon for Aotearoa New Zealand social work students compared with many other countries. In 2015 five students undertook a 10-week placement in Cambodia. This article explores the students’ perspectives on the skills, knowledge and capabilities required for international placements. The findings from this study indicate that questions remain as to whether the associated challenges outweigh the advantages of international placement experiences. We recommend that working with tertiary institutions from countries with more established international placement programmes may be one way of addressing some of the challenges and advancing international placements for Aotearoa New Zealand students.

scholarly journals Quality social work placements for Māori social work students

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 54-67
Author(s):  
Hannah Mooney ◽  
Michael Dale ◽  
Kathryn Hay
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Field Education ◽  
Open Communication ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Pasifika Students ◽  
Work Education

INTRODUCTION: Māori perspectives should be genuinely represented and integrated into social work education to ensure Māori and non-Māori social work students alike are prepared for working effectively in Aotearoa New Zealand. In field education, Māori students may have particular needs and expectations that should be considered by academic staff and placement host organisations. Consequently, the placement experience for Māori students should reflect these needs and expectations.METHOD: As part of a wider research project which aimed to advance the quality of social work placements for Māori and Pasifika students, a hui was undertaken with a roopu (Māori branch) of the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Work (ANZASW) in late 2014. This article focuses on their views of what constitutes a quality placement for Māori social work students. The project explored two key areas: what does a quality placement look like for Māori social work students and what can tertiary institutions do to better support Māori students to have a quality placement?FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS: Participants emphasised the usefulness of placement preparedness, clear expectations and open communication prior to, and during, placement. The placement should also be culturally safe and adequately challenge the student. Tertiary providers should support the student’s placement by being in regular face-to-face contact; preparing the student for the placement environment; supporting external cultural supervision; and by critically reviewing their curriculum.

scholarly journals Developing Kia Tene/Off the Cuff – A resource for field educators in social work in Aotearoa New Zealand

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 34-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jude Douglas
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Field Education ◽  
Teaching Excellence ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Creative Commons ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Tertiary Teaching ◽  
Work Education

Kia Tene denotes something to hand, something easily picked up and used. It is the name for a resource set of 14 learning and teaching activities designed specifically for field educators working with social work students in the field in Aotearoa New Zealand. It is available for viewing and use under the Creative Commons 3.0 share-alike licence at http://akoaotearoa.ac.nz/kia-tene. The Kia Tene/Off the Cuff resource was completed during 2009 and 2010 and funded by Ako Aotearoa National Centre of Tertiary Teaching Excellence. The project was a collaboration between 12 schools of social work led by Jude Douglas. Students, field educators and fieldwork coordinators were involved with its development. This paper outlines the context of field education in social work education in Aotearoa New Zealand and then describes some key challenges and how this project serves as a response to them. 

Experiences of Implementing a Large-Scale Blended, Flipped Learning Project

2018 ◽  
pp. 3839-3849
Author(s):  
Hazel Owen ◽  
Nicola Dunham
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Health Science ◽  
Flipped Learning ◽  
Tertiary Institution ◽  
Tertiary Institutions ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Personal Reflections

In the context of ongoing global adoption of all forms of technology eLearning has continued to evolve, informed by a growing body of research. Many schools, tertiary institutions, and other organisations, are implementing a variety of eLearning initiatives, although, frequently it appears the investment does not always equate to more engaged, knowledgeable, skilled learners. Tertiary education in Aotearoa, New Zealand covers all post-secondary education and is analogous to the term Higher Education in other countries. This chapter draws on the implementation of a large-scale blended, flipped learning project at a tertiary institution in Aotearoa, New Zealand. The project (within the Health Science faculty) was driven by a desire to improve student learning experiences, and develop a common semester with a suite of interdisciplinary postgraduate qualifications. The discussion is based on personal reflections, which provide different perspectives of the initial phases, from three participants in the associated study (two of whom are also the authors of this chapter). During the project two key prevalences were observed. The first was an ingrained set of beliefs, often unquestioned, that shaped overall expectations of what an eLearning experience might comprise. Interpretations and implications are discussed using the lens of mindsets to illustrate how beliefs of ‘self' fundamentally influence a person's ability to embrace - and thrive in - a period of change. The second prevalence was a familiarity with large-scale, ‘monolithic' eLearning developments, which translated into discomfort with an agile approach. The overall aim of this chapter is to provide sufficient detail to draw educators and administrators together to apply the recommendations offered, while providing support for 'change agents' - as well as those ambivalent about reform. The authors are keen to highlight how ultimately rewarding, but also emotionally and physically demanding, the implementation of reform can be for those educators on 'the front lines'.

scholarly journals Expanding field education: Hope Trust Community Garden

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Heerink ◽  
Vivienne Sinclair-Phillips ◽  
Alison Jagger ◽  
Kathryn Hay
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
External Field ◽  
Environmental Justice ◽  
Community Gardens ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Field Education ◽  
Community Garden ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand

Field education is well known as a defining experience in the personal and professional development of social work students. Authentic, meaningful learning opportunities in the workplace contributes to students becoming socialised to the profession and being able to integrate theoretical learning into their practice. Field education occurs across myriad fields of practice and organisational environments. Community gardens are an emerging field of practice for student placements in Aotearoa New Zealand. This viewpoint reflects on the value of field education in this domain from the perspectives of the field mentor, student and external field educator. The reflections highlight the value of this space for learning and supporting social and environmental justice for clients and communities.

scholarly journals Disrupting Family Group Conference practice in Aotearoa New Zealand: A learning project

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raewyn Nordstrom ◽  
Deb Stanfield
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Learning Strategy ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Family Group ◽  
Shared Responsibility ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Joint Decision ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand

Participation in, or facilitation of, Family Group Conferences (FGCs) and hui-ā-whānau (family meetings) are key social work practice activities in Aotearoa New Zealand. Social work students are expected to graduate with the cultural competence necessary to work ethically with whānau Māori according to the bicultural practice principles of Te Tiriti ō Waitangi. This competence includes skills in the facilitation of joint decision making, shared responsibility and the use of Māori engagement principles, all of which are fundamental to the traditional and professional practice of hui (meetings).We argue that, for social work students to enter the profession with the ability to work effectively in a statutory setting, and with whānau Māori, learning must go beyond the processes of the FGC as set out in the Oranga Tamariki Act (1989)—originally the Children, Young Personsand Their Families Act, 1989—and embrace the historical and cultural intent of this practice. It must encourage students to be mindful of their cultural selves in the process and to reflect on the tensions arising from how the FGC sits within a statutory, managerial, and neoliberal policy framework. This article applies concepts of Māori and Western pedagogy to a learning strategy developed by the authors over a period of four years. The Reality FGC Project began as a way of assisting students to develop skills and apply theory to practice, and unexpectedly became an opportunity to reflexively and iteratively consider the role of social work education in re-thinking FGC practice in Aotearoa New Zealand.

scholarly journals Overseas social work placements: Can a well-designed workflow contribute to the success of an overseas placement?

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee Henley ◽  
Simon Lowe ◽  
Claudia Munro
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
Field Education ◽  
Knowledge Development ◽  
Main Body ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
The University ◽  
Practice Implementation ◽  
Work Student

This article reflects on the importance of workflow design for students completing field education as part of a social work degree. Specifically, this article examines this in the context of an Aotearoa New Zealand social work student from the University of Waikato (UoW) completing a final placement at a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Battambang Cambodia, Children’s Future International (CFI). The main body of the article reflects on the advantages of designing an overseas placement approach which is planned to flow from theory development to practice implementation, termed “knowledge development and flow” (Henley et al., in press).

scholarly journals The teaching of Māori social work practice and theory to a predominantly Pākehā audience

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 65-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shayne Walker
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Training ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Specific Teaching ◽  
Indigenous Methods

This article will explore the practices of teaching social work students in Aotearoa New Zealand to equip them for bicultural practice. This includes te reo Māori (the Māori language) and tikanga (culture) papers as well as specific teaching on the Treaty of Waitangi provisions. It will discuss some of the results, which suggest students know about Treaty provisions but are less able to translate this knowledge into practices, which are bicultural. It then suggests some strategies for moving this teaching forward so that students start to feel accustomed to and confident in practices which are suited to a bicultural setting. In this, it is suggested that it might be necessary to take a cross-cultural position and take aspects from diversity or cross-cultural training to enhance students’ understanding and ability in working with Māori in the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand. One of the difficulties with taking this approach is that most of these models emerge from a western rather than an indigenous framework of understanding and practice. In using this work, it is attempted to integrate indigenous methods and worldviews. 

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