scholarly journals Improving practice learning

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-17
Author(s):  
Linda Bruce
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Personal Impact ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Student Demand ◽  
Work Education ◽  
The Impact

Undertaking practice placements (fieldwork instruction, agency-based practice learning) is an integral part of professional social work education and training across the United Kingdom. Scottish universities and partner social work service providers have however experienced long term challenges in an effort to ensure that an adequate number of practice placements were available to meet the student demand. Particularly well documented are the problems associated with a shortfall in the number of active practice teachers (fieldwork educators and practice learning facilitators) and agency settings willing to take a student.Less is known however about the impact of a shortfall of practice placements has on social work students themselves. This article outlines the findings of a survey, involving 164 social work Students, which explores the personal impact of a delayed start to a practice placement and describes one University’s attempt to eliminate these negative consequences for students by implementing new approaches to the organisation and delivery of practice learning.

Evaluating the Impact of a Hartford Gero-Rich Project on a Bachelor of Social Work Program

2005 ◽  
Vol 11 (sp1) ◽  
pp. 13-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas R. Barton ◽  
Harriet L. Cohen ◽  
Cecilia L. Thomas ◽  
Mark H. Sandel
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
State University ◽  
Organizational Changes ◽  
Bachelor Of Social Work ◽  
Work Education ◽  
Social Work Program ◽  
The Impact

In response to the greater need for professionally educated Bachelor of Social Work social workers to work with older adults, a multipronged approach was developed and implemented to infuse gerontology content into the undergraduate social work curriculum at a large state university in Texas. Efforts were made to help ensure that curricular and organizational changes would be sustained for the long term. These initiatives were funded by and were part of the national Hartford Geriatric Enrichment in Social Work Education Program. A quasiexperimental evaluation was conducted involving four cohorts of social work students. Findings demonstrate success in changing students' 1) career aspirations, 2) perceptions of faculty's knowledge of issues concerning older adults, 3) perceptions of their own knowledge of issues concerning older adults, and 4) perceptions of older adults.

scholarly journals ‘Resilient when it comes to death’: Exploring the significance of bereavement for the well – being of social work students

2020 ◽  
pp. 147332502096773
Author(s):  
Denise Turner ◽  
Marie Price
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Free Association ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Emotional Wellbeing ◽  
Qualitative Research Study ◽  
Work Education ◽  
Training And Support ◽  
The Impact

This article describes a pilot qualitative research study, exploring the impact of bereavement experiences, on pre-qualifying social work students in two UK Universities with diverse demographics. The research study took place in the context of general concern about the mental health of UK University students and suggests that social work students may be at particular risk of developing emotional wellbeing issues linked to bereavement. Interviews followed a free association narrative technique, with analysis of the data highlighting four main themes. Firstly, bereavement is associated with practical problems which may trigger wellbeing issues. Secondly, there is an increased need for specific bereavement training and support to be embedded within social work programmes, alongside skills and knowledge of cultural diversity and the part this plays in the bereavement process. Lastly, the study demonstrated that bereavement experiences are not isolated but linked to other losses and therefore students may need effective support to process these before they can effectively support others. The study appears to be distinctive in its focus on the impacts of bereavement on social work students and has significant implications for the ways in which students are supported by social work education programmes, as well as paving the way for further research in this area.

scholarly journals Becoming a Nursing and Social Work Student: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of Interprofessional Education

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Christopher Allen ◽  
Tracey Baker ◽  
David Leonard Rootes
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Interprofessional Education ◽  
Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
First Year ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Work Education ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Work Student

Background: The call for interprofessional nursing and social work education in the United Kingdom has led to the development of a singularly integrated nursing and social work degree. Although evidence exists to highlight the impact of this degree in practice, details of the experience of interprofessional nursing and social work education have not been studied in equal depth.Methods and Findings: Guided by the tenets of interpretive phenomenological analysis, six students who had recently completed the first year of a nursing and social work degree were asked to describe their experiences of interprofessional education. The dominant theme that emerged from analysis highlighted the importance of providing students with a bespoke curriculum, which could communicate their full and inclusive integration. Where this was not achieved, students explained that they could become confused by increased workloads and a sense of separatism.Conclusions: When combining nursing and social work into a single degree, pedagogic strategies must be confidently prepared to deliver a specific interprofessional nursing and social work curriculum. Above all, this curriculum must demonstrate an integrated philosophy and distinctive orientation to inclusive interprofessional education.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the involvement of service users in post-qualifying social work education: Expected and unexpected results

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 44-56
Author(s):  
Helen M Burrows
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Service User ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Line Managers ◽  
East Midlands ◽  
Making A Difference ◽  
Work Education ◽  
The Impact

There is a long policy and tradition of service users being involved in the education of social work students and post-qualifying candidates, and they are recognised as educators in their own right, however there appears to have been limited measurement of the impact of service user educator involvement in post-qualifying education on practice, and ultimately on outcomes for end service users. A collaborative partnership between service user educators, practitioners and academics carried out research in this area in four local authorities in the English East Midlands (Equally Experienced Research Group, 2011); whilst it was found that direct service user educator input had a positive impact on candidates’ practice, some unexpected and somewhat surprising responses arose. Interviews with candidates’ line managers identified that there appeared to be significantly less active evaluation of outcomes for service users than we had assumed would be the case.This paper initially sets the context for considering these responses by outlining the research undertaken, and considering how post-qualifying education as a whole might be evaluated as making a difference to practice. The second part of the paper looks at wider issues of evaluating practice and organisational service delivery. Methods used for measuring service user outcomes will be considered, alongside consideration of the active participation of service users in developing individual practice and agency service provision.

scholarly journals Social work education: Reflections during Covid-19 lockdown

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 46-48
Author(s):  
Kelly J. Glubb-Smith ◽  
Tania Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Student Resilience ◽  
The Face ◽  
To Come ◽  
Work Education ◽  
The Impact

Teaching social work students in Aotearoa New Zealand during the Covid-19 crisis produced an acute awareness of the impact of lockdown levels 3 and 4 on student wellbeing. Students were required to rapidly adapt to study in a fully online environment without the face-to-face support of university campus life. Normal social and academic pressures were immediately intensified, with no immediate relief in sight. Student resilience was tested further due to multiple factors such as: suddenly reduced incomes, parenting during lockdown, caring for whānau both within and external to their “bubble”, and being unable to come together with loved ones to celebrate life events or mourn those who had passed.

scholarly journals Finding the way forward

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-63
Author(s):  
Jean Gordon ◽  
Moira McGeoch ◽  
Audrey Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
The West ◽  
Combination Of Methods ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Work Education

Locating sufficient student practice learning opportunities (PLOs) has been a long-standing challenge in social work education. This article highlights key findings of a study carried out in the West of Scotland to inform a move from a reactive approach to regular crises in PLO provision towards the development of a long term strategic plan for social work practice learning in the region. The study involved a combination of methods, including literature review, local audit, focus groups and consultation with individuals and organisations in the West of Scotland and the rest of the UK. The study found local and national evidence of innovation in developing new models of practice learning to meet the demands of 21st Century social work in Scotland as well as a growing concern that an emphasis on finding sufficient PLOs should not compromise the quality of the learning opportunities available to social work students. Some of the study’s implications for practice learning in the West of Scotland and further afield are explored.

Balancing Clarity, Rigor, and Access: Academic Transfer in Social Work Education

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-59
Author(s):  
Michele Belliveau ◽  
Kathy Schank ◽  
Sheila Roth
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Academic Career ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Student Body ◽  
Social Work Programs ◽  
Program Transfer ◽  
Work Education ◽  
Seamless Transfer ◽  
The Impact

Given the rising cost of higher education, many students begin their academic career in community college. For social work students, this can be a more affordable path to a BSW degree and potential eligibility for advanced standing. This administrative note describes the impact of one state's program-to-program transfer articulation agreement on three social work programs that created a viable transfer pathway for students. Statewide agreements can facilitate a seamless transfer for economically vulnerable students, many of whom come from the communities they will eventually serve. They also present challenges for program autonomy and raise questions for accredited social work education. The authors conclude with recommendations for social work education to promote a more diverse student body and clearer pathways for students who transfer.

From Education to Action: The Immediate and Long-Term Results of Intergroup Dialogue on BSW Students' Social Justice Activity

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-43
Author(s):  
Mayra Lopez-Humphreys ◽  
Beverly Araujo Dawson
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Long Term Results ◽  
Intergroup Dialogue ◽  
Work Education

This article examines the effect of intergroup dialogue (IGD) on BSW students’ levels of social justice activity a year after completing the course. Twenty- seven undergraduate social work students on two campuses of a sectarian college completed surveys that ranked their levels of activity along the McClintock Action Continuum immediately after and a year after participating in an IGD program. Students self- reported a significant increase in social justice actions a year after IGD participation. Implications for research and social work education are discussed.

scholarly journals Applied Methods of Teaching about Oppression and Diversity to Graduate Social Work Students: A Case Example of Digital Stories

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine A Walsh ◽  
Micheal L. Shier ◽  
Kathleen C. Sitter ◽  
Jackie D. Sieppert
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Master Of Social Work ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Pratiques Professionnelles ◽  
Course Work ◽  
Travail Social ◽  
Digital Stories ◽  
Work Education ◽  
The Impact

Social work education accreditation requires the completion of course work specifically around issues related to oppression and diversity within society. Educators offer a range of approaches to engage students in discussion about oppression and diversity from academic content and structured curriculum to reflective practice and experiential learning opportunities. The following describes a Master of Social Work course on oppression, social justice, and diversity offered at a western Canadian university that utilized a mixed method of teaching practices – including the creation of digital stories by the students in small groups. Beyond this description of the course content, students’ insight into the impact of using digital stories for their own learning and application to professional practice around issues of oppression and diversity is presented and discussed. Pour être agréé comme travailleur social, il faut avoir suivi des cours axés sur les questions d’oppression et de diversité au sein de la société. Pour faire participer les étudiants, les éducateurs emploient diverses méthodes qui vont des discussions à partir d’un contenu universitaire à un programme d’enseignement structuré et utilisent une approche réflective ainsi que des occasions d’apprentissage expérientiel. L’article traite d’un cours de maîtrise en travail social sur l’oppression, la justice sociale et la diversité, offert dans une université de l’Ouest du Canada, qui utilise une méthode combinée de pratiques d’enseignement, y compris la création d’histoires digitales par les étudiants en petits groupes. En plus d’en décrire le contenu, l’article présente un aperçu de l’impact de l’utilisation de ces histoires sur l’apprentissage des étudiants et de son application aux pratiques professionnelles entourant les questions d’oppression et de diversité.

scholarly journals Social Work Students and the Research Process: Exploring the Thinking, Feeling, and Doing of Research

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tina Maschi ◽  
Carolyn Bradley ◽  
Robert Youdin ◽  
Mary Lou Killian ◽  
Carol Cleaveland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Social Work Research ◽  
Social Service Delivery ◽  
Negative Thoughts ◽  
Research Students ◽  
Work Education

The purpose of this pilot study was to explore how social work students enrolled in a research course report their thoughts, feelings, and satisfaction with the research process. A pretest and posttest, self-report measures, the State-Trait Anxiety Scale (Y1), and subscales of the Research Process Survey were used to track the thoughts. feelings, and actions of 111 social work research students during a fifteen-week semester. Results of paired sample t-tests revealed that although social work students experienced a decrease in negative thoughts and feelings (e.g., anxiety) about the research process, they were not satisfied with it. These findings have important implications for social work education. Helping students increase not only their positive thoughts and feelings about research but also their satisfaction level can assist with the long-term educational goal to educate social work professionals who can provide high-quality services, evaluate practice, and improve practice, policy, and social service delivery.

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