How well does the preparation for practice delivered at the university prepare the student for their first practice learning opportunity in the Social Work Degree?

2005 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 62-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Walton
2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 62-81
Author(s):  
Christine Walton

This paper sets out to consider the requirement that social work students studying for the Degree in Social Work should be prepared for and assessed as ready and fit to practice before undertaking their first practice learning opportunity. The purpose of the study is to examine the essential elements of good preparation and to evaluate how well the teaching and assessment has prepared students in the South Yorkshire and North East Midland partnership from the perspective of their practice assessors.This qualitative study involved two key stages. Firstly, a focus group eliciting views from practice assessors on what the purpose and content of preparation for practice should be. Secondly, semi-structured interviews with practice assessors considering how well prepared for practice the first group of Social Work Degree students had been. Interviews were transcribed and data analysed using a ‘framework’ approach. Three major themes emerged, the communication of information on the preparation between student and practice assessor, the ability of students to relate their previous learning to practice and the understanding students demonstrated of the social work task and role.All practice assessors were positive about the benefits that preparation at the universities could have for practice but the majority of students did not share information on their preparation with their practice assessor. From this project it has been possible to make recommendations concerning the content of preparation but most importantly the importance of requiring that information on the content and learning in preparation should be shared by students with their practice assessor as the starting point for making direct links into their first practice learning opportunity.


Author(s):  
Yolanda Ealdama

Petra de Joya (1913–1987) was an eminent educator and social administrator. She spearheaded the professionalization of social work in the Philippines by advocating for the passage of laws that were instrumental for the development of social work in the country. The following laws were enacted as a result of her advocacy: (a) Republic Act regulating the social work profession in the Philippines and requiring social welfare agencies to hire professional social workers; (b) a Republic Act elevating the Department of Social Work to the Institute of Social Work and Community Development at the University of the Philippines; and (c) a Republic Act transforming the Social Welfare Administration (SWA) into the Department of Social Welfare (DSW). She was appointed as one of the first board of examiners for social work.


2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 7-25
Author(s):  
Kazimiera Wódz ◽  
Ewa Leśniak-Berek

The main goal of the article is to present the achievements of the Social Work Unit at the Institute of Sociology of the University of Silesia, accumulated during the 25 years of its functioning. Aside from the rich experience in terms of educating towards the position of a social employee, the unit is characterized by scientific research activity and is engaged in numerous cooperative endeavours locally, nationally and internationally. The entirety of the activity contributes to the pursuit of processes that strengthen the professionalism and prestige of the job of a social employee. The activity results from the belief in the significance of combining theory and practice, which is evidenced in the various forms of the realized tasks. The text was created for the 25th anniversary of the existence of the Social Work Unit and is a summary of the most important achievements.


2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-134
Author(s):  
Arno Heimgartner ◽  
Stephan Sting

The contribution introduces the present situation and the basic challenges of school social work in Austria. Starting with the perception of a developing “knowledge society” (Höhne, 2004), school is seen as a life place at which social subjects and problems occur and are made manifest. The analyses are based in particular on empirical studies by the University of Klagenfurt (Sting & Leitner, 2011) and the University of Graz (Gspurning, Heimgartner, Pieber, & Sing, 2011), which were carried out in school social work facilities of Carinthia and Styria, but theyalso include Austrian-wide research projects. A methodical view is presented along the main target groups “pupils”, “teachers” and “parents”, and the basic orientations are discussed. The thematic analysis characterises school social work as a multi-thematic service (e.g., conflicts,  love, problems at school, problems of the family) that needs to oppose the reduction to single problem areas such as drug abuse or violence. The structural analyses render visible the meaning of spatial conditions, personnel competence and the social-spatial network. Finally, the possibilities of a lasting implementation of empirical research in school social work are discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne Lischer ◽  
Seraina Caviezel Schmitz ◽  
Paula Krüger ◽  
Netkey Safi ◽  
Cheryl Dickson

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an extensive impact on the global higher education sector. In a written survey, staff and students at the Lucerne School of Social Work reported how they had coped with the challenges to their teaching or respective learning situation. The initial survey was conducted during the lockdown in spring 2020, and the follow-up survey was performed in the period of relaxed sanitary measures in summer 2020. During the first wave of the survey, 51 employees and 225 students participated. In the follow-up survey, 28 employees and 117 students partook. Findings indicate that the increased workload created by the transition was stressful for both staff and students but overall was handled well. Staff and students who felt supported by the university management experienced less psychological distress. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, there has been an effort to develop hybrid forms of teaching. Because the social work curriculum contains building blocks that are difficult to implement in the form of distance learning, the transition posed challenges for both staff and students. During times of transition, university management must carefully assess the support needs of staff and students and take appropriate action.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-286
Author(s):  
Nargis Abbas ◽  
Uzma Ashiq ◽  
Syeda Mahnaz Hassan ◽  
Muhammad Alam

The purpose of this study was to find out the advantages and disadvantages of smartphone usage in the academic life of Social Work students at the University of the Punjab, Lahore. The quantitative research methodology was adopted in this study. The survey of Social Work students from the university was done by employing purposive sampling technique. Students having smartphones were part of this study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data from 203 Social Work students of the University of the Punjab. The SPSS was used to analyze the data among the smartphone users. The Social Work students used smartphones not primarily for academic purposes but for social activities. It also operated as a learning aid, which was absolutely essential to students which made them capable to find quick information and got their time saved. Smartphones were also seen more as a distraction in the classroom rather than learning aid as smartphone produce distraction in the classroom and this distraction diverted students’ attention in the class. Students multitasking and non-academic usage of smartphone produced negative impact on students’ learning and resultantly lower their academic performance. Smartphone usage seemed great if smartphone is capitalized to achieve the benefits associated with its use; resultantly the Social Work students can possibly enhance their academic learning that may lead them to success in their academic life.


2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-12
Author(s):  
Janine Buck

This article is a reflective account of my student experiences of practice teaching whilst on placements during the Social Work Degree. I consider what and how my Practice Teachers and on-site supervisors have been able to teach me about Social Work and Social Work skills and what I have learnt about myself as a person and future practitioner. I look at what, I believe makes a good Practice teacher and how different styles of teaching have enhanced my learning. I reflect on the benefits, under the new degree, of increased days on placement and how this has helped me in applying theory, methods and models which are not always easy in the classroom.At the time of completing this article I am three quarters of the way through my last placement of 100 days. I am undertaking my Social Work degree at the University of Northampton, which has a full time degree course of three years and a part time route taking four years. I am due to graduate with a B.A Honours degree in Social Work in July 2007.


Author(s):  
Jacques Boulet

This chapter describes why and how the author decided to leave his social work teaching position at an Australian university and start a cooperative that could more appropriately respond to the changing social and ecological context and could be more commensurate with the true values of the social work profession. The chapter moves from the author's experiences and philosophical motivations guiding his decision to move from the university context to the establishment of a social and ecological change cooperative and the invitation to colleagues and students to join the re-contextualizing experiment to the reasons why the cooperative format was chosen. The programs, projects, and partnerships, which have been realized in the course of the 23 years since the start of the Borderlands Cooperative, are documented and reflected upon, leading to final recommendations for a social work practice that remains true to its historical mission whilst responding to the contemporary contextual challenges.


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