Exploration of an ancestry of supervisor–student relationships in social work field education

SUMMARY This article will discuss social development models and their application to the establishment of social work field education in Lithuania. A model of field education as social development is presented and discussed, with reference to promoting core social work knowledge, values and skills, establishing relationships between educational and social welfare institutions, and identifying the impact of field education programs on community well-being. Examples from the authors' experience in educational program development and implementation are presented, along with implications for international social work education.

Welcome to this special issue of Transformative Social Work, dedicated to social work field education. As we navigate a rapidly changing world, the need for dynamic and impactful field education has never been more crucial. This special issue brings together a diverse range of perspectives and innovative approaches, highlighting how field education can be transformative in both practice and theory. In this collection of thought-provoking articles, we explore the latest research and new practices that are reshaping the way social work students, field educators, and practitioners engage with the field. Articles include discussions on Indigenous field education, developmental and green social work approaches, and field models such as macro placements, self-directed placements, and rotational hospital placements. We also feature the experiences of practicum students during the COVID-19 pandemic and examine what motivates field instructors to engage in field education. As we look to the future, the aspirations and commitments articulated by our contributors in this special issue offer a hopeful vision. The articles in this issue illuminate the adaptability of social work students, field educators, researchers, and practitioners, particularly in the face of unprecedented global disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The innovations not only address current challenges but also lay the groundwork for more dynamic and responsive field education programs. There is a collective resolve to integrate lessons learned, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and uphold the principles of social justice that underpin our profession. By doing so, we can ensure that social work field education continues to evolve in ways that are inclusive, effective, and aligned with the needs of our diverse communities. We invite you to explore these contributions, reflect on their insights, and consider how they might inspire and inform your own practice in field education.

This chapter attempts to cross-compare social work field education in India and China. It reviews the development of social work education and field work practice and presents the current status of social work education and field work in these two developing countries. In doing so we aim to understand the structure, nature, and challenges faced by social work field education in these countries figuratively listed in the global south. Neither social work education nor social work practice in both India and China is well established or recognised. Nevertheless, both these countries have different administrative structures that either encourage or restrict the development and growth of social work education and practice. While social work is a State-mandated profession in China, Indian social work is still struggling for public recognition and State support despite 84 years of education and practice. This chapter examines the challenges faced by these two countries with respect to social work education with special reference to social work field education.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected all aspects of social work education, including field education. The Transforming the Field Education Landscape (TFEL) partnership conducted two national online surveys to determine the impacts of the pandemic on social work field education. The first survey explored the perspectives of students and received responses from 367 Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) students. The second survey was designed to gather the perspectives of field instructors, with 73 field instructors completing the survey. The article examines the impacts of the pandemic on social work practice, field supervision, practicum flexibility and accommodations in placement, the shift to remote learning, perceptions of future career prospects and the effects on wellness and mental health. This article contributes to an increased understanding of the strengths and challenges facing social work field education, and informs field planning and responses in a pandemic. The findings will be of interest to social work field education programmes, field education coordinators and directors, field instructors, field agencies and undergraduate and graduate social work students. Recommendations for social work field education are offered.

Community service-learning (CSL) has been referred to as a “pedagogy for citizenship,” as it enhances ethical behavior and social responsibility among student participants. It represents a pedagogical and philosophical approach that promotes experiential learning by incorporating intentional course-based lessons with service in the community. Despite the numerous studies outlining the benefits of CSL initiatives, there is a dearth of research on how CSL courses can impact students already in the “helping professions.” More specifically, there is very little research on the benefits of CSL in social work field education courses. For this study, the researchers found that developing a CSL practicum led to a substantive shift in professional understanding for the students who participated in a CSL learning opportunity. Although the traditional and CSL groups began their practicum experiences believing the primary role of a social worker was to build and maintain healthy relationships with service users, the CSL group saw their primary role switch from a “micro practice” to a “macro practice” worker. CSL offers social work education additional unique opportunities to support the development of student's social work core values, knowledge, and skills.

Significant multi-layered challenges with delivering quality practicum experiences to social work students have led field education coordinators to release a joint statement that social work field education in Canada is in a state of crisis. This article presents the results of a two-year mixed methods study that sought to investigate and describe the challenges in order to enhance understanding of the crisis from the perspective of Canadian social work field education coordinators. The results indicate that social work education programs in Canada face four key challenges in regard to field education that can be further divided into two sections: (a) the social work practice field and (b) social work field education administration. The two key challenges associated with the social work practice field are: (a) social work practice contexts and realities and (b) practicum shortages and saturation. The two key challenges associated with social work field education administration are: (a) practicum procurement and field instructor recruitment and retention; and (b) expectations and workloads of field education coordinators. To address these challenges, collaborative development of a multi-level strategy aimed at moving beyond the current state of crisis toward a sustainable model of social work field education in Canada is recommended.

The article deals with the problem of creativity development of future social workers within the social work field education. It is proved that creativity development is absolutely necessary not only because creativity is one of the requisite twenty-first century skills but also because the profession of social worker is impossible without a creative approach in solving professional tasks in today’s rapidly changing society. It was indicated that the quality of future social workers professional training will improve if their creative abilities and creative activity are actualized within social work field education, so the aim of the study is to suggest the ways of developing creative abilities of future social workers in the process of social work field education. The concept of field education was described, as well as key principles that guide field education programs and provide objectives for field education. The aim and main tasks of field education within the Master educational program (Social Work, Social Pedagogy) of Zhytomyr Ivan Franko State University were also presented. In the article special training that includes conducting training exercises within the supervision sessions for the development of creative abilities of future social workers in the process of social work field education, were described. These training exercises are aimed at developing students' divergent thinking; contribute to increasing self-esteem, and also increase motivation to develop new skills; training of teamwork skills, as well as public presentation of its results; exercises which contribute to the deepening of the processes of self-disclosure of one's own professional self, the formation of the skills of self-analysis, self-understanding and self-criticism; summarizing the ideas of students about their creative abilities which is of great importance within social work field education. A conclusion was made that conducting special training within the supervision sessions will contribute to the development of future social workers’ creative abilities which, in its turn, will enable students to use a creative approach while solving professional tasks in the process of social work field education. It was also stated that further research will be devoted to the development of students’ critical thinking during the social work field education.

Field education is a significant component of social work education and might be the signature pedagogy. Yet current issues limit the quality of experience that students can receive from practicum. These issues include austerity policies, exhaustion of altruism, trends toward clinical social work and privatized human services, and a lack of student readiness. Degree granting institutions, such as universities, have long relied on altruism to run social work field education programs but austerity measures may mean that historical altruism can no longer be relied upon. The lack of compensation for practicum students and field instructors is unethical and may contribute to conflicts of interest and exploitation in practicum. This article details these present challenges in social work field education through incorporating scholarship and reflection and presents ideas for change. Enhanced orientation and stipends for practicum students and field instructors have shown preliminary promise in mitigating modern social work field education difficulties. For field education to be social work’s signature pedagogy, practicum planning and associated policies must be treated with respect and rigor, constantly scrutinized and improved upon as the field develops and changes.

ABSTRACTIn most Australian workplaces that provide placement opportunities, social workers are unlikely to receive reductions in their workload for supervising students and completing the administrative requirements of field education subjects. Associated time costs lead to reluctance to supervise social work students. This article investigates the potential for a web-based e-portfolio tool to support and streamline social work field education and assessment processes. Social work students, field educators, and university-appointed liaison staff (N = 110) from a large Australian university completed an online survey administered at the end of placement. The majority of participants reported that the e-portfolio provided a useful framework for recording evidence of student learning; was simple to use; saved time; and had the capacity to enhance the quality and immediacy of communication between parties. We argue that e-portfolios can efficiently capture evidence of student learning and provide a robust mode of supporting social work students on placement.

Given the change in social work education due to COVID-19, the use of simulation within social work field education provides a strategy to assist with skill development and training. The purpose of this study was to explore how simulation was utilised during COVID-19. A mixed-methods online survey was sent to social work academics and field educators within Australia (n = 33). Barriers to using simulation included costs, lack of expertise, technology, concerns regarding the limiting of student’s real-world practice opportunities and accreditation issues. The inclusion of simulation in field education has promise in skill development and allows student exposure to complex scenarios.

This book collates and analyses the current research, debates, opportunities and practices in social work field education into one volume and contextualises this material within the broader context of social work. Current concerns about risk and uncertainty in field education are explored from multiple stakeholder perspectives. Social work field education is an integral component of social work education, yet its sustainability is increasingly challenged. Issue such as finding enough quality placements with accredited social workers, curriculum development, student diversity, and placement assessment of learning are being examined by researchers and practitioners alike. This represents a challenge for the social work profession generally. By drawing on traditional and alternative pedagogical perspectives on field education and constructions of risk and uncertainty evident in current discourse, the book presents innovative responses to existing challenges. Providing a reference point for future knowledge building in sustainable field education pedagogy and practice, this book will interest university field education programs and industry field educators internationally.

This article presents one expression of humanism, that of renaissance scholar Desiderius Erasmus, and demonstrates its relevance and utility to contemporary discussions of social work values and skills. It supplements recent writing on humanism in social work by focusing on one particular interpretation of the philosophy. Several of Erasmus' own works are drawn upon to illustrate the key term that underpins his humanist values—mutuality. Mutuality is defined in theological terms and Erasmus' optimistic interpretation of the Christian tradition is emphasised. Expressions of mutuality are highlighted in turn in Erasmus' writing on non-violence, generosity of spirit and through the humour in his work. The importance of the corporeal in Erasmus is noted and also how this chimes with contemporary writing in social work on embodiment. How Erasmian values can be embodied in social work skills is discussed in the second half of the article which brings together writers on social work skills with Erasmus' guidance on conduct. The synergies between Erasmus' ideas and contemporary writers are uncovered and the article also points to the added value that Erasmus offers contemporary social work practitioners with a practically worked through humanist position.

Hospital restructuring has had a dramatic impact on social work practice and field education. In a qualitative focus group study of nine educational coordinators responsible for educational programs in teaching hospitals with 25 to 100 social workers each, four main themes emerged: (1) difficulty managing field education when the actual change experienced in restructuring hospitals was far less progressive and systemic than the hospital missions espoused; (2) a struggle to maintain stable student programs when change was unpredictable; (3) the importance of support, reciprocity, and advocacy from the university; and (4) the need to be creative in delivering the educational program while undergoing organizational change.

Hospital social work education plays a crucial role in improving human resource quality in social work units at Vietnam’s hospitals. This study aimed to describe the achievements and challenges of hospital social work education in Vietnam. This was a cross-sectional study with 6 in-depth interviews and 4 focus group discussions. In addition to the achievements, Vietnam is also facing challenges in hospital social work education, such as reference materials on hospital social work, social work field education, teaching and student evaluation methods under the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study provided important lessons for the social work institutions worldwide on social work education, especially social work field education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Malawi, fall armyworm (FAW) infestation in maize crops is a problem of public importance as it reduces maize yields and exacerbates household food insecurity. In addition to pest resistance, the use of synthetic pesticides to control FAW negatively affects the health of farmers and the environment. Biochemical pesticides from plants contain naturally non-toxic chemotypes and are effective in controlling pests. Tephrosia vogelii plants contain these bioactive phytocompounds that have pesticidal properties. Geographical location and plant species influence the occurrence of phytocompounds in Tephrosia vogelii. Farmers in Sub Sahara-Africa are using Tephrosia vogelii as a pesticide but there are mixed research findings regarding its effectiveness in controlling FAW pests. This study was informed by developmental and Green Social Work frameworks to compare the effectiveness of Tephrosia vogelii leaves extracts, Belt 480 SC, and soap solution in controlling FAW in maize gardens. The study employed a randomized complete block design with four replication gardens and was conducted from November 2022 to March 2023. A social work field education student was assigned to coordinate the project. The study affirmed that the sampled Tephrosia vogelii leaf extracts contained pesticidal chemotypes. The results of field gardens suggest that Tephrosia vogelii leaf extracts have similar potency to Belt SC 480 chemical pesticide. It has been identified that Boom detergent soap is not as effective as Tephrosia vogelii leaf extracts. The study has social work field education implications for empowering practicum students to gain community mobilization skillsets, to participate in environmental justice advocacy, and to uphold social work values.