Persisting in Field Education: Social Work Student Experiences

Abstract

Field education is a core component within social work education and vital to enable students to integrate their learning and professional practice. In addition to the challenges associated with undertaking tertiary studies, many also have to balance this new role of ‘student’ with other roles and responsibilities. Undertaking field placement can therefore present as a barrier to their persistence. This research was designed to address gaps in knowledge about the experience of social work students and strategies they adopt in order to persist with field education. To explore these issues further, 16 Master of Social Work students were recruited to participate in two semi-structured, in-depth interviews. In contrast to other field education research, student perspectives were sought at two different points in placement. The research explored their experience focussing on what students perceived as being helpful or as hindering their field education. The methodological framework adopted was founded on an understanding of social constructivism that acknowledges the socially constructed nature of knowledge and the existence of multiple realities. This approach matched the exploratory nature of the study. Consideration of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory in the research design and analysis, contributed to the development of a Framework that took the perspective of student persistence from within a sociocultural context of social work field education. These two perspectives, combined with the influence of narrative research theory, enabled a research design that has deepened an appreciation of the experience of persistence in field education to be exposed and meanings to be understood. The results of the research revealed new knowledge about the breadth of factors that influence students’ field education and how they persist. The study concluded that students engage in a finely balanced and complex process to manage the competing roles, responsibilities, and other influential factors within their environment. Furthermore, the thesis concludes that there are aspects of the field education context and the wider environment that are significant to persistence, but over which students have little control. The findings have long term implications for social work field education which need addressing through research and change.