Social Work Education at the Start of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Narrative Reflections and Pedagogical Responses

Abstract

ABSTRACT COVID-19’s unprecedented effects on the world emphasize the minimal exigent research on best practices of social work pedagogy during crises. The purpose of this paper is to inform this research and our understanding of social work education’s shift at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study draws upon the narratives of four key stakeholders in the educational process: a graduating MSW student, a field director, an adjunct faculty member (already teaching online), and a tenured faculty member who had never taught online. An inductive thematic analysis of these stakeholders’ narratives highlights the intersection of the personal and the professional in social work education, illustrates concerns about power relationships and self-disclosure, and considers equitable learning in the context of the pandemic. Special attention is paid to the start of online teaching and learning. Recommendations highlight the importance of awareness of both student and educator perspectives in adapting social work pedagogy during a crisis. These recommendations may also be applied more broadly, particularly to the burgeoning use of an online social work education format.