Work Curriculum Research Articles

Is Afrocentricity Marginalized in Social Work Education? A Survey of HBSE Instructors

This study looked at social work HBSE instructors' use, knowledge, and support of Molefi Asante's Afrocentricity paradigm. A sample of HBSE instructors (N = 85) at accredited social work programs reported both their Afrocentric knowledge and level of professional support for Afrocentric thought. Results show a vast majority of the respondents do not teach Afrocentric content. In addition, a majority are unfamiliar with Asante's paradigm and do not support most Afrocentric statements relevant to social work ethics and practice. The lack of knowledge and support for Afrocentricity among HBSE educators indicates the paradigm may be theoretically marginalized in social work curricula. This is the first empirical study supporting the assertion that Afrocentricity is marginalized in social work education.

‘I do and I understand?’ Practical work and laboratory use in United Kingdom schools

This paper provides a critical review of the changes to the role of practical work in the science curriculum in England over the last forty years. The science curriculum over this period appears to place an emphasis on an approach to practical enquiry that suggests school students can act like ‘real’ scientists. This paper provides a critical perspective of this view as it traces the developments of practical work and draws on the literature and on empirical work about how practical science in the secondary school (ages 11 to 18 years) has been enacted over this time period and gives some suggestions about the current situation and how practical work might develop in the future.

An Ethics of Recognition in Global and Teacher Education: Looking through Queer and Postcolonial Lenses

Global education and teacher education struggle to address a wide range of objectives surrounding curriculum. Some of these objectives are market-driven while others emphasise critical democracy. A theoretical framework is presented that combines literature from queer theory and postcolonial theory to better understand curriculum through a poststructural ethics of recognition. Recognising individuals and groups beyond normalising discourses and creating third spaces are the main themes of this ethics in curriculum work and global teacher education. These interpretations are illustrated with a brief example of a teacher education project that encouraged dialogue about global inequities and colonisation between pre-service teachers in the Philippines and the United States.

Structuralism’s relevance in a post-structural era: Re-visiting research on multicultural curricular studies

At the current historical juncture in which differences and inequalities are surfacing greater than ever in the world, societies, and schools, the main goal of this essay is to revisit the aspects of structuralism that can potentially contribute productively to understanding the invisible structures and forces that everyone carries (mostly unknowingly) with them at all times and in all places including in multicultural curricular and social justice work. By doing so, this essay also attempts to dispute with liberal humanistic notions of the self (teachers and students) in multicultural curricular studies that continues to support the dominant framework of curriculum. This essay is grounded on the idea that progressive change is predicated on (although never guaranteed by) uncovering and understanding as fully as possible the social, political, and economic organization of the world, which is always mediated by individual selves who are located within the world in specific ways.

Trauma Exposure and the Social Work Practicum

In this study, 58 undergraduate and graduate students at 1 Canadian school of social work voluntarily completed a survey at the conclusion of their academic year consisting of open- and closed-ended questions intended to examine their exposure to trauma during the course of their field practice. The authors discovered that the majority of students entered the program having already experienced or been exposed to at least 1 significant traumatic incident. These ranged from verbal and sexual harassment, to having been stalked, to having experienced the death of a child or partner. Likewise, during their field practicum, the majority of these social work students experienced, or were exposed to, at least 1 incident that was emotionally or physically distressing. Although most instances neither occurred on a regular basis, nor had an overwhelming effect, a small number of social work students were exposed to traumatic incidents that were of significance to them. This fact was the result of the actions and behaviors not only of clients but also, in a few instances, of their field instructors or faculty consultants. In total, there were 52 significant or severe events reported by the 58 participants. They stated that changes in sleeping, eating, concentration, psychoactive substance use, confidence, and academic performance all occurred as a result of attending practicum. Hence, it might be beneficial for students and field instructors if schools of social work had specific curriculum and activities to assist in preparing for the emotional elements of field practice before beginning the practicum. Also, formal mechanisms to assist students in debriefing and responding to these incidents perhaps should be core components of every school of social work's curriculum.

Developing a Third‐year Emergency Medicine Medical Student Curriculum: A Syllabus of Content

Emergency medicine (EM) educators have published several curricular guides designed for medical student rotations and experiences. These guides primarily provided brief overviews of opportunities to incorporate EM into all 4 years of the medical student curriculum, with one specific to the fourth year. However, there are no published guidelines specific to third-year medical students rotating in EM. Given the differences between third-year and fourth-year students in terms of clinical experience, knowledge, and skills, the Clerkship Directors in Emergency Medicine (CDEM) established the Third-year EM Medical Student Curriculum Work Group to create a third-year curriculum. The work group began this process by developing consensus-based recommendations for the content of a third-year medical student EM rotation, which are presented in this syllabus.

International Sexuality and HIV Curriculum Working Group, Nicole Haberland and Deborah Rogow (editors): It's All One Curriculum: Guidelines and Activities for a Unified Approach to Sexuality, Gender, HIV, and Human Rights Education

International Sexuality and HIV Curriculum Working Group, Nicole Haberland and Deborah Rogow (editors): <i>It's All One Curriculum: Guidelines and Activities for a Unified Approach to Sexuality, Gender, HIV, and Human Rights Education</i>

Through Education and Work Experience toward Professional Competence - A Phenomenographic Study on Some Finnish Nurses’ and Midwives’ Perceptions

The purpose of this article is to describe graduated nurses and midwives’ (N=39) opinions on their professional competence that they have acquired from nursing education at the university of applied sciences in Finland. The data was collected in three phases through inquiries and theme interviews. The research approach was phenomenographic. The results show how working nurses’ and midwives’ opinions on their professional competences acquired from education could be divided into three categories: 1) strengthening the professional identity, 2) developing the functional professional qualifications, and 3) developing the outer functional qualifications. They also expressed their opinions on how to develop the contents of education, teachers’ instruction, and connections with working life. We created a model of the development of professional competence in nursing to help developing nursing education at the universities of applied sciences, curriculum work, and cooperation with working life.

Self-Efficacy, Curriculum Content, Practicum Experience, and the Interest of Social Work Students in Gerontology

The present study examined the linkages among perceptions of self-efficacy, curriculum, and field experience on students’ attitudes and interest in working with older adults. Graduate level social work students were surveyed regarding perceived self-efficacy to intervene with older adult clients, the amount of aging content in the master of social work (MSW) curriculum, and practicum experience with older clients. Regression analysis showed a relationship between attitudes toward older adults and perceptions of self-efficacy. Pearson correlations revealed that self-efficacy was significantly related to levels of gerontology content in curriculum, as well as practicum opportunities to work with older adults. While both gerontology curriculum and practice experience significantly predicted self-efficacy, multiple regression analysis revealed that practice experience had the stronger influence.

Has Social Work Heeded the Call? Sex Offender Content in Social Work

For more than a decade, social work educators have advocated for social work curricula to include content on both general offenders and the subpopulation of sexual offenders. Although advocates have attempted to guide educators to logical points in routine curriculum where such content could be infused, it is unclear whether educators have responded adequately. This article reports findings from an exploratory study that examined whether master's level social work programs have heeded the call for the inclusion of content on sexual perpetrators into their programs. In addition, the study examined the programs' rationale for the inclusion or exclusion of such material. Data collected via a web-based survey completed by 42 master's level social work programs in the United States indicate that 61% of the schools include some content on sexual offenders whereas five programs included no content on sexual offenders. Faculty reasons for their decisions are discussed.

A Guided Reading of Images: A Strategy to Develop Critical Thinking and Communicative Skills

This article describes the effects of a strategy aimed at helping students develop critical thinking and communicative skills by means of a program for guided reading of images using the questioning technique in an EFL context. Many teachers are not prepared for the education of critical thinkers as part of their curricular work. This is a qualitative descriptive research study carried out with third graders from a public school in Bogotá, Colombia in which field notes, artifacts, and questionnaires were used as data collection instruments. The study showed that the program activated children’s mental processes to allow them to move from basic to higher levels of critical thinking while communicating their thoughts in Spanish as well as using vocabulary in English. This strategy could be used by teachers of different disciplines.

The Experiential Community Assessment Project: Integrating Social Work Practice Skills

Although most social work students are primarily interested in micro practice, the Council on Social Work Education mandates teaching macro practice. The challenge of incorporating meaningful and relevant community assignments within practice courses is noted in the literature (Koerin, Reeves, & Rosenblum, 2000). This article discusses the Experiential Community Assessment Project (ECAP) that integrates social work practice skills through interviewing a community leader, attending a community meeting, and using publicly available data to assess at risk neighborhoods. Grounded in experiential learning theory, a series of reflection papers are used to help students process what they are learning. A capstone poster presentation is required at the end. Suggestions and recommendations are made for using or adapting this project within other social work curricula.

The implementation of entrepreneurship education through curriculum reform in Finnish comprehensive schools

How has entrepreneurship education been implemented in Finnish comprehensive schools. A two‐part survey was undertaken in 43 municipalities with different educational and socio‐economic backgrounds. The first part, in 2005, dealt with the local curriculum reform with a focus on the development of entrepreneurship education. The second part, in 2006, dealt with the implementation of entrepreneurship education. Questionnaires were sent to the representatives of the education and business sectors in the municipalities. The research questions were: (1) What is the sense of responsibility for implementing entrepreneurship education? (2) What kind of knowledge is there about entrepreneurship education? The results indicate that an atmosphere of responsibility for implementing entrepreneurship education is developing, although teachers do not possess knowledge of how to implement entrepreneurship education in practice. To develop such new curricular fields, such as entrepreneurship education, one could develop partnership forms of curriculum reform in order to develop teachers’ learning, school/work partnerships, and local curriculum work. Reforms need to be framed in practice‐oriented terms, thus strengthening the realization of aims and contents.

Misremembering as Mediated Action: Schematic Narrative Templates and Elementary Students' Narration of the Past

The purpose of this article is to explore three fifth grade students' misremembering of the beginnings of American history as a form of mediated action, active agents using cultural tools provided by a sociocultural setting to represent and interpret the past (Wertsch, 2000). Data come from a 10-month qualitative case study of history instruction in one fourth grade and two fifth grade classrooms, and include student interviews, videotaped observations of lessons, and curricular materials and student work. Drawing on Wertsch's (2002, 2004) distinction between specific narratives and schematic narrative templates, the author argues that three fifth grade students' mistaken narration of the beginnings of American history was informed by their use of a schematic narrative template that was present in the enacted curriculum. The author concludes the article with a discussion of the implications of the presence of this cultural tool and its use by students for the teaching of history and students' development of a usable historical past.

Negotiating between Generations: A Decade of Experience Teaching Oral History

Teaching oral history to undergraduate history majors for the past ten years has taught me lessons about achieving effective instructional methods and obtaining historically worthwhile interviews of World War II, Home Front, and Korean War veterans. Students learn best practices visually. That is to say, they learn by watching other student interviewers and interviews by historians or other professionals. Students need guidance and deadlines in order to become more disciplined and effective. They also need grounding in military history and the purposes of oral history. Projects organized around a college curriculum work best with community involvement and input so that names can be generated as potential interview subjects. Generational differences between today's students in their twenties and their grandparents’ generation can complicate learning and intrude in interviews. At best, teaching oral history allows the instructor the opportunity to see students improve their skills over the course of a semester.

What Does Professionalization Mean?—Tracing the Trajectory of Social Work Education in Taiwan

The purpose of this article is to review the history and recent developments of social work education in Taiwan. The influences from Taiwan's political, economic and social changes as well as the international diffusion of social work have led to the unique development of social work education in Taiwan. In this paper, various factors that are relevant to the status of social work education in Taiwan are discussed, including: (1) the origin of social work education; (2) the subsequent development of social work education; (3) the rapid expansion of social work education; (4) social work curricula before and after the late 1990s; and (5) teaching staff before and after the late 1990s. Finally, reflections on the development of Taiwan's social work education will be presented.

A Case Study of Professional Change: The Impact of the National Gerontological Social Work Competencies Survey

Our society is aging, and this demographic change necessitates that all social workers have basic competency in gerontology. This article describes the results of a competency survey conducted in 2000, and how these results helped transform basic social work curricula and enhance gerontology-related resources. Results were used to encourage and assist social work faculty to infuse gerontological content into social work curriculum, which helped practitioners to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to meet the needs of a growing aging population. This social work education framework can be replicated in an effort to infuse gerontology content throughout other disciplines.

Shifting Patterns in the Premedical Education of African Americans and the Role of the HBCU

In today's highly competitive educational environment, becoming a physician requires that the students attend a high school that offers both a challenging curriculum and advanced course work. Ideally, the learning will occur in classroom environments with certified and nurturing teachers. Once accepted to college the students must survive two years of intense science coursework across the three disciplines of Biology, Chemistry and Physics and maintain a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or better. Still very few African American students reach these final steps on the challenging road to a career in medicine. This paper describes some of the historical and contemporary barriers African American physicians have faced as well as their underrepresentation as medical students including the differences in acceptance rates. The paper also discusses the impact of undergraduate science education on African American students’ medical school admissions. The importance of this review relates to the fact that there is currently an insufficient number of physicians and that African American physicians are underrepresented in that group.

Competing allegiances in ESL curriculum work

The ethnography reported here reports on the findings of a practitioner ethnography conducted in a feminised and casualised workforce over four years (1997–2001) in a New Zealand polytechnic. It examines the competing allegiances of teachers and students in a combined community and workplace English oriented programme, in contexts where intercultural, professional and hegemonic discourses underpin practice on the institutional margins. In all cases, English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers express a desire to retain autonomy to decide the form and nature of curriculum according to workable personal definitions and learner-centredness or needs. However, teacher discourses of learner needs do not always translate directly into the real world of student needs.

Enabling teachers to become pedagogical leaders: case studies of two IDEAS schools in Singapore and Australia

This research paper is about the role of the principal in enabling teacher leadership for pedagogical innovations and school improvement studied in two Innovative Designs for Enhancing Achievements in Schools (IDEAS) schools in Singapore and Australia over a 3-year period from 2005 to 2007. The research reported is based on the developing relationship between principals and teacher leaders as they collaboratively engage in a process of whole school improvement. Both case study schools used the IDEAS school improvement program which originates from the Leadership Research Institute, University of Southern Queensland. The cases trace the facilitation of the IDEAS process in each school and highlights the centrality of teacher leadership in bringing about change in school-wide pedagogy and a process of school re-culturing. It underlines the fact that principals need to support the enabling of leadership among teachers by giving them the space, time and responsibility to make decisions about curriculum work and ensuring that these are aligned with new organizational structures and processes. The paper discusses how the schools were different and yet similar in many ways between the two countries, Singapore and Australia, with regard to the nature of the enabling processes for organizational revitalization and school capacity building. It draws out some implications for school leadership and school improvement.