Social Work Education Research Articles

Towards a ‘Social Model’ of Mental Capacity for Social Work

Abstract The statutory social work role in England and Wales regularly involves assessment and ‘best interests’ decision making under the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. Legal frameworks that permit substitute decision making have, however, been challenged as a contravention of the human rights of people with disabilities. This article aims to answer the question: ‘Can mental capacity be theorised for social work assessment in England and Wales in a way that is compatible with social work ethics and values?’ Findings are that mental capacity is a complex and disputed concept best described using a constructivist ‘social model’ which situates it as a property of an individual’s relationships. Such a model suggests that assessments are a joint endeavour and that the quality of the relationship between assessor and assessed is crucial. The present legal framework disincentivises but does not prevent capacity assessment based on a social model. The existing literature suggests that further research might identify ways in which social work capacity assessment could enhance rather than diminish the autonomy of the people involved. These findings have implications for social work research, education and post qualification training.

Re-Envisioning Field Education in Australian Social Work to Combat Placement Poverty: Students’, Educators’ and Practitioners’ Perceptions

Abstract In Australia, pressure is mounting from multiple stakeholders for a full review of the national social work education standards for field education as evidence grows about compulsory, unpaid placements exacerbating student poverty and the related adverse consequences for students’ learning and well-being. This article reports on the findings of an Australian nation-wide qualitative and quantitative survey that explored social work students’, educators’ and practitioners’ perceptions of proposed strategies to address the challenges identified with existing field education requirements. Descriptive statistics were calculated using Excel. Qualitative data were coded for thematic analysis. The main finding of the survey involving 1,191 participants was a call for a reimagined model of field education with flexibility in all aspects of how future placements are conceptualised, structured and delivered. The findings provide important and previously unavailable empirical evidence about field education strategies to inform and support the reimagining of existing Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards. Recommendations for change, which have implications for both the Australian Association of Social Workers and the Australian Government, are discussed in the context of international standards for social work education and the social justice goals of the profession.

Use of Oral History Methods in Social Work: A Scoping Review

ABSTRACT Purpose Oral history as a method of understanding the lived experience spans multiple disciplines including education, women and gender studies, history, and disability studies. Oral histories can be a vehicle for people on the periphery to tell their stories, a method well suited to pursuits related to social justice and social work. The purpose of this manuscript is to report on a scoping review that was conducted to better understand how oral history methods have been used in social work. Material and Methods To answer our review question, we use an established scoping review framework. Based on eligibility criteria, 23 manuscripts were identified – all published in peer-reviewed English language journals between 2005 and 2023 and written by social work-credentialed authors. Results The authors identified three themes that reflect the uses of oral history studies in social work: oral history used as a teaching tool in social work education, oral history used to document the experiences and knowledge of social service trailblazers, and commentaries about using oral history and other biographical methods in social work. Discussion This review highlights how oral history, as a method, has contributed to social work research and scholarship. Conclusion Recommendations are made as to the usefulness of oral history to address social problems and practice issues important to the field of social work.

Cultural competence in social work education: a content analysis of MSW practice syllabi

ABSTRACT As an ethical and professional standard in social work education and practice, cultural competence must go beyond educating social work students about White privilege to promoting cultural consciousness and anti-racism. Using an anti-racist framework as a construct of cultural competence, this study examined the language in the course syllabi of graduate social work programs. Findings suggest that many graduate social work programs need to integrate more inclusive language in course syllabi and that further examination of anti-racism in course syllabi is needed. These findings have implications for including populations who have historically been marginalized in social work education.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/gender diverse, queer, and intersex+ inclusion in Asia-Pacific social work education: a scoping review

ABSTRACT The purpose of this scoping literature review was to examine the available evidence on the discussion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/gender diverse, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) populations in published journal articles on social work education in the Asia-Pacific region. Using a modified PRISMA framework, the research team searched 33 English-language Q1 and Q2 journals (with an impact factor ranging from 0.5 to 2.8) in social work. The initial search yielded 4,468 results related to LGBTQI+ inclusion. Once full-text articles were reviewed, 15 relevant articles remained. Most articles were from Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand and several were empirical papers. The chief finding was that the literature focused on preparing students with appropriate affirmative and strengths focused language for effectively intervening with LGBTQI+ communities. We found gaps in LGBTQI+ inclusive education in the literature, particularly in developing regions of the Asia-Pacific. Future research in social work education in the Asia-Pacific should explore opportunities for enhancing LGBTQI+ inclusion within the region.

Evaluating the Use of ePortfolios in Social Work Education: Assessing Student Competency in Meeting Graduate Attributes

ABSTRACT Social work external accrediting bodies are moving towards competency-based models that require educational providers to demonstrate that students meet specific competencies at graduation. It is expected that all social work students at accredited social work programs in Australia will have acquired specific graduate attributes and demonstrated the associated learning outcomes by the completion of their degree. The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences and benefits of using an ePortfolio with Master of Social Work students (n = 43) to critically reflect on their own learning and demonstrate how they met the Australian Association of Social Work graduate attributes necessary for accreditation. The findings revealed that students’ perceived level of readiness for practice and identity as a professional social worker increased with the successful completion of the ePortfolio. The study also identified barriers and enablers in implementing the ePortfolio as an assessment piece to document overall program learning outcomes. The conclusion discusses how ePortfolios are a viable assessment tool in the online and blended learning space that has benefit for both the student and the program in demonstrating learning outcomes and compliance with accreditation graduate standards. IMPLICATIONS Academic ePortfolios are an effective tool for student reflection and communication of competence of required graduate outcomes. Student self-assessment of graduate attributes can strengthen professional identity and preparedness for professional practice. The ePortfolios benefit students and social work educators by sharing the accreditation-obligated responsibility of ensuring that AASW graduate competencies are met.

Tools to accelerate anti-racist supervision practices in social work practicum-based education settings

ABSTRACT Due to recent racial injustices in the United States and globally, there is an urgent need for curricular reform in social work education. The profession requires creative tools, techniques and methods that provide strategies for how to dismantle structural racism embedded in the work of both social care systems and social work education and training. The education of social work students offers a vital window of opportunity to equip the next generation to dismantle systems of oppression and engage in justice-oriented action. The authors provide resources to support practicum-based educators in the implementation of anti-racist supervision practices with social work students. Tools and strategies including vocabulary, key terms, skill building and reflection that can guide the development of foundational knowledge for engagement in justice oriented social work practice.

Online Education: A Scoping Review Examining Learning and Satisfaction Outcomes in Social Work, Medicine, and Nursing

ABSTRACT Social work has a proliferation of online courses. Both nursing and medicine have been using online technology for years with noted success within a variety of subjects. The current scoping review examined empirical research of online learning and satisfaction outcomes in social work, while also comparing results with nursing and medicine. Results showed that most social work studies that examined learning outcomes between online and traditional courses found differences, whereas approximately half of the studies in nursing and medicine reported no differences. Satisfaction results were more varied in each discipline. Taken together, both learning and satisfaction outcomes remain inconclusive due to documented limitations related to study designs. Implications for social work education are discussed and recommendations are provided.

Action replay role-play: promoting social work students’ communication skills through video enhanced reflective practice

ABSTRACT This article evaluates a collaboration between social work academics and educational psychologists using Video Enhanced Reflective Practice (VERP) to support the development of social work students’ communication and interpersonal skills. VERP is a strengths-based model of reflective practice and professional development that involves a specific method of video reflection to enhance individuals’ capacity for ‘attuned interactions’. An adapted model of VERP was implemented with first year UK-based undergraduate social work students during a ‘Readiness for Direct Practice’ module. The project was evaluated with a focus on eliciting the views of the students on how using the approach had affected their development of communication skills. The findings, based on a qualitative analysis of students’ self-reflection forms and a focus group, indicate the potential of this model for developing students’ awareness of the micro-skills involved in sensitive, attuned interactions, and building their confidence and sense of agency in using these skills. Potential benefits and limitations of using VERP in social work education and practice are discussed.

Digital storytelling in a digital environment: a case study for social work education

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to explore students’ learning experiences from an online workshop focusing on digital storytelling: an active learning method in which students create a digital story. At Oslo Metropolitan University, the learning method is implemented for training in reflection after a period of placement. However, the methodology is resource-intensive, and there is little research on resources combined with the pedagogic potentials. An online workshop with large classes requires fewer resources than a face-to-face workshop. We have studied the students’ experiences and what we can learn from this case to adapt the methodology to online teaching, with minimal compromise on quality. The data are derived from 122 evaluation forms and focus group interviews with 15 students who had taken an online workshop, as well as 94 evaluation forms from the subsequent year, when the workshop was carried out face-to-face. This article is based on a descriptive case study and thematic analysis. Our findings indicate that, although the conditions for learning are different, there is no indication of lower learning outcomes in relation to reflection. The article illustrates how digitalization and the downscaling of resources bring about new opportunities for learning, but also new potential risks.

Mental health struggles of social work students: Distress, stigma, and perseverance

Growing evidence reports that social work students experience financial hardship and negative impacts on their health and wellbeing as they juggle study, paid work, and family commitments. Social work qualifying programmes require extended compulsory field placements, which increase students’ financial stress and potentially exacerbate mental health vulnerabilities. A national survey of social work students and recent graduates in Aotearoa New Zealand, was conducted in 2019, gaining 353 responses, augmented by 31 semi-structured interviews. We report the analysis of both open-question survey and interview data related to students’ experience of mental distress. The survey revealed that 58.4% of respondents had sought medical advice on mental health while a social work student. At the same time, 60% of participants who experienced significant anxiety, stress, or depression chose not to seek medical advice for their mental health. Cost and access were among the main reasons for not seeking help. However, more than one in four (28%) identified stigma and fear of career consequences as reasons for not seeking help. This finding has implications for social work education and needs further research and policy development.

Internalization of and advocacy for social work professional ethics through microfilm: a progressive teaching reform for MSW ethics curriculum

ABSTRACT Social work ethics is vital to social work education and professional development. However, traditional didactic teaching does not always translate to internalization of social work ethics, and few visual teaching tools measure the extent to which the students have truly internalized professional ethics. Using the perspective of action research, the present study introduced a progressive teaching reform to a Master of Social Work (MSW)-level social work ethics curriculum at a social work school in China. The progressive reform went through two action cycles. In the first cycle, a preliminary attempt, the instructor redesigned the course structure and applied student-generated microfilms as a final assignment. In the second cycle, educators from China and the United States collaborated in class to revise the course in response to issues raised in the first cycle and explore refined and more effective pathways to help MSW students internalize and advocate for professional ethics through filmmaking. The present study examined successes and failures throughout the reform process, providing practical lessons and evidence for social work educators interested in adopting filmmaking as an experiential teaching tool in MSW educational practices.

Self-Differentiation, Psychological Flexibility, and Difficulties in Practice in Social Workers and Social Work Students.

Practicing social work involves unique difficulties, which may vary with seniority. This study aimed to identify these difficulties among social workers and social work students and to examine the associations between psychological flexibility (PF), self-differentiation (SF), and difficulties in practice in both groups. Ninety-one social work students and seventy-five social workers completed the following questionnaires: Difficulties in Practice, the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, and Differentiation of Self Inventory. Results showed higher difficulties among social work students regarding their professional competence. Social workers demonstrated higher levels of PF, while no significant difference was found in SF. SF and PF were positively correlated, and both were negatively correlated with difficulties in practice in both groups. Among social work students, a moderating effect of PF was found for the association between SF and difficulties in practice. The current study emphasizes the importance of developing SF and cultivating PF during social work education to enhance professional competence and reduce difficulties in practice.

News from our societies – IASSW: Supporting development of social work education around the world: Still a contemporary challenge

News from our societies – IASSW: Supporting development of social work education around the world: Still a contemporary challenge

DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL AND PEDAGOGICAL ISSUES AS A TREND OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

The article explores the relevance of social and pedagogical issues in the context of the development of modern society and is dedicated to studying trends in the development of social and pedagogical issues as a direction of scientific research. The interrelationship between social and pedagogical aspects of research is investigated, and modern approaches to solving social and pedagogical problems are considered.The purpose of the article is a comprehensive overview of the current state of social work and social education in Europe, the United States, and Ukraine. It aims to compare approaches and practices in these fields, identify problems and opportunities they face, and discuss their future implications. The article examines social work and social education in Europe and the United States, including their historical development, some theories and approaches, and the current state of social work and social education in Ukraine, including the problems they face (lack of legal recognition, low salaries, limited resources, etc.). It is argued that the challenges facing social sectors in Ukraine can be addressed through the development of a comprehensive legislative framework, increased funding, and improved training and education. Accordingly, cross-cultural exchange and cooperation can enhance the quality and effectiveness of social work and social education.Research methods. The article reviews research on social work and social education in Europe, the United States, and Ukraine. Data from various sources, including surveys, interviews, and thematic studies, were analyzed to determine the current state of social work and social education in these regions. A comparative approach was used to compare and contrast different approaches and practices in social work and social education. This includes an analysis of historical, cultural, and institutional factors.

Going beyond remedial learning support: reframing learning development as a catalyst for practice learning. A case study exploring father involvement in social work education.

This conference paper presents Learning Development as transcending remedial and deficit notions of academic support. A Learning Developer based at London Metropolitan University, presents a case study that illustrates the values and impact of Learning Development and Praxis.
 This research project piloted a Problem Based Learning (PBL) methodology in the curriculum area of Social Work. The project worked in collaboration with social work students, lecturers and university partners between 2019 to 2021. This session may be of particular interest to those working with students in the social professions and work based learning courses.
 Key challenges and implications for practice:
 
 Subject specialists seeing the Learning Developer role as one of ‘fixing students’.
 Potential of Problem Based Learning as part of accredited Social Work courses.
 Integrating Learning Development; embedded vs bolt on quick fixes.
 Learning Development as scaffolding reflective writing practice.
 
 The project overcame these issues with a reach that rippled across six north east London Local Authorities as part of a Teaching Partnership. It has also been included as a topical issue for reflection, titled: ‘Promoting Positive Father Involvement’ as part of modules in practice learning. Both students and staff engaged in a workshop programme that scaffolded a dialogue between them, addressing issues of father engagement as part of practice.
 Students were able to synthesise themes of theory, policy, legislation and its application to practice. As a result, some students developed substantial case studies at both level 5 and 6, and these even informed their later dissertations and research projects. This demonstrates the social value and wider impact that Learning Development has had on improving outcomes for not only students, but fathers, children and their families.

THEORETICAL AND APPLIED PRINCIPLES OF RESOCIALISATION OF JUVENILE CONVICTS IN CORRECTIONAL COLONIES OF UKRAINE

The article determines and characterises the theoretical and applied principles of resocialisation of juvenile convicts in modern correctional facilities. A profound analysis of the conceptual and categorical apparatus is conducted, and the essence of the concept of resocialisation of juvenile convicts in modern pedagogical theory and practice of penitentiary institutions is revealed. The author examines the generally accepted classification of the forms of organisation of educational work with juvenile convicts by the entity to which the educational influence is addressed, namely: individual, group, and public forms. The author also describes the essence of the corrections measures for juvenile convicts, namely: formation and correction of consciousness; formation and correction of positive experience of behaviour and activity; additional motivation and stimulation of positive behaviour; monitoring of the outcomes of education. The paper defines the processes of organisation and implementation of legal, labour, moral, ethical, artistic, aesthetic, physical, sanitary and hygienic, religious upbringing, and social educational work with juvenile convicts.

Impact assessment of academic support provided by tertiary learning advisors

In New Zealand higher education (HE), there is a lack of consistent ways of collecting evidence of the impact made by academic literacy support from Tertiary Learning Advisors (TLAs) on students’ academic performance, retention, and success. TLAs in New Zealand and Australia are primarily involved in providing learning support to students in post-secondary education to encourage development of their academic literacy and essential study skills. They are professional educators who advise students on issues related to academic writing and other academic skills, such as time management or exam preparation, to facilitate achievement of students’ goals of tertiary study (Griffith University, 2021). While it may be recognised that provision of learning support is desirable for a meaningful and successful HE experience for many students, hard evidence that learning support makes a difference to student retention and academic performance is difficult to find (Acheson, 2006, as cited in Breen and Prothero, 2015). This presentation sought to share an attempt to address this issue by investigating the impact of embedded academic literacy support provided by TLAs to three cohorts of students enrolled in undergraduate social work and early childhood education programs at my ITP (Institute of Technology and Polytechnic) in Auckland, New Zealand. Existing research in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom suggests that support that embeds academic literacy development in disciplines, rather than academic support that is generic and/or provided through foundation courses, represents a best practice model (Glew et al., 2019).

Is Self-Care Sustainable Without Structural Support? A Systematic Review of Self-Care Interventions

Purpose: Social workers navigate systemic stressors while managing self-care amid scant institutional support. The purpose of this systematic review is to critically examine the state of social work intervention research for self-care practices. Methods: This review includes empirical research articles focusing on self-care interventions in social work between 2011 and 2022 ( N = 22). Results: All self-care interventions focused on modifying individual behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge. Discussion: Most (83%) research on self-care interventions focused on mindfulness, which tended to be associated with improvements in mindfulness, distress management, and clinical self-efficacy. The remaining interventions tended to be associated with improvements in self-care attitudes, knowledge, practices, and wellness. Conclusion: Structural factors and socioeconomic privilege have been found to be predominant predictors of whether social work students, educators, and practitioners engaged in self-care practices, yet no interventions incorporated structural or institutional variables. Multilevel interventions addressing structural, institutional, and relational determinants of burnout are needed.

Child abuse and kinship guardianship: social work and indigenization perspectives in Indonesia

Indigenization was an essential issue in social work; however, it was hardly explored in previous studies on child abuse related to kinship guardianship. This article aimed to describe the assessment of eligibility of the alternative caregiver and examine the intervention for the permanency plan of the abused child. The abused child was removed from Western culture to his grandfather living in the Eastern context. This study employed a qualitative approach with seventeen participants. Data-gathering techniques included document search, in-depth interviews, observation, and drawing analysis. The assessment of the eligibility of the grandfather that applied systems theory and indigenization showed that the grandfather was eligible as the alternative caregiver. At the intervention phase, an emphasis on indigenization led to guardianship -not adoption- as an option for the child's best interest. The implications for social work practice and education were that indigenization should be given more space, especially in multicultural societies; when alternative care is required, Indonesian and African social workers should encourage the kinship form, considering strong community ties as the social capital; future research should focus on indigenization in permanency plan for abused disabled children. How to reference using ASWNet style: Nugroho, F. (2023). Child abuse and kinship guardianship: social work and indigenization pperspectives in Indonesia. African Journal of Social Work, 13(5), 224-234. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajsw.v13i5.1 Visit journal website: https://ajsw.africasocialwork.net