Field Placement Program Research Articles

Investigating the difficulty level of aspects of teaching during field placement: from coursework to practice

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to explore whether particular aspects of quality of teaching belong to a single scale and identify those aspects which are more difficult to master for student teachers (STs) in the context of early field placement. It also examines whether these aspects could be grouped in stages according to their difficulty. The participants of the study were 154 STs enrolled in an early field placement program at the University of Cyprus. Real-time classroom observations were conducted in different subject areas, corresponding to the STs’ teaching efforts. Analysis of data using the Rasch and the Saltus models revealed that the eleven aspects of teaching are structured in four stages with a diverse transition, in terms of difficulty, from one stage to the other. Such findings stress the importance of a research-based coursework design during practice, based on the challenges STs face during early field placement.

Coaching in teacher residency programs: a strategy for professional learning and development for in-service teachers

PurposeTeacher residency programs (TRPs) offer an alternative to traditional models of teacher preparation with the aim of developing teachers to work and stay in hard-to-staff schools. Research on these extended field placement programs is limited and typically examines program outcomes or the experiences and development of the pre-service teachers, or residents. This study focuses on a relatively unexamined area of TRPs to explore how providing mentoring and coaching supports the professional development of the in-service TRP coaches.Design/methodology/approachThis study employed a qualitative case study design. Fourteen coaches in an urban teacher residency program were interviewed over a three-year period. Using a semi-structured protocol, participants’ experiences and the influence of program participation were explored.FindingsFindings revealed that coaches experienced professional growth in their instructional practices and deepened or renewed their commitment to teaching. Program components such as evidence-based observational tools and protocols encouraged reflective practice and (re)evaluation of teaching that contributed to beliefs about improved practice.Practical implicationsIn-service teachers experience development in their pedagogical practices and may feel a renewed sense of professional engagement through serving as a coach for a pre-service teacher. Additionally, hard-to-staff schools that partner with TRPs to recruit and develop new teachers may find an added benefit in retaining a greater number of veteran teachers who participate as coaches in residency pre-service education programs.Originality/valueMuch of the teacher residency literature explores the outcomes and experiences of pre-service teacher residents and has little focus on how these programs may benefit TRP coaches. Coaches have an essential role in the implementation and influence of residency programs on pre-service teachers, yet little is understood about how the act of coaching impacts the in-service teacher coach. This article suggests that coaches experience meaningful professional benefits of participation in TRPs and has implications for effective residency program design.

Regional Public Health Training Centers: An Essential Partner in Workforce Development.

Regional Public Health Training Centers: An Essential Partner in Workforce Development.

Peculiarities of Organization of Pedagogical Practice for Future Teachers of Primary School in Ukraine and Cyprus: Comparative Analysis

The article substantiates the relevance of practice-oriented learning and highlights the importance of practice in school in the process of training future teachers. The authors define progressive ideas of teachers’ practical professional training in Ukraine and the Republic of Cyprus. A comparative analysis of the Field Placement Program of student teachers of the two countries was performed. The stages of practice-oriented training of future primary school teachers, the content and results of pedagogical practice are highlighted. The paper describes the experience of the University of Cyprus (UCY) on the activities of clubs in teacher education, where students create conditions to discuss positive and negative situations, share ideas with students at school, carry out collaborative analysis of their teaching during field placement in video clubs. It was found out that in Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University (PNU) the discussion of the results of students’ work during pedagogical practice at school is carried out mostly at the university with a group of teachers and learners where future teachers publicly report on their work. The graduate students’ feedback on Teacher Education (results of pedagogical practice in school) is analyzed: the presence of clear instructions on the organization of teacher activities in primary school; ability to set goals and objectives of the lesson; ability to plan professional activities to achieve these goals; skills of organizing educational dialogue in the classroom; ability to create comfortable psychological comfort in the classroom; establishing partnerships with students’ parents and teachers at school; skills of communicative culture in teaching children; use of means to stimulate students’ motivation, etc.

Reconsidering the "Place" in Field Placement.

Site-based, in-person field placement experiences prepare students for real-world community practice through reflection; direct, hands-on experience; and the completion of a project or set of deliverables that add value to the organization. These practice experiences encourage students to integrate classroom learning with the knowledge and skills of a workplace environment. In the Southeast United States, the Region IV Public Health Training Center (R-IV PHTC) provides students with practice experiences through the Pathways to Practice Scholars Field Placement Program. Before COVID-19, these field placement experiences were limited to in-person assignments in which students worked and lived in the communities they served. However, student and mentor experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that remote work arrangements offer a viable alternative to the onsite-only field placement experience. In this article, we describe student experiences with remote and hybrid work arrangements, highlight issues regarding equity and inclusion, and discuss implications for future public health practice.

IMPLEMENTATION OF HIGH FIDELITY PROTOTYPING IN ONLINE FIELD PLACEMENT PROGRAM SYSTEM DESIGN

Service activities carried out by the Academic and Student Administration Bureau (BAAK) STMIK Widuri for students who will carry out field placement program (KKP) are currently still carried out conventionally, this makes the process of making KKP cover letters and also assignments for supervisors takes time, which is quite long and less efficient. To overcome these problems, it is necessary to create a web-based application system that can simplify and speed up the activities of student KKP administration services. In this study, observations were made on the current system modeled using Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) and Data Flow Diagrams (DFD). The problem analysis process uses the Root Cause Analysis (RCA) method. The system design runs with UML diagrams, namely Use Case, Activity and Deployment Diagrams. Making a prototype with a high fidelity concept using the PHP programming language, HTML 5, CSS, jQuery, Bootstrap and DataTables frameworks and the Chart.js library. This research resulted in a prototype that describes the overall functionality of the Online MPA system, interactive and has an attractive interface.

Piloting the “Anti-Oppressive Practice & Research with Diverse Older Adults” Training Program during COVID-19

There is a critical need to develop our gerontological-sensitive workforce. Social workers (SW) frequently provide services to older adults yet there are few opportunities for them to train as gerontological clinicians and/or researchers. To provide an opportunity for SW students to gain gerontological knowledge, clinical practice, and research skills, we developed, and pilot tested the “Anti-Oppressive Practice and Research with Diverse Older Adults” virtual training program at a major medical facility in Manhattan, NY. We explored the feasibility, implementation, and impact of this novel program. The 21-hour weekly MSW field placement program followed an anti-oppressive framework and included: 1) supervision and training sessions; and 2) direct clinical and research practice (e.g., theory, funding, assessment, data collection etc.) and aging topical seminars (e.g., depression, loneliness, pain etc.). Racially diverse supervisors and graduate SW students engaged in reflective writing exercises, iterative discussions (recorded & transcribed) and a thematic analysis of data. All interns successfully completed the program and reported enhanced skills related to SW core competencies and research (e.g., standardized assessments), research and practice gap awareness (e.g., minority aging) and plans to pursue advanced research training and/or gerontological clinical work. Intern challenges included: 1) disconnect between MSW curricula and research placements; and 2) managing minority and contextual stressors (e.g., imposter syndrome, covid-19, civil unrest). Supervisory challenges included: 1) humanizing sensitive discussions via virtual communication and 2) resource constraints. Future research should systematically assess program effects (e.g., SW core competencies) and how to facilitate interprofessional collaborations to develop diverse gerontological SWs and researchers.

Addressing a Homeless Services Workforce Deficit Through Collaborative Social Work Field Placements

ABSTRACT As homelessness continues to pose a significant social problem in many urban areas, service agencies rely on social workers to fulfill a critical role. However, recruitment and retention of social workers for high-demand fields, such as homeless services, is challenging. This study offers a formative analysis of a master’s of social work field education program that brings multiple universities and service agencies together, with the Corporation for Supportive Housing in Los Angeles serving as lead convener. The preliminary efficacy of the collaborative field placement model is examined through a program stakeholder analysis and extensive literature review. Findings inform program enhancements and revisions. Evidence-based recommendations for communities interested in improving social worker recruitment and retention through a collaborative field placement program are offered.

Creating Macro Social Work Field Placements Through a University Campus Social Justice Issue

ABSTRACT Providing hands-on experiential learning opportunities to supplement hypothetical classroom lessons involving macro social work often presents challenges for educators. Applying theoretical lessons to real-world settings has the potential to significantly boost student critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities. Skill acquisition in these settings can help create job-ready graduates who apply for management or leadership positions. This article provides an overview of a social work field placement setting developed on a university campus in the U.S. Deep South. The mission of the field placement program is to address the needs of underserved students, staff, and faculty who were experiencing food insecurity or who lacked other vital resources. Lessons learned by graduate students along with implications for social work education are provided.

Building Blocks of Global Health Mentorship: Motivation, Expectations, and Institutional Support.

Background:Global health education and training experiences are in high demand. Mentorship plays an important role in successful training, but academic institutions often lack formalized mentorship support. This study aimed to evaluate perceptions of global health mentorship across disciplines at Johns Hopkins University and to understand how to better support faculty mentorship for global health training.Methods:This is a retrospective study that used qualitative methods to assess the perceptions of students who participated in the Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health (CGH) field placement program from 2011–2013 and CGH faculty who may have served as their mentors. Qualitative data was gathered through 30 individual in-depth interviews and 4 focus groups capturing both faculty and student perspectives. Data were analyzed inductively until thematic saturation was reached; a theoretical model, which we call the “building blocks of global health mentorship” model, emerged to serve as an analytical and synthesizing framework.Findings:A series of factors influenced global health mentorship from an individual to institutional level, including motivation, expectation alignment, finances, time, and knowledge. Both students and faculty reported the importance of motivation and aligned expectations to the mentorship experience and, more broadly, the overseas experience. Mentorship relationships were identified by students and faculty as either a catalyst or a hindrance to the training experience from both a personal and a professional point of view. Many faculty mentioned insufficient institutional support and financial resources, which negatively influenced their capacity to serve as mentors.Conclusions:Many factors, ranging from individual to institutional, influence mentorship for both faculty and students, which in turn influence international experiences. The underlying role of institutional support emerged as a highly salient influencing factor. Global health programs should harness the faculty and students’ motivations and expectations, as well as provide better support to faculty serving as mentors.

Risks and rewards of Externships: exploring goals and methods

Externships or field placement programs involve students placed away from the law school and supervised by a person who is not employed by the law school. Externships offer many potential rewards for students as well as other stakeholders, including especially community institutions. But there are also risks—risks that the externship will be expected to accomplish too much with too few resources or that the externship program will be held back in the potential for contribution due to inadequate imagination or planning. This article seeks to encourage externship teachers to put aside assumptions that are sometimes made about how externship programs “should be” and consider some alternative approaches to course design and possible goals for externship courses.

Enhancing Public Health Practice Through a Regional Student Field Placement Program

Experiential learning links knowledge to real practice through seasoned mentor support, professional reflection, and hands-on experience in authentic work environments. While academic public health programs seek to train the future workforce, the current workforce has a critical need for training as well. The Region IV Public Health Training Center’s Pathways to Practice Scholar program gives public health students the opportunity to apply knowledge to competency-based experiences while fulfilling the current workforce’s short- and long-term human resource needs. Placements are offered in all eight states of the region to broaden opportunities for both agencies and student scholars. On completion of the program, scholars are required to submit an executive summary, reflection statement, photos of the experience, and a draft abstract suitable for submission to a professional conference. Since 2015, 36 scholars have been placed in positions across Region IV, 11 in states other than those of their home universities. Students were placed at state, local, and tribal health departments; area health education centers (AHECs); and other agencies (e.g., primary care settings), and the most common work plan domains selected by scholars were analytic/assessment, policy development/program planning, and leadership/systems thinking skills. Scholars’ perceived confidence increased across all domains with the highest increases in financial planning/management and cultural competency. Program implementation and evaluation findings are described, including types of projects, differences in confidence in performing competency domains, and confidence and interest in working with underserved populations. Evaluation findings indicate that the Region IV Public Health Training Center scholars increased their confidence in performing practice competencies while providing support for public health agencies serving underserved populations.

A Region-Wide Field Placement Program Built on the Foundation of Mentorship and Professionalism

A Region-Wide Field Placement Program Built on the Foundation of Mentorship and Professionalism

What students’ Facebook posts teach us about the identity challenge in field placements abroad

ABSTRACTFacebook is a common tool that enables students to publicly express their emotions, thoughts, experiences, and knowledge. On the assumption that the personal narratives of students can provide deep insights into their learning processes during practical training programs, the article presents content analyses of Facebook posts written by Israeli students who participated in an international social work field placement program in India. Content analysis of the students’ posts reveals that they grappled with their personal and professional identities as part of the learning process that occurred while they were formulating their professional identity as social workers. The analysis elicited three main themes: (1) awareness of the national identity; (2) exploration of other identities (personal, professional, and global); and (3) an attempt to contain multidimensional identity. The students discussed the main challenges they faced in the process of formulating an identity that will enable them to engage in international social work, and they described the fluctuations that occurred in those identities. The results show how public Facebook posts can be used as a tool to shed light on the contribution of social work education in international field placements, and provide insights into the learning processes that students experience in field placements abroad.

Evaluation and Support Mechanisms of an Emerging University-wide Global Health Training Program

BackgroundGlobal health education is in high demand in the United States, across the continuum of learning, and field experiences are an essential part of this education. However, evaluations of these programs are limited. ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to evaluate a field placement program at Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, Maryland, to understand how to better support student training overseas and faculty mentorship. MethodsWe used qualitative and quantitative methods to gather data from program reporting requirements (152 student surveys and 46 experiential narrative essays), followed by 17 semistructured interviews, and 2 focus groups. Data were analyzed through manual coding and a socioecological model served as an analytical and a synthesizing framework. FindingsA series of factors influence the participants' experience in overseas placements spanning across 4 aggregate levels, from individual to societal, including opportunity for professional advancement, independence, loneliness and illness, mentorship quality, funding, institutional partnership building, opportunity for public health contribution, and for development of cultural competency. Faculty and students thought that the program was beneficial to the learning experience, particularly for its contribution to experiential knowledge of a low- and middle-income country setting and for developing cross-cultural relationships. Communication and scope of work were 2 areas in which students and faculty members often had different expectations and many students emerged having cultivated different skills than they or their mentor initially expected. Students found the experience useful for both their academic and professional careers and faculty members saw mentorship, one of their professional responsibilities, emerge. ConclusionsMany socioecological factors influence an overseas field experience, which in turn produces important effects on students' career choices, and faculty members appreciate the opportunity to serve as mentors. The most vital support mechanisms suggested for faculty and students included available funding, clear preparation, and communication facilitation across the experiential continuum.

Perceived Impacts of a Public Health Training Center Field Placement Program among Trainees: Findings from a Small Group Externship Experience.

There is heightened interest in identifying the impact of the federally funded Public Health Training Center (PHTC) program. Although evaluation studies have been conducted of public health training in general, evaluations of PHTC programs are rare. Field placement components are congressionally mandated requirements of PHTCs. Field placements are typically intensive, supervised externships for students to gain public health experience with local health departments or non-profit organizations. We have found no published evaluations of PHTC field placement components. This may be because of their small size and unique nature. We designed and evaluated a 200-h field placement program at an established PHTC. The evaluation included pre/post surveys measuring public health core competencies, and post-experience interviews. We found significant increases in three competency domains among trainees: policy development and program planning, communication skills, and community dimensions of practice. These outcomes contribute to evidence based on the efficacy of PHTC field placement programs, and underscore their role in public health training.

A Regional Public Health Field Placement Program

Beginning in 2010, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, made provisions in its Public Health Training Center cooperative agreements for field placements. This article describes best practices and lessons learned establishing and managing the South Central Public Health Partnership's Interns and Mentors Program for ACTion (IMPACT) Field Placement Program, which was initially funded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Centers for Public Health Preparedness Cooperative agreement in 2002. The IMPACT program is based on a six-step process that has been developed and refined over its 10-year history: (a) identifying field placement opportunities, (b) marketing field experience opportunities to students, (c) selecting students seeking field experience opportunities, (d) placing students with practice partners, students with practice partners, (e) evaluating student progress toward field experience objectives, and (f) evaluating the program. This article describes the program's structure and processes, delineates the roles of its academic and practice partners, discusses evidence of its effectiveness, and describes lessons learned from its decade-long history. Hopefully, this information will facilitate the establishment, management and evaluation of internship and field placement programs in other Public Health Training Centers and academic public health programs.

대학에서의 창의성 발현을 위한 문화콘텐츠 교육 개선방안 탐색

본 연구는 최근 변화하는 창조경제시대의 발전에 발맞추어, 문화콘텐츠 전문 인력의 창의성 발현을 위하여, 대학에서의 문화콘텐츠 교육 방안을 어떻게 가져가야할 것인가 하는 가능성을 살펴본 기초 연구이다. 창의적인 아이디어를 바탕으로 문화콘텐츠 분야 교육의 특성을 분석하고, 실천방안을 마련하고자 했으며, 구체적으로 문화콘텐츠 교육관련 문제점과 현황 분석을 통해 수요지향 문화콘텐츠 교육의 개선방향을 제시하고자 하였다. 선행연구와 실제 관련 전공 학생들의 설문조사 분석을 통해 알아본 결과, 현재의 문화콘텐츠 교육에 대한 불만족이 기존의 교수법과 학습과정, 창의성이 결여된 교육과정 등에서 비롯되고 있는 만큼, 학제간 접근을 통한 다전공, 연계전공 및 융합교육의 시도들이 이루어져야 할 것이며, 충분한 실험실습 및 인프라, 교수인력들의 보강이 필요한 것으로 나타나고 있다. 또한, 교육 관련해서는 현장실습과 창의적인 토론에 기반을 둔 교육과정 및 교과목의 재편이 시급하며, 교육방법에서도 일방적인 강의식에서 탈피하여, 토론, 팀플레이, 프로젝트 교육 등이 적절히 조화를 이루는 특성화 교육이 이루어져야 할 것이며, 다양한 전공들의 연계에 기초하여, 인턴쉽, 융합연계, 다양한 현장실습 등이 조화를 이룬다면 좋은 결과가 있을 것으로 기대한다. The purpose of this study was to make a basic research on college cultural contents education in an effort to step up the manifestation of the creativity of cultural contents experts in line with the development of the fast-changing era of creative economy. It's basically meant to analyze the characteristics of cultural contents education in relation to creative idea to seek practical ways of improving that education. What problems there were with cultural contents education and how that education was actually provided were analyzed to suggest some of the right directions for client-centered cultural contents education. Earlier studies were analyzed, and the results of a survey that was conducted on students whose major was linked to cultural contents were analyzed as well. As a result, current cultural contents education was considered not to be satisfactory due to existing teaching methods, learning process and curriculums that were devoid of creativity. To rectify the situation, interdisciplinary attempts should be made such as multi-major, interdisciplinary programs or convergence education, and plenty of experiments, sufficient practice and an increase in the number of faculty members are all required. In terms of education, existing curriculums and courses should urgently be revamped to strengthen field placement and creative discussions. As for educational methods, the lecture method should be avoided, and specialized education should be offered instead, which should strike a balance between discussion, team play and project education. It is expected to produce good results if there are appropriate connection among different major fields of study and the harmonious implementation of diverse internship, convergence and field placement programs.

Field placement issues: From theory to practice

The significance of the field placement's rolein the professional education of schoolcounselors is explored. A model is proposed formatching students with field placementsettings, to be used as a tool to facilitateother institutions. The article details with variousguidelines for organizing a field placementprogram in counselor education. Issues such asapplication procedures, selection of sites,evaluation, responsibilities of students andsupervisors, and the role of supervision arediscussed.

Integrating Information About Hispanic Elderly into Undergraduate Gerontology:

The underutilization of medical and social services by elderly Hispanics has been partly attributed to cultural differences between the elderly and non-Hispanic service providers. Strategies to overcome barriers to service use include sensitizing non-Hispanic providers to the effects such cultural differences can have on Hispanic elderly. A pilot field placement program involving non-Spanish speaking, gerontology students and a bilingual society service agency was designed to integrate information about Hispanic elderly into undergraduate gerontology curricula. The placement was effective in sensitizing future non-Hispanic service providers to issues regarding elderly Hispanics.