Social Work Education In Australia Research Articles

For social betterment: Social work education in Australia

Review of For social betterment: Social work education in Australia by Jane Miller. Monash University Publishing, Clayton, Victoria Australia, 2024 ISBN 9781922979438 pp.355, $AUS39.99

‘Racialised nudity’ in social work education: critical reflections on cross-cultural pedagogies

ABSTRACT Fostering cross-cultural learning is an important component in social work education in Australia. However, cross-cultural learning competencies are often criticized for lacking meaningful engagement with effective decolonial processes. Drawing on a postcolonial perspective, this paper offers a theoretical critique of pedagogical practices that create, sustain, and reinforce racial hierarchy in cross-cultural learning. These practices are discussed within the notions of tokenistic inclusion and racialized nudity that illustrate deficit models of cultural engagement. The paper is underpinned by the argument that a broadly defined and uncritically designed cross-cultural teaching and learning experience runs the risk of perpetuating white supremacy and dominance in social work education. By critiquing tokenistic cross-cultural pedagogical practices, this paper advocates for a re-orientation of social work education where a decolonial approach to knowledge production is embraced within curriculum design with a prioritized focus on the intersection of whiteness and racism.

Saving Australian Social Work: The Save Social Work Australia Campaign and the Effective Use of Social Media

ABSTRACT In 2020, the Australian Government proposed a new model of higher education funding that purported to incentivise study in national priority areas. However, despite shortages of social workers, the initial proposal doubled the student fee contribution for a social work degree. The Save Social Work Australia campaign was established by the Australian Council of Heads of Schools of Social Work to redress errant assumptions underpinning the funding of social work education and to lobby for social work to be funded at the same level as other allied health programs. A successful social media campaign resulted in the reclassification of social work prior to promulgation of the legislation as one of only two academic disciplines to achieve this outcome. This article demonstrates that social media can be an effective tool for social workers engaged in political lobbying. IMPLICATIONS Social work academics successfully lobbied the Federal Government to improve the funding of social work education in Australia. Social media can be an effective tool for social workers engaged in political lobbying.

Social Work Doctoral Education in Australia: The Case for Further Development

ABSTRACT Social work education in Australia has been based in universities since the 1940s. There are now 32 higher education providers offering social work programs across Australia. The significant growth in master’s level qualifying programs in Australia, along with recent higher education policy changes, has increased the need for social work academic faculty members with doctoral qualifications. This paper presents the findings of a scoping review of literature on social work doctoral education. Despite a growing literature on social work doctoral education in international contexts, the review found that there is a lack of Australian research and evidence on social work doctoral pedagogy, the number and diversity of doctoral students, the doctoral student experience, and doctoral graduate employment intentions and outcomes. Addressing the lack of Australian research in this area would be an important step to enabling Australian social work to address future research training and capacity needs and directions. IMPLICATIONS There is a lack of research on Australian social work doctoral education and this is a neglected aspect of social work scholarship of teaching and learning (SOTL) research. Research into social work doctoral education would provide baseline information on the number and diversity of students, doctoral student experiences, graduate outcomes, and employment intentions. Development of social work SOTL about doctoral education would support future research capacity and enable the advancement of social work research knowledge and skills.

When Teacher Becomes Student: Unveiling Contradictions within Australian Social Work Education

Social work education in Australia is bound by a range of rules and assumptions supported by both higher education institutions and the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). This autoethnography explores a range of contradictions within social work education from the unique perspective of someone who was simultaneously a student and academic in social work. This experience occurred because, although PhD qualified in social work, rulings set down by the AASW lead to me being excluded from consideration in permanent roles. The position led me to becoming an online Master of Social Work (MSW) student whilst still being a social work educator allowing me to explore a range of contradictory rules and processes within social work education. Analysis of my reflections, journals, assignments and conversations with colleagues unveiled a range of mixed messages in relation to social inclusion, technical rationalism, self-care and field placement supervision. My findings contribute to current debates about how neoliberalism currently impacts on inclusion in social work education and development of a professional identity. In exploring my dual roles, this autoethnography unveils contradictions within social work education and accreditation that question the social justice mission of the profession.

Child-related Criminal History Screening and Social Work Education in Australia

ABSTRACTIncreasingly human service organisations in Australia require staff, volunteers, and social work students on placement to undergo child-related criminal history checks. In turn, many schools of social work require prospective or enrolled students to undergo criminal history checks and provide a clearance of their suitability to work with children. Universities have historically played a role of gatekeeper to the social work profession, but the appropriateness of using past criminal history in this gatekeeping process is contested. This study examines the websites of 30 Australian universities to ascertain the extent to which they require social work students to undertake child-related criminal history screening. Most universities required students to have a child-related criminal history clearance, and all but one of the remaining universities identified that screening may be required, depending upon placement agency requirements. This may limit or close off access to social work education for people with criminal histories and lived experience of hardship and disadvantage.

Reflective Practice, Reflexivity, and Critical Reflection in Social Work Education in Australia

ABSTRACTReflective practice, reflexivity, and critical reflection are now widely accepted as important in contemporary social work practice. Despite this, there remain differences in how the terms are discussed within the literature. This results in confusion in how students are instructed about reflective practice, reflexivity, and critical reflection. This paper presents a proposal for clarifying these concepts based on the results from an interpretive study of reflective practice in social work education and practice in Australia. The study utilised three different methods: autoethnography, an archaeological analytic, and qualitative interviews. It found that reflective practice is understood as a capability, a form of critical thinking, a discipline response to a changing sector, and a way of theorising from practice. Conceptual clarifications of reflective practice, reflexivity, and critical reflection are presented.IMPLICATIONSThere is a need for clarification about the meaning of reflective practice, reflexivity, and critical reflection within social work.Findings from a qualitative study on the meaning and use of reflective practice in Australian social work education may provide conceptual clarification of these terms.

Social work education in Australia and the USA: comparative perspectives and contemporary issues

The article discusses similarities and differences in social work education and profession in Australia and the USA, reflects on contemporary issues and challenges that affect social work education and practice in both countries, and identifies mutual areas of learning and exchange. Drawing on secondary data, it comparatively analyses important variables such as the growth of social work education, curricula and curricular models, accreditation standards, code of ethics and professional licensure. The analysis shows significant similarities and differences in these variables, and brings out unaddressed issues and challenges. It argues that the profession in general has not adequately been successful in translating its value-based ideals into social work education and practice in both countries, particularly in the context of the free market economies. Experiences of both countries provide scope for mutual sharing and learning.

Forensic Social Work: Implementing Specialist Social Work Education

This article reports on a case study of specialist social work education in Australia. In particular, the views of specialist forensic social workers are explored both about their needs for social work education to support them for practice in forensic social work and also about their experiences of a particular program. Whilst social work education focuses in varying degrees on mental health practice, social workers not only in mental health and corrections but also in child protection, disability, and drug and alcohol services are increasingly expected to understand linkages between offending behavior, psychological disorder and family systems, and balance community and individual needs. The social workers reported that their experience of postqualifying education led to adaptations in the nature of their practice, the development of generic skills, which enabled them to incorporate an awareness of the effects of the justice system on mental health and to balance what are often opposing needs and considerations when working in this contested area. The experiences of the study group of forensic social work practitioners can be used to inform the development of similar specialist programs elsewhere not only in forensic social work but more widely as part of debates about the nature of specialist social work practice.

An experience based model for practice learning

Social work education in Australia is responding to the changing social, political and economic contexts in which social work is practised. The Bachelor of Social Work program at the University of Newcastle, Australia, aims to educate competent social workers able to deal effectively with the changing challenges of the work environment. This is achieved through an experience based model of social work education. This paper, presented at the 2nd international conference of the Journal of Practice Teaching in Health and Social Work in London in April 2003, provides an overview of some social work education issues in Australia. The experience based learning model employed at the University of Newcastle is described and discussed in relation to social work field education.

Social work research in Australia

What are the main trends in Australian social work research, and where should it be heading? This article discusses these questions and their implications for social work education in Australia. The current Australian context presents both challenges and opportunities to the undertaking of social work research. Although jobs are threatened by de-professionalisation, with less room for research, there remains a strong discourse about the needs and value of research, which is underpinned by the requirements of the professional accrediting body. There is also clear support for a range of methods and approaches which allow for more integration of research and practice. In addition, current research undertaken by Australian social workers demonstrates a mixture of methods. It is concluded that the Australian situation holds the potential to provide leadership in developing more inclusive methods and approaches to foster the development of more complex forms of practice research.

An experience based model for practice learning

Social work education in Australia is responding to the changing social, political and economic contexts in which social work is practised. The Bachelor of Social Work program at the University of Newcastle, Australia, aims to educate competent social workers able to deal effectively with the changing challenges of the work environment. This is achieved through an experience based model of social work education. This paper, presented at the 2nd international conference of the Journal of Practice Teaching in Health and Social Work in London in April 2003, provides an overview of some social work education issues in Australia. The experience based learning model employed at the University of Newcastle is described and discussed in relation to social work field education.

Changing social work education in Australia

This paper explores contemporary issues in Australian social work education. It examines formative influences on the structures and content of education, specifically the ways over time in which demographic, political, economic and social forces have influenced the composition, demand and domain of social work education and practice. It describes the current political context of social work and social work education and the response of the authors' own institution to change and uncertainty. It concludes by proposing that for change and diversity to be addressed, three moves would be productive. The first is to establish structures for closer dialogue amongst schools of social work, the professional association and employers. The second is to extend experimentation and innovation in social work curricula. The third is for educators to establish a collective voice and promote the values which should desirably underpin tertiary education in Australia.

The Interplay Among Social Group Work, Community Work and Social Action

This paper provides background information on social work education in Australia. Links between social group work and community work are developed through different aspects of the social goals model. Three Australian case studies are then utilized to explore the relationship between social group work and community work with special reference to social action groups. The case studies were selected to highlight local, state and federal arenas. Analysis provides information on worker's role, empowerment, and group development and is followed by implications for social work education.

Linking Community, Industry and Tertiary Education Community‐based Student Units in Social Work Education

ABSTRACT Professional social work education in Australia requires students to undertake supervised and assessed field practice in addition to theoretical classroom‐based education. Field education placements take place in a wide range of social and community service organisations ‐ often partly funded by these organisations. However, in a climate of economic restraint and cutback, the social and community services sector increasingly looks to education for resources for field education. One solution is the development of student units, especially designed to offer practice‐based experience for students. This paper is motivated by the high value Phillip Institute of Technology places on student units in field education. It addresses the question, “What are student units?”, presents a tentative categorisation of types of social work student units and concludes with a possible framework for evaluation.

Future Directions for Social Work Education

Social work education is a twentieth century phenomenon, closely associated with the development of schools of social work. Emphasising the need for a comparative and historical analysis, the future of social work education in Australia is discussed in terms of four areas of policy choice — who shall receive social work education, what shall be provided, how shall it be delivered, and, how shall it be financed?