ABSTRACT The social work profession has unique opportunities and tensions associated with the proliferation of available research and assessment measures. The abundance of measures offers an opportunity for the creation of a tool to train social work students in how to examine critically the measures we use beyond assessment of established psychometric properties of the measure. Thus, the purpose of this article is to present the critical iceberg model as a theoretically and pedagogically based teaching strategy grounded in social work values of critical inquiry, social justice, decolonization, and the strengths-based perspective. The model is designed for social work educators working with graduate students and has five core elements: (a) target construct, (b) origin story, (c) normed population, (d) construction of the measure, and (e) ecological level of the measure. Through this article, the authors identify limitations with model selection based on existing psychometric properties, introduce the critical iceberg model as a complement to extant measures of model selection, demonstrate its application to a commonly used assessment in social work (Adverse Childhood Experiences questionnaire), and offer four uses for social work educators to implement this approach in social work graduate education.

ABSTRACT Social work field education is a cornerstone of professional formation, yet current models, bolstered by the implementation of the 2024 Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards (ASWEAS) continue to prioritize rigid hour-based requirements over student wellbeing and agency. This article critiques competency-based approaches that reduce complex practice learning to binary measures of individual performance and argues for a shift toward a capabilities framework informed by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum. A capabilities lens highlights what students are genuinely enabled to do and be, drawing attention to the structural, organizational, and relational conditions that shape practice learning. Drawing on national survey data from students, educators, and practitioners, we demonstrate how a multi-dimensional capabilities framework can operationalize social work values of dignity, safety, and social justice in field education. We propose practical strategies for reimagining placements that are flexible, participatory, and contextually responsive, ensuring that field education arrangements do not lose sight of student agency, wellbeing, and the transformative potential of practice.

ABSTRACT The deployment of AI tools in social work practice settings is advancing at a pace that social work education has yet to match. Drawing on baseline findings from an independent evaluation of Magic Note, an AI-assisted recording tool deployed across a Scottish Local Authority social work department, this paper uses the empirical experiences of a workforce encountering AI in practice as a window into the underdeveloped implications for qualifying education. The evaluation, which involved 152 practitioners surveyed, seven in focus groups, and over 255 free-text responses, surfaced five core tensions: administrative relief versus the reflective value of writing; AI assistance versus professional judgment; efficiency versus relational practice; accessibility and inclusion versus deskilling risk; and enthusiasm versus ethical complexity. The paper develops each tension into substantive educational implications and proposes five curriculum principles for social work programmes to engage with AI proactively rather than reactively. The argument is that students need to arrive in practice already equipped with the critical, ethically grounded capacity to engage with AI as agents rather than subjects.

ABSTRACT This article examines the role of narrative interviews in bridging intergenerational gaps and challenge narrow perspectives and misconceptions about aging. Through a combination of structured interviews with Social Work students and a semiotic analysis of narrative interviews conducted by students with older adults, the study investigates both the educational potential and the methodological challenges of using narrative interviews in Social Work education. The findings highlight that narrative interviews can deepen students’ understanding of aging, foster intergenerational communication, and encourage self-reflection on their own aging processes. However, the research also uncovers notable challenges, including students’ lack of methodological skills, discomfort in discussing sensitive topics, emotional over-investment, and emotional detachment. On closer inspection, these challenges emerge as key developmental stages in learning to become an effective social worker. These difficulties underscore the need for enhanced training and guidance in narrative competence, particularly within gerontological education. Given that narrative interviews hold promises as both formative and evaluative tools for Social Work students and other professionals, they are instrumental in building relational skills and facilitating social interventions. The article argues for a new approach that integrates narrative methods with educational gerontology to better equip students and geriatric professionals, empowering them to understand and connect with the life stories of older adults. By doing so, the study seeks to challenge ageist attitudes and contribute to a more nuanced, empathetic understanding of aging.

ABSTRACT Social work practice placements are an essential component in the development of student social workers (SSWs) to become responsive autonomous practitioners. They involve the practical application of knowledge with service users, but in Nigeria, they have yet to attain sustainable intervention outcomes due to many critical challenges. This study explored the views of the eighteen participants on how social work practice placements could be developed to achieve outcomes reflecting Nigerian context. This study used a qualitative research design. Participants were purposively selected and unstructured interviews were used to collect their perspectives and analyzed thematically. Field practice is an important aspect in the training of SSWs in Nigeria. However, the participants identified issues with field practicums. These included, teaching and practice supervision by nonsocial work graduates, insufficient numbers of qualified social work educators, misunderstanding of the purpose of social work, inappropriate emphasis on Westernized knowledges, and inadequate African Indigenous knowledge within the social work curriculum. These posed significant challenges to social work practice. This study identifies the need to increase the number of qualified social workers in social work education and to embed effective Nigerian Indigenous knowledges in the social work curriculum, and to disseminate these beyond Nigeria’s boundaries.

ABSTRACT This study examines the relationship between perceived social support and parental stress among parents of children with special needs, and evaluates how demographic factors influence this relationship. Social support, defined as the help, attention, understanding, and solidarity perceived from one’s social environment, serves as a critical buffer against stress, particularly for parents of children with special care needs. Understanding whether higher perceived support reduces stress is vital for sustaining families’ psychosocial well-being. A quantitative correlational survey design was used with a sample of 221 parents from various regions of Turkey. Data were collected using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and the Parental Stress Scale. Analyses included ANOVA for group differences and Pearson correlation for relational testing. Findings revealed a moderately negative, statistically significant correlation between perceived social support and stress (r = –0.54, p < .001), indicating that higher perceived social support was associated with lower stress. Parents reporting low support reported the highest stress. Education and income were positively associated with perceived support and inversely related to stress, while no significant differences were observed by type of disability (Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual/Learning Disability). These results highlight social support as a protective factor that mitigates parental stress. Strengthening support mechanisms within family-based intervention programs is recommended, particularly for families with lower levels of education and income. This study contributes to the literature on stress and support in families of children with special needs and offers valuable implications for social work, counseling, and special education policy.

ABSTRACT The study of Thai social work has a significant knowledge gap in its historical development, particularly around 1954, when the Thammasat University Faculty of Social Administration was founded. For several decades, the dominant historical narrative has focused on royal benevolence and traditional charity. However, social work education has largely overlooked external influences, specifically the internationalization of training curricula and the League of Nations Child Welfare Committee. There is also a lack of critical inquiry into how Thai intellectual elites conceptualized social work before the 1950s. The findings indicate contested origins, showing how Thai elites assimilated Western knowledge into a domestic nationalist agenda through a cultural welfare strategy. This article contests the prevailing narrative by illuminating unrecognized historical phases and hitherto invisible early international social work in Thailand. It draws upon primary archival evidence from the United Nations Library and Archives and the National Archives of Thailand. Thus, it reevaluates the epistemological foundations of Thai social work, arguing that early development was not a simple transfer of Western knowledge, but a complex process of political and cultural negotiation designed to harmonize with indigenous power structures.

ABSTRACT Today’s undergraduate social work students subsist in environments that offer 24-hour access to news, one another, and the curation of their own metanarratives (as well as both a worldwide audience and the means to construct and share their perspectives) but a finger swipe away. An ever-growing body of research considers the interplay between our media-infused sociocultural climate, our undergraduate classrooms, and the diverse experiences of students therein. Incredible potential rests in harnessing available technologies, means of media production, and young people’s digital acumen within our teaching to support students’ meaningful learning and emergent practice as social workers. Our students’ unprecedented access to media and its machines, to telling stories and being seen, make the strategic integration of particular media arts forms, conceptualized here as documentary work, into our classrooms both timely and effective. This teaching note explores the application of documentary efforts, as a specific body of work in the media arts, as a conduit for discourse and an essentially dialectical enterprise that demands critical self-awareness and sophisticated attention to context and relationship. It joins the current conversation about social work pedagogy as it explores how undergraduate faculty might honor and employ students’ digital proficiency in particularly incisive ways.

ABSTRACT This international study examined the state and context of international social work (ISW) education while encouraging its mutual development. For this purpose, it focused on ISW-related subjects in eight Asian countries that responded to the call for research proposals: the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Mongolia. A total of nine teams conducted qualitative surveys of ISW-related subjects in their respective countries, after which a qualitative content analysis was carried out on the titles, contents and challenges. Regarding the contents, six themes were generated: (1) Definition and discourse; (2) Underlying concepts and theories; (3) Practice approaches and strategies; (4) Actors; (5) Contexts and (6) Key fields. As for the challenges, they were grouped into eight themes: (1) Ambiguity and gaps in the understanding of ISW; (2) Quality of courses and subjects; (3) Lack of ISW literature; (4) Lack of indigenous documentation and practice; (5) Lack of international networks and experiences; (6) Gaps in student expectations; (7) Language barriers and (8) Multiple factors. Meanwhile, during the survey period, a few institutions developed and introduced new ISW-related subjects. Overall, this study revealed the significance of collaborative exploration to redevelop ISW-related subjects in non-Western contexts.

ABSTRACT This study investigates the role of social work in increasing emotional intelligence (EI) within healthcare settings through a conceptual an innovative Social Work Gene model that integrates dispositional traits, professional values, and practice competencies. The research synthesizes empirical and theoretical literature on EI measurement, emotional labor, trauma-informed practice, reflective supervision, and team dynamics; analyzes preexisting Emotional Quotient (EQ) data comparing BSW and MSW cohorts; and proposes mechanisms by which social workers influence team EI, reduce burnout, and improve patient-centered outcomes. Findings indicate that advanced social work education and reflective practice are associated with higher EI scores and that social work integration into clinical teams correlates with improved team functioning and reduced staff emotional exhaustion. The researchers conclude with methodological recommendations for rigorous longitudinal and experimental research to test causal pathways and to evaluate scalable EI interventions led by social workers.

ABSTRACT Social work education often requires grappling with complex and controversial issues, necessitating a pedagogical approach that fosters critical thinking and intellectual diversity. The Point–Counterpoint teaching methodology is a framework designed to move beyond the traditional education model as agreement toward a model of education as understanding. By emphasizing intellectual diversity, this approach equips students with the tools to engage critically with diverse perspectives, challenge their biases, and develop a nuanced understanding of social issues. Drawing from philosophical and pedagogical principles, including the Socratic method and constructivism, the Point–Counterpoint framework addresses the challenges of confirmation bias in academia, offering practical recommendations for teaching controversial topics that promote critical thinking, inclusivity, and mutual respect. This methodology builds on established teaching strategies by integrating structured debate and collaborative knowledge construction to enhance student engagement and prepare them for real-world practice.

ABSTRACT The perspective of faculty who teach diversity is a missing yet crucial component in existing social work education literature. This qualitative study used in-depth interviews to explore the experiences of 13 undergraduate social work faculty members teaching diversity content in their programs. Participants were asked to describe their definition of diversity, how they implement diversity curriculum, whether they examine their own experiences of diversity, and how they addressed students’ and their own intersectionality. Findings from in-depth, semistructured interviews show three emerging meaning units: facilitating diversity, managing intersectionality, and faculty self-reflection. Firsthand accounts of faculty lived experiences can help inform best teaching approaches and how to move students from culturally competent to culturally humble rooted in anti-racist social work practice.

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more prevalent in higher education, it raises important pedagogical, ethical, and disciplinary questions. This theoretical paper develops a comprehensive theoretical foundation for considering the use of AI-generated case studies in social work education and examines the implications for teaching, learning, and professional identity formation. The theoretical framework is not exhaustive. Nevertheless, by drawing on Entwistle’s conception of deep learning, Biggs and Tang’s constructive alignment, new materialist perspectives on classroom technology assemblages, and critical discursive frameworks informed by Foucault and Packer, this paper argues that AI-generated case studies can enhance social work students’ reflexivity when used with careful oversight. AI can expand the discursive space, diversify representational possibilities, and save lecturers’ preparation time. Nevertheless, AI presents significant risks related to bias, representational ethics, and over-standardisation. Informed by practice realities, risks can be mediated by drawing on practitioner wisdom to orchestrate AI case study prompts and anchor AI-produced narratives. This theoretical paper emphasises the need for critical AI literacy, transparent governance, and educator–practitioner collaboration to ensure that AI serves as a tool for deep, anti-oppressive, and justice-oriented learning. AI-assisted case study pedagogy is shown to be most valuable when it strengthens, rather than diminishes, human judgement, reflexive practices, and relational social work education. This is a theoretical and conceptual paper. It does not report any empirical findings. Instead, it offers a structured synthesis of relevant pedagogical, philosophical, and practice-based literature to develop a framework for critically integrating AI-generated case studies into social work education.

Abstract Trauma-informed care (TIC) in medical settings, such as neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), is recommended but not widespread. This article examines trauma-informed (TI) perspectives and beliefs, previous training, self-efficacy, and practice behaviors of nurses and social workers who serve infants exposed in utero to opioids/opiates in Level III and IV NICUs in the United States. An online anonymous survey was conducted with NICU nurses and social workers (N = 69). Relationships between perspectives, beliefs and previous training, and self-efficacy and practice behaviors were examined using multiple regression. Results suggest that trauma awareness positively influences whereas judgment of maternal substance abuse negatively influences providers’ level of TI practice behaviors; training in TIC and years of practice experience both positively influence providers’ TIC self-efficacy. Implications exist for social work education and nursing education as well as practicing nurses and social workers in the NICU setting. Specifically, trainings in TIC and trainings that increase trauma awareness and decrease judgmental attitudes are needed. Additionally, increasing support for current NICU unit staff is recommended.

Contemporary social work faces mounting pressure to transcend its historically Eurocentric theoretical foundations and engage more meaningfully with diverse epistemological traditions. Indigenous value systems, characterised by holistic well-being, relational ontologies, communal responsibility, and deep ecological connectedness, offer substantial conceptual resources for enriching social work practice in ways that are culturally responsive, community-centred, and structurally transformative. This review article examines the theoretical and practical dimensions of synergising social work with Indigenous value systems to address pressing contemporary social challenges, including mental health crises, child welfare concerns, environmental degradation, and entrenched social inequalities. Drawing on a narrative review of peer-reviewed literature and authoritative international reports, the article identifies key convergence points between social work and Indigenous epistemologies, critically analyses the decolonisation imperative within the profession, and proposes a conceptual framework that integrates Indigenous knowledge systems into mainstream social work theory and practice. The framework emphasises four interlocking principles: epistemic pluralism, relational accountability, cultural safety, and structural transformation. The article further discusses implications for social work education, policy formulation, and frontline practice, whilst acknowledging the significant challenges posed by institutional inertia, tokenism, and unresolved tensions between Western and Indigenous paradigms. It is suggested that the genuine integration of Indigenous value systems into social work holds considerable promise not only for improving outcomes for Indigenous populations but also for reinvigorating the broader social work profession in its pursuit of social justice and human dignity.

ABSTRACT As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies increasingly influence higher education, social work educators face urgent questions about how to prepare students for digitally mediated practice while maintaining ethical, relational, and justice-oriented pedagogies. This paper aims to develop a conceptual framework for critical digital literacy in social work education, grounded in decolonial theory, ethical AI critique, and pedagogical reform. Using an integrative literature review (ILR) methodology, the study synthesizes recent scholarship on AI’s ethical implications, its impact on teaching and learning, and the colonial legacies embedded in digital systems. Three thematic domains are explored: (1) ethical considerations and algorithmic bias; (2) pedagogical innovation and curricular responses; and (3) decolonial perspectives on data and technology. An illustrative case study of AI-generated images further demonstrates how visual outputs reflect entrenched social hierarchies. The paper argues for a transformative model of digital literacy that is not only technically competent but critically reflective, community-connected, and socially just. This framework offers educators a roadmap to engage with AI in ways that align with the core values of the social work profession.

ABSTRACT Social work education is undergoing significant expansion, and internationally, securing requisite numbers of student placements to meet expanding numbers is challenging. This is similarly the case in Ireland, where the system is reliant on social workers assuming a practice educator role in addition to performing existing social work duties. Despite the pivotal role of practice educators, their perspectives are under-researched. In this article, we explore the perceptions of social work practice educators in Ireland to understand how motivation, challenges and support impact their role satisfaction. Based on a sample of 107 social workers and using both quantitative and qualitative data, we reveal that social workers have strong intrinsic motivation to engage in practice education, and this predicted their satisfaction with the practice education role. The extent of challenges encountered negatively impacted their satisfaction, and perceived support was an important amplifier of the motivation-satisfaction relationship. We highlight the precarity of the Irish model of placement procurement, as motivation to provide placements may be lost when individual practice educators leave their posts. We highlight future research, policy and practice implications of our findings.

ABSTRACT The pursuit of a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree is profoundly intensified for emerging academics concurrently managing professional duties, creating a precarious lecturer-doctoral student dual role. While general challenges are acknowledged in literature, a significant gap remains concerning the first-person, ‘unrepresented,’ autoethnographic accounts of South African social work academics holding this dual identity. This paper adopts a qualitative collaborative autoethnography to analyze the authors’ personal reflections through a critically informed resilience theoretical lens, thereby contributing context-specific narratives to scholarship on academic identity and doctoral persistence. The findings illuminate personal and professional struggles, including difficulties in striking a work-study-life balance, navigating the power dynamics of transitioning from student to colleague, and experiencing reduced social life activities. The paper argues for institutional and systemic changes to better support this unique group. Key recommendations include developing structured mentorship programs for emerging academics undertaking PhDs and implementing clear, flexible policies for workload management. It also recommends that emerging academics cultivate strong resilience and self-care practices, emphasizing the need for boundary setting and a holistic approach to well-being. This paper offers a nuanced, introspective, and context-specific contribution to the literature on the PhD journey within the South African social work academic landscape.

ABSTRACT Graduate school is often framed as a space for intellectual growth and professional development; however, for many Black students at historically White colleges and universities, it becomes a site of racial harm, isolation, and cumulative trauma. This qualitative study examines the compounded effects of racialized stress on Black graduate students in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd—a catalytic moment that intensified anti-Black rhetoric and exposed the limits of institutional support. Grounded in the framework of cumulative racial trauma, the study draws on Zoom-based video diaries and reflexive thematic analysis to explore students’ lived experiences in real time. Findings reveal five interrelated themes: racialized academic encounters, psychological and emotional toll, political climate and safety, navigating racial identity, and strategies of resistance and survival. Participants described navigating interpersonal, institutional, and societal racism that collectively shaped their well-being and academic experiences. The findings highlight the relational and systemic nature of racial trauma and call for trauma-informed, equity-driven approaches in graduate education. This study contributes to social work education by emphasizing the need for structural transformation to ensure Black graduate students can thrive—not merely survive—in higher education.

Social work is a practice-based profession and academic discipline that helps individuals and communities address psychosocial issues, promote positive social change, and improve overall well-being, and requires adequate exposure and training during Social Work education. Fieldwork is considered an integral part of social work training, as it connects theoretical learning with practical application. It also allows candidates to work with diverse populations and communities, gaining practical experience in addressing social problems. The role of fieldwork in shaping professional identity, developing practical skills, and fostering reflective practice has been well documented, yet students experience several challenges during the fieldwork placements. This research explored the lived experiences of social work students during their fieldwork training using a Phenomenological Approach. In-depth interviews were conducted with seven social work students who completed fieldwork placements. The findings showed that fieldwork is crucial for bridging the gap between theory and practice. Key themes included: (1) bridging theory and practice, (2) development of professional competencies, (3) building emotional strength and personal growth, (4) the importance of supervision and peer support, and (5) formation of professional identity. While participants faced several challenges, fieldwork training helped them become more skilled, emotionally stronger, and clearer about their professional role as social workers. Hence, fieldwork remains a cornerstone in social work education; it shapes competent, resilient, and reflective practitioners.