Simulated Clients in a Group Practice Course: Engaging Facilitation and Embodying Diversity

Social work students need to develop practice skills with racially and ethnically diverse clients. Previous research has found benefits to using individual simulated clients, and working with a group would not only provide facilitation opportunities, it could also increase students’ exposure to diversity. This article presents a social work group practice class that used simulated clients and the evaluation of the pedagogy using a mixed-methods design. Students’ scores on the Diversity and Oppression Scale significantly improved from pretest to posttest. Focus groups clarified the impact. The results of this exploratory pilot study suggest that this approach allowed students to learn to manage emotional responses, promoted student insights, and provided opportunities to challenge student assumptions.     

Disabled people's access to social work education--ways and means of promoting environmental change

Disabled people are under-represented among social workers. It is argued that this results in lack of diversity in the workforce and in reduced opportunities to make service delivery more inclusive. An audit tool is outlined which can be used to identify barriers and strengths at DipSW programme, university site, agency site and individual student level to disabled people entering social work education. Completed audits could then form the basis of DipSW Programme Development Plans or curriculum plans for individual students, as required. Review mechanisms at the different levels would help ensure that attention to planning and action does not get lost. Assessment issues and aspects of the practice teacher/student/tutor relationships are also discussed. Disability equality training is seen as a central component of audit and provision. The need for proactive, not reactive, policies is made clear.     

Are extension requests an opportunity to support student self-management skills?

Self-regulation, self-management, and coping skills are essential personal attributes for social work graduates who often work with clients with complex and traumatic histories. This study explored self-management skills in students applying for extensions of time to complete assignments. Participants were 117 students enrolled in a second-year undergraduate social work subject. Requests were analyzed in two ways: (1) did the request meet the university policy criteria for approval; and (2) thematic analysis of requests that did not meet criteria to identify the reasons students were providing to support their request. A quarter of students in the course applied for an extension. The overwhelming majority of requests did not meet the university’s policy criteria for approval, with only two having a valid reason and the required documentation. The primary reason for extension requests in this cohort was poor self-management skills, specifically time-management and coping. Despite not meeting university policy requirements, all requests were approved. The results from this study confirm that most students applying for extension requests are not eligible for an extension. The reasons provided demonstrate problems coping with course requirements because of self-management problems. Implications for supporting students and staff are discussed.     

Increasing Opportunities for Co-production and Personalisation Through Social Work Student Placements in Disabled People's Organisations

Social work student practice placements in disabled people's organisations offer several advantages for individual students, their peers and tutors, and DPOs themselves, who can offer placements for students in supporting service users to give their views as well as delivering social care services. In this context professional skills and anti-discriminatory practice are fostered through learning directly from disabled people as experts without the constraints of local authority policies.

This paper draws on my experiences of such student placements at Wiltshire and Swindon Users' Network over a 15-year period, 1993–2008, in collaboration with different universities. The social work student on placement here experiences an alternative organisational culture which recognises service users' expertise over professionals. The student learns to value collective peer support and working with activists who view their experience through the framework of the social model of disability. This facilitates a two-way exchange as the student learns about user-led practice and the disabled activists appreciate the skills the student brings.

The advent of policies of personalisation, the Big Society and the decreased role of local authorities is challenging the traditional model of adult care social work within local authorities. The placement of social workers in local centres for independent living, in order to provide intensive one-to-one support in support planning for those in complex situations, is only likely to increase in future. This can be seen as a positive alternative which enables professionals to rediscover their professional values and practice and extends the opportunity for placements beyond DPOs concerned with user involvement only.     

Encouraging Creativity in the Social Work Classroom: Insights from a Qualitative Exploration

Creativity is vital to the learning process of social work students. Despite its importance, educators are still uncertain of ways to enhance creativity and translate it from classroom to practice. Therefore, this study examines social work student perspectives on ways to define creativity, infuse it into the classroom, and apply it as practitioners. This study qualitatively explores the open-ended insights of 37 social work students. Through an unguided semantic analysis and application of Kolb’s experiential learning theory, the following themes emerged: classroom, creativity, performance, activities, and ideas. These themes indicate that students believe that additional creative opportunities in their classrooms would eventually benefit them as practitioners. Further pedagogical emphasis on increasing student creativity through experiential learning activities would be beneficial.     

Involving Service Users in the Teaching and Learning of Social Work Students: Reflections on Experience

This article describes and reflects on a project to develop service user involvement in the teaching and learning of students on one social work degree course. It includes the perspectives of a service user who took a lead role in the project and a part‐time academic member of staff given a specific contract to develop the work. The aspects of the project discussed are: getting started; bringing people together; student learning from individual voices; and student learning from collective experiences. Achievements and obstacles are discussed and key points of learning noted.     

Student perceptions of international education and study abroad: a pilot study at York University,Canada

International student mobility has been identified as a key strategy for the internationalization of higher education. Although an institutional priority, Canada has among the lowest levels of international student mobility, with only 2% of full-time university students participating in study-abroad programs. This pilot study, conducted at a large public university in Toronto, examined the value that students place on international education, their awareness of opportunities made available by the university, their attitudes toward, perceptions of, and preferences toward study abroad, and the institutional and individual factors that influence their intent to engage in study abroad. The study found associations between students’ intent to study abroad with their perceived social and institutional support and academic hassles at the host and home institution. It identified three distinct groups within the population, those intending to study abroad, those unsure about their plans, and a third group who does not seek to pursue study abroad. In terms of applied value, the findings will inform program administrators how to customize their support services and programs to both assist interested students and attract new students that otherwise would not be interested in such an experience.     

Attitudes toward poverty among exit students of undergraduate social work programs in eight Latin American countries

What is the attitude of Latin American undergraduate social work students toward poverty? An earlier study from Europe and other countries worldwide found that most graduating social work students who participated in the research were clear about the socio-structural causes of social problems such as poverty. Still, no data on this topic is available for Latin American countries. The aims of this study were: (1) to describe and to compare eight Latin American graduating undergraduate social work student groups regarding their attitudes toward poverty, as measured by two scales: Causes of poverty scale and Ways of dealing with poverty; and (2) to discuss some of the implications of the study for social work education and practice. Using a quantitative transnational-comparative design, a total sample of 525 nonrandomly selected, graduating undergraduate social work students from eight Latin American countries responded to a self-administered questionnaire. An individualistic attitude to understanding and to dealing with poverty emerged in the majority of the student groups. Multivariate procedures and inferential analyses demonstrated variations across the student groups. Implications for social work education and practice are discussed.     

Talking about emotion: how are conversations about emotion enabled in the context of social work practice education?

It is widely acknowledged that emotion is a potent force in social work practice and practice education which can have a significant impact on both practice and practitioner experience. So too, is the recognition that social work students may face higher levels of stress than their qualified colleagues—social work itself, one of the professions where workers often experience higher levels of emotional demand than do other occupational groups. In terms of professional training courses for students entering the ‘helping professions’, there is a visible theme of heightened student pressure that relates, in some way, to the practicum aspect of their qualifying course. Relatedly, there is a clear consensus that the quality of the student-Practice Educator relationship is a key determinant of student learning and student experience. This article presents the findings of a small-scale qualitative research study, investigating how conversations about emotion are enabled within supervision, from a sample of final year qualifying students (n = 4) and Practice Educators (n = 5). It intends to make a contribution to the literature concerned with the development of good practice in this area, with a particular focus on the facilitative approaches of Practice Educators and the preparation of students for professional practice.     

Social Norms Theory-Based Interventions: Testing the Feasibility of a Purported Mechanism of Action

Social norms-based interventions targeting college student drinking behaviors have become increasingly popular. Such interventions purportedly modify student misperceptions of fellow student drinking behaviors, which leads to changes in individual drinking behavior. Despite claims of successful interventions, research demonstrating that social norms-based interventions modify student perceptions is lacking. Objective: The authors conducted a laboratory experiment examining the feasibility of this mechanism of action and aimed to determine the validity of the campus-specific drinking norms hypothesis. Participants and Methods: The authors randomly assigned 60 students to 1 of 3 research conditions: Alcohol 101 (national drinking norms), a didactic presentation of campus specific drinking norms, or a control condition. Results: Both intervention groups modified student misperceptions regarding peer alcohol use, and these changes were sustained 1 week later. Conclusions: Social norms-based interventions can contribute to more accurate drinking perceptions among college students.     

Capital limits: social class,motivations for term-time job searching and the consequences of joblessness among UK university students

Youth unemployment figures include large numbers of full-time students, yet student joblessness receives very little academic attention, especially at a qualitative level. Despite being relatively less deleterious than youth unemployment more broadly, we show that student unemployment remains an important site for the practice and reinforcement of social inequality. Using a Bourdieusian framework to analyse interviews with 27 undergraduate students who have been unsuccessful in term-time job searching, we expose some of the limits to the extent that social and cultural capital can be converted into positive employment outcomes. Importantly, the data reveal that it is (lack of) access to material and economic resources that is most significant in ensuring that both the experience of unemployment and, concomitantly, the experience of university, in yet another way, remain highly structured by social class. These divisions shape the imperative and timing of the need to work, and also underpin nuances in respect of desires and needs in how students talk about their motivations for part-time work. These should be important considerations if policy-makers want to create a genuinely meritocratic system or deliver equitable psychological and material well-being.     

'SELLING BLOOD': CHARACTERISTICS AND MOTIVATIONS OF STUDENT PLASMA DONORS

This multimethod study examines selected characteristics and the motivational dynamics of remunerated blood plasma donation by U . S . university students . Ten percent of students surveyed reported selling plasma . In comparison to nondonors and nonremunerated student Red Cross donors , paid student plasma donors tended to be predominantly male and from higher income families and to have higher rates of employment while in school . They also exhibited greater rates of alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking . Drawing on focus - group and individual interviews , the authors describe the student plasma donation experience , with particular emphasis on motivational dynamics . Unlike nonremunerated Red Cross donors , plasma donors do not feel a strong identification with the altruistic aspects of the blood donor role . Rather , they are motivated to continue donating in order to secure an easy source of pocket money , which they tend to spend freely , especially on social drinking in student bars . Among students willing to sell plasma more than a few times , self - deferral from long - term donation tended to result from growing concerns about the physical effects of continuing donation , increases in disposable income from other sources , or both . The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of the findings for social policy and for future research .     

Group Work in Graduate Social Work Education: The Price of Neglect

Abstract

Although social work practice with groups is on the rise, social work education has neglected to prepare students for group work practice. The results of a 1991 survey show that graduate education has practically eliminated group work as a specialized area of study. Most schools offer group work only as an elective, and few students graduate with a course in this subject. Additionally, students in foundation courses learn little about group work theory and have limited or no group field work experience in which to develop practice skills. The authors discuss the consequences of this lack on student learning, faculty development, field education, and the social work curriculum. They make recommendations for schools and CSWE to revitalize group work in the curriculum.     

Exploring social work students’ attitudes towards feminism: opening up conversations

This paper reports on findings from a 2013 study of UK social work students’ attitudes towards feminism and the perceived relevance of feminist theory to social work practice. Building on an earlier, single-university exploration of students’ views, the study made use of social media (Twitter) to access opinions of students from seven universities across the UK using an online survey tool. Whilst it is not possible to make generalising claims based on ‘opt in’ research of this nature, the findings are nevertheless suggestive of some important issues for those working with social work students today. Principally, they showed that understandings of feminism in the student cohort were diverse and may be very different to the feminism that an older generation of academic and fieldwork educators may have grown up with. The article argues that it is important, in the light of this, to interrogate what we mean by feminism in our work with students. This will then allow us to open up wider conversations about power, agency and structure, thus bringing greater criticality and reflexivity to our teaching and learning.     

College students' definitions of social and problem drinking

College students (N = 276) completed surveys describing two common drinking situations. One scenario described a student alone in an apartment after a weekday class; the other, the same student at a weekend party. Sex of the drinker in the scenario was systematically varied. Students estimated the number of drinks a social drinker and a problem drinker would have in each situation. Results indicated that: 1) definitions of social and problem drinking are strongly influenced by drinking context, and 2) male and female subjects estimated that problem drinkers of the opposite sex drank more than problem drinkers of their own sex. Problem drinkers were regularly estimated to consume three to four more drinks than the subject would in the same situation. Implications for education and prevention are discussed.     

Social norms theory-based interventions: testing the feasibility of a purported mechanism of action

Social norms-based interventions targeting college student drinking behaviors have become increasingly popular. Such interventions purportedly modify student misperceptions of fellow student drinking behaviors, which leads to changes in individual drinking behavior. Despite claims of successful interventions, research demonstrating that social norms-based interventions modify student perceptions is lacking. OBJECTIVE: The authors conducted a laboratory experiment examining the feasibility of this mechanism of action and aimed to determine the validity of the campus-specific drinking norms hypothesis. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: The authors randomly assigned 60 students to 1 of 3 research conditions: Alcohol 101 (national drinking norms), a didactic presentation of campus specific drinking norms, or a control condition. RESULTS: Both intervention groups modified student misperceptions regarding peer alcohol use, and these changes were sustained 1 week later. CONCLUSIONS: Social norms-based interventions can contribute to more accurate drinking perceptions among college students.     

New directions: introducing the ‘Best Article’ Award

This research, conducted in 1998, examines the career expectations of student social workers as they approach the end of their DipSW training. The study looked at students' attitudes towards seeking a job following the end of their course, including their aspirations and their self-assessed readiness to practise. It also looked at the perspective of local social work agencies, seeking their views on how well prepared newly qualified social workers are for the realities of practice. The majority of students were planning to seek full-time employment in the statutory sector with local social work agencies in the field of community care. Most students did not expect to be promoted within the first five years after qualifying; job satisfaction was regarded as more important than career development. In the longer term, however, the majority envisaged that they would progress beyond the level of basic grade social worker. Issues were identified in relation to students' perceived readiness to practise, the availability of suitable employment in the area of students' preference, and the numbers of social work students able to work through the medium of Welsh.     

Everybody In? The experience of disabled students in further education

The authors report on a study of student attitudes towards disabled students in three colleges of further education. They found that many non-disabled students were not aware of the various issues facing disabled students at the colleges. Social contact between disabled and non-disabled students was not extensive, although those who had attended school with disabled pupils were more likely to have friendships with disabled students at college. Whilst non-disabled students were strongly supportive of inclusive education in principle, many saw inclusion in the mainstream as conditional on the particular impairment of an individual. Disabled and non-disabled students supported the view that early social and educational contact results in greater mutual understanding, and is of benefit to all students.     

Recalibrating micro and macro social work: student perceptions of social action

ABSTRACT

As underscored by their professional code of ethics, all social workers are called to engage in social action that advances social justice. Yet, the focus of the profession has drifted toward individual treatment and away from social reform. Drawing upon data from an online survey of graduate social work students (N= 199) in the United States, this study explores the role of student perceptions relating to the importance of and their confidence in engaging in social action. Specifically, we assess whether perceptions vary according to practice level (micro or macro), social identity, or survey completion date (before or after the 2016 United States presidential election). Findings suggest that respondents exhibit a high degree of interest and confidence in social action with limited variation on the basis of their practice level or background characteristics. Furthermore, the 2016 presidential election did little to change perceptions of social action. This suggests that the profession’s marginalization of macro practice is not necessarily driven by student interest or confidence.