Social Work Education: Issues and Problems in Light of Recent Developments

This paper examines several aspects of the crisis in social work education, which has been aggravated by changes in American society and developments in higher education. Under “Crisis in Higher Education,” four developments are reviewed: the straining toward equality between student and teacher, the integration of subjective experience with formal content, the increased importance of continuing education, and the renewed attention needed for the place of values in teaching. The expanded definition of practice and the creation of new categories of professional personnel have triggered and exacerbated problems of quality, content, and goal. The paper concludes with suggestions for remedying the crisis.     

Social Work Education

The authors assess the current state of social work education and make suggestions for its improvement, which include distinguishing between specialized and professional knowledge courses, teaching interpersonal skills for working with organizations and communities, differentiating subventionary and instrumental interventions, reformulating course content on policy and administration, dealing with the problems of social work’s expanding curriculum, broadening the range of activities and methods taught in social work research courses, providing incentives for collective faculty participation in curriculum development, and acknowledging the persistent anti-intellectual undercurrent in social work.     

A New Course Model for Content on Women's Issues in Social Work Education

This paper describes both the process of developing a new course on women and the content of such a course. Four issues that arose in introducing the course are critically examined: separation versus integration of course content; sexism versus racism; intellectual versus experiential learning; and women only versus coeducational enrollment. Throughout the paper, comparisons are made between basic tenets of social work practice and the women's movement. The paper concludes by speculating on the relationship between social work education and social movements in general.     

Surprise in Social Work Education

Training is commonly seen as the most viable way of ensuring good quality care in residential homes for elderly people. The literature on training has focused on a shift in emphasis from traditional 'professional' social work training for staff at a senior level to training which is to be provided for junior level staff. To this end, Scottish/National Vocational Qualifications have been introduced which, through workplace assessment of competence, have been proclaimed to be the means by which to raise the status and career prospects of a social care workforce. This article argues that task-based competence is increasingly being seen as relevant for a 'para-professional' social care workforce such as that found in the residential care sector. In the light of this, research was undertaken to establish whether residents preferred 'trained' staff, holding formal qualifications and/or NVQs, to 'untrained' staff with no recognised qualifications. The research concluded that residents want kind, understanding and experienced staff, and when length of time in post was taken into account, the effect of training was negligible. The study concluded that homes need to select staff for their good personal qualities and encourage them to stay. Staff need training that integrates skill with understanding and above all, assessment should reflect this perspective. Moreover, residents need to be involved in the assessment process.     

Internationalism in Social Work Education

Internationalism is the study of social work programs and philosophies in other countries. It promotes a broad concept of generic social work that enables the social worker to function as a humanist with skills rather than as a specialist with humanistic inclinations. Knowledge of social work in other cultures provides valuable insight into dealing with cross-cultural and ethnic relationships in one's own country. It also suggests common linkages between diverse kinds of social work practices. International experience provides case examples and evidence of new kinds of skills that social workers need in a culturally pluralistic society.     

Microcomputers in Social Work Education

Microcomputer use has increased dramatically in the last five years. Use of this technology has expanded rapidly in social work education, but less rapidly in clinical practice. Trends in educational and practice uses of this technology are explored along with the limitations of and myths about computers in education and practice. Educational curriculum issues are identified and an outline for planning computers as transient information or enduring knowledge are covered. Concerns about availability of equipment and supports are raised.     

Mindfulness in Social Work Education

Social work is beginning to explore the role of mindfulness in the education of future practitioners. This article reviews literature from social work education and other disciplines to suggest that there is much that is yet to be explored about mindfulness, its contribution, and the experience and implementation of it into the educational experience. I conclude with some reflections on areas requiring further attention and investigation in the role and teaching of mindfulness in social work education.     

Hypermedia Computer-Based Education in Social Work Education

Abstract

Hypermedia computer-based education (CBE) is an emerging information technology that makes possible user-directed, nonsequential exploration of, and interaction with, information presented through a variety of media including text, animation, graphics, sound, and video. This article describes hypermedia CBE and briefly reviews the research on its instructional efficacy. A synopsis of the theoretical foundation covers cognitive theory concepts of information networks and associative learning, web teaching principles, andragogical theory as it relates to social work education, and hypermedia CBE structure. Examples of current and potential applications in social work education demonstrate that hypermedia CBE can emulate the dynamic, iterative learning process of knowledge acquisition, knowledge testing, and content integration through practice simulation.     

Policy-Practice in Social Work: Models and Issues

Abstract

The emergence of policy—practice is a recent development in social work. In this article, policy—practice is defined as a direct social work practice mode with the potential to strengthen the social work profession's abilities to meet its century-long commitments of providing policy-informed services to those in need of them. At the same time, policy—practice advocates for and participates in policy implementation and change. This article examines policy—practice and places it within the context of the profession's historic cause—function debate and identifies several barriers that have complicated development. Most important, the article reviews five policy-practice models found in the literature: (1) social worker as policy expert, (2) social worker as change agent in external work environments, (3) social worker as change agent in internal work environments, (4) social worker as policy conduit, and (5) social worker as policy itself.     

Curriculum Planning in Social Work Education

The authors identify two approaches to curriculum planning: rational-linear and heuristic-incremental. To offset the shortcomings of either the authors suggest a synthesis of both in the curriculum planning process. Several applications in using a combined approach illustrate greater flexibility in dealing with curriculum problems. Closely interrelated to the approach to curriculum planning are the factors of the educational continuum, the structure of the curriculum planning body, and the role of administrative leadership. These factors are explored as they impact on the process and outcomes of curriculum planning.     

Social Work Practice in Higher Education

This article examines two cases of social work practice in higher education within the context of identifying a model of social practice for use in postsecondary educational settings. The case studies provide insight into a model of social work practice that reflects both the traditional clinical model, which focuses on individual change, and the school-community-pupil relations model, which focuses on system change. The author also discusses implications for social work educators who see college/university counseling centers as an arena for social work practice.     

Dual Relationships in Social Work Education

Dual relationships between social work educators and their current or former students is largely unstudied. This article reports on a survey of deans and senior social work educators’ ethical beliefs on dual relationships. Educators were asked how they regarded different types of dual relationships and differences between dual relationships with current and former students. They were also asked about ethics education in their schools. Beliefs about dual relationships varied, especially regarding current students and former ones. While ethics education in schools of social work is extensive, policies on dual relationships are scarce. Further research is needed on the ethics of dual relationships in social work education.     

Student Advising in Social Work Education

Abstract

It is likely that social workers' involvement with rehabilitation services for the handicapped will increase. An understanding of the philosophical foundation of such services may be especially relevant now as social work education appears to renew its commitment to the study of ethics and values in society.     

Tomorrow's Social Needs and Social Work Education

This paper presents a rationale and educational plan for teaching statistical orientation (not statistics per se) by means of a series of practice questions that are, at the same time, basic statistical questions. These questions include, for example, measures of central tendency, “What can typically be expected of the client's problem behavior?” and measures of variability, “What range of variation from the typical is typical?” Set in a context of practice, these types of questions do not seem to provoke the hostility among social work students that often typifies their reaction to traditional statistics courses.     

Social Work Field Education as Social Development

SUMMARY

This article will discuss social development models and their application to the establishment of social work field education in Lithuania. A model of field education as social development is presented and discussed, with reference to promoting core social work knowledge, values and skills, establishing relationships between educational and social welfare institutions, and identifying the impact of field education programs on community well-being. Examples from the authors' experience in educational program development and implementation are presented, along with implications for international social work education.