A teaching model for work practice in occupational therapy

Given the global changes in how work is conceptualized, organized and performed [8], it is critical that graduating occupational therapists have an up-to-date knowledge of work and work practice. This article briefly explores the relative dearth of work practice courses in current occupational therapy curricula and presents the rationale for developing a model for teaching and learning about occupational therapy work practice. It introduces a client-centered and occupation-focused model developed for an undergraduate work practice course and describes the use of the model in a specific course. The model identifies eight common work-related areas of concern - values clarification, vocational exploration, vocational choice, job search, starting work, maintaining work, returning to work and leaving work. Occupational Therapy tools, techniques and programs which may be useful in addressing these concerns; and the environmental factors that influence therapist and client in addressing work issues are also part of the model. The article concludes with examples of topics and issues which could be explored using this teaching and learning model.     

Application cards: A classroom technique for teaching social work practice

This paper describes the use and evaluation of application cards as a teaching tool designed to enhance students' abilities to apply knowledge learned in social work practice classes. Strengths and limitations of this tool as a means for enhancing students' application skills are discussed, based on qualitative and quantitative evaluative data.     

A team approach to practice teaching

The ideas presented in this paper were originally generated in a workshop at an NSPCC conference on Practice Teaching in March 1996. In this article we wish to develop some of these ideas further and explore the idea of a team approach to practice teaching. This is not some radical new notion, but an acknowledgement of the reality of many placements. Although a student will be allocated a practice teacher (and possibly an off-site practice teacher) he or she will not function by themselves but will be part of an organisation. It is this wider structure and its effects on the student that we feel needs closer scrutiny. Firstly, we believe that not enough attention has been given to the power that organisations can have over an individual (particularly one whose stay is only short-term and possibly part-time). Secondly, we believe students can obtain benefits from the wealth of knowledge existing in any team, drawing on the skills and expertise of all team members. When team learning works well we feel that it provides benefits for all parties - the student, the practice teacher, the team and service users.     

A comprehensive model of practice for borderline adolescents

Because borderline adolescents are fixated at a very early stage of childhood, they have not sufficiently attained the essential capabilities for future growth and development. This article presents a psychosocial model, intended for use in a residential and day treatment center, that addresses the conceptual states necessary for growth, development, and potentialities. It is based on a review of the literature on borderline adolescents and their families, this writer's wwn practice experience, and ecosystems theory, object relations theory, and the theory of structural family therapy.     

Co-training: Developing a model for practice

This article is an account of two workers' efforts to understand how and why co-training works. Advantages of co-work in the sphere of training are outlined, three models of co-training are described, and the methodology of the model used in practice is discussed. The workers are keen to promote co-training as a method of work which benefits both trainers and course participants. The article is based on their own experience and the authors would not want it to be viewed as a finished product but rather as the stage they have reached in understanding and developing a particular model of co-training. It is hoped that readers will be prompted to value and to share their own experiences of co-training.     

Fit for purpose: issues from practice placements,practice teaching and the assessment of students' practice

This paper explores a number of significant issues regarding the delivery of practice based learning for qualifying social workers, in the context of plans for the new social work degree. We also discuss four particular issues: 1. the definition and measurement of ‘good enough’ practice;

2. the determination of students' suitability for social work;

3. the role of practice teachers in responding to sensitive information and students facing personal crises; and

4. specialist and ‘long‐arm’ practice teaching.

In doing so, we draw on both our own direct experience and on discussions between over 70 practice teachers, tutors and placement co‐ordinators attending a Mid‐Yorkshire Social Work Education and Training Planning Group (MYSWETPG) conference hosted by Bradford College in March 2001.

We conclude that, given the current difficulties in the field of qualifying training and education for social workers, any significant improvements following from the new degree will remain dependent on the provision of adequate funding for practice learning, in general, and for the training, structured support and affirmation of practice teachers, in particular.     

Simulated and live practice teaching: The practice teacher's craft

The paper considers the assertion that students can learn how to practise exclusively through simulations, without working with real clients. The authors look at the benefits and difficulties of both live and simulated practice for the student's learning, and discuss two fallacies which, if left unchallenged, could threaten the existing arrangements for practice learning in social work. Finally, the paper describes practice teaching in terms of a craft.

This paper was first presented to a Conference of practice teachers and it preserves some of its original informality.     

Adult learning styles: Implications for practice teaching in social work

This paper focuses on the current aspiration to further the process of continuing professional development in social work. It contends that knowledge from the field of adult learning theory may be helpful in sign-posting some tangible ways forward here. The particular emphasis is on critically assessing the usefulness of identifying learning styles as indicators of preferred ways of learning. Knowledge of learning styles is explored as one way of promoting students' learning on practice placements. A small-scale qualitative research study with a group of practice teachers and their students is presented as a vehicle for exploring this new terrain in social work. The findings of this research build on key themes identified by the current literature in this area. The author's findings suggest that information about learning styles has direct practical application in the social work practice teaching arena. The data points to the potential value of using such information to guide students' learning on practice placements and has relevance to considerations of their continuing professional development. Suggestions are put forward to highlight how practice teaching and Diploma in Social Work programmes could facilitate this process. The paper stresses the over-riding need to view students as actors in a broader social context, however, and highlights how information regarding learning styles needs to be utilised in this context.     

Co-ordinating learning: The future of practice teaching

Traditional models of practice teaching have usually assumed the superiority of a one-to-one arrangement. However, ‘long-arm supervision’, often used in group care and other settings as a way of providing placements in units without qualified practice teachers, could provide the basis for future models where the accredited practice teacher takes a management responsibility for planning and co-ordinating a range of learning experiences involving a variety of staff. Some of the issues and advantages of this model are briefly explored.     

Student units for practice teaching in group care

In this paper, an attempt is made to summarize the British position with regard to the use of student units in social work education. The strengths and limitations associated with student units are evaluated with respect to a practice curriculum for people intending to work in the group care field (institutional care, residential group living and day services). Finally, four different models of student unit are identified in such a way as to show how supervised experience could be organised to improve training for group care practice.     

A clinical practice model for treatment of college-aged incest survivors

Adult incest survivors frequently exhibit signs and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. Many clinicians have geared their group treatment of incest survivors to address these manifestations. Given the nature of the sexual abuse, the early developmental periods in which some trauma occurs, the past and current relationship between the victim and the perpetrator, and the dynamics inherent in this violation and betrayal of trust, love, and power within the family unit, additional clinical concerns and safeguards must be considered. In addition, the struggles of college-aged incest survivors to come to terms with their history of sexual abuse often mirror the developmental tasks faced by their peers--autonomy, intimacy, sexuality, and formation of personal values and ethics. To focus solely on the incest without also considering these developmental issues may solidify a gridlock between inadequate resolution of the developmental issues and the continued victimization of the student incest survivor. The author discusses a time-limited group treatment for college-aged incest survivors that uses a modified posttraumatic stress disorder model as a conceptual framework and addresses both sets of concerns.     

Adult learning and practice teaching: Issues for black teachers and learners

This article begins with an examination of general issues around teaching and learning. The experience of black adults as teachers and learners is the central theme. There is a detailed outline and evaluation of the Adult Learning element of the taught programme; the material used, evolving ideas, and the role of the facilitators during the two days of the course are discussed.     

Islamic perspectives in social work education: Implications for teaching and practice

In the field of further education, social work is beginning to be accepted as an academic and vocational discipline in many countries across the world. Indigenous practice has greatly contributed to a plurality of perspectives adding to diversity of social work knowledge and adding new facets to traditional social work values and interventions. The authors predict that the current dearth of academic material on Islamic perspectives in social work will be more fully addressed in the near future. In the meantime, a personal viewpoint of the dilemmas and ambiguity in social work education in the Islamic context of Malaysia is offered.     

Long-arm practice teaching for the diploma in social work: the views of students and practice teachers

This article draws on my current and past memories, on some of the literature around post-graduate research and study in higher education, and on some of the literature linked to the subject of the PhD. It begins by outlining the process of study and indicates some of the benefits and drawbacks of returning to the student role. There follows some discussion of my marginal and shifting position in theoretical terms and how, in a number of ways, this mirrored the position of those I was researching. The article addresses some of the dilemmas that arose during the research, particularly in relation to age and sexuality, including problems of a restricted, adult perspective and the difficulties of involving children or young people in research. My impact as a researcher, and the influence of my appearance, use of language and background as a social worker are also considered. The article suggests that what the PhD was really about was jumping through a series of hoops, particularly those created by myself. It concludes that personal reflection, particularly reflection on my own insecurities throughout the process, may continue to influence my personal and professional development.     

Intercultural teaching competence: a multi-disciplinary model for instructor reflection

Abstract

This article presents a model for Intercultural Teaching Competence (ITC) that instructors may use as a tool for reflection as they prepare to facilitate learning across cultures. Building on previous research on intercultural competence, culturally relevant teaching, intercultural trainer competencies, and student-centred approaches to teaching, the model identifies concrete facilitation techniques for instructors who would like to further develop their own teaching practice or mentor colleagues in effective teaching across cultures. The model consists of 20 instructor competencies grouped into three categories: foundational skills, facilitation skills, and curriculum development skills for intercultural learning. While intended as a tool to guide instructors in individual and group reflection on inclusive teaching practices, the ITC model may also be used by educational developers to guide feedback during classroom observations or while supporting curriculum internationalisation initiatives. Recommendations for use in faculty learning communities and workshops are included at the end of the article. The ITC model will benefit instructors in a variety of disciplines who teach in diverse and multidisciplinary classrooms, discuss global or social justice issues in their class, and those who seek to include intercultural and Indigenous perspectives in their curriculum.     

A model of culture-centered child welfare practice

This article presents a framework for culture-centered child welfare practice, including child-family-system interactions, service provision, recruitment and retention of homes, and culturally responsive legislation. There should be no one-size-fits-all approach to child welfare practice. In a diverse society, child welfare practice must be responsive to the particularities of various cultures. A culture-centered framework allows for a holistic system of child permanence, with consideration of a child's mental, physical, and emotional growth. This framework cherishes the distinctiveness of America's cultures.     

A culturally responsive practice model for urban Indian child welfare services

This article describes collaboration among a university, a state child welfare agency, and a Native American community organization to develop a culturally driven practice model for urban, Native American child welfare. The approach includes a strategy to build resources to serve Native American clients, a training program for child welfare and court personnel using a culturally responsive curriculum, and an advocacy program that monitors for Indian Child Welfare Act compliance and provides assistance to child welfare workers and the court. The discussion identifies challenges and opportunities in addressing the needs of urban Native American communities. The article concludes with principles for culturally responsive practice for urban Native American child welfare practice.     

Feminist criminology and probation practice: The implications for teaching DipSW probation courses

This paper considers the impact of Feminist Criminology upon the teaching of DipSW Probation Streams. Paper 30 (CCETSW, 1991) and an increasing body of Feminist criminological research and literature makes it imperative that gender is incorporated as a central feature of Probation training if the perpetuation of discrimination against women in Criminal Justice is to be avoided. Both the content of courses and the processes by which they are delivered needs to be addressed. The Probation Service has a key role in the assessment process pre-court, in the court arena, and in supervising women offenders in the community. The training of future officers could positively contribute to practice change in these areas, and this paper explores what courses should deliver in order to aid this process. In addition to content and process recommendations, the paper recognises the wider gender inequalities institutionalised both within Probation and the Criminal Justice system. This is the context within which students are taught, and within which existing oppressions are learned. The limits of this constraint upon achieving DipSW programme change are acknowledged and partly resolved.     

Cognitive therapy: a training model for advanced practice nurses

1. Mental health needs exist in medically underserved areas and can be addressed in nurse-managed, community-based health centers. 2. Cognitive therapy techniques can be used in community-based health centers to intervene and alleviate patients' distress and improve their adherence to treatment. 3. A training program in cognitive therapy can help advanced practice nurses and other health care providers implement the techniques needed to address many behavioral and mental health problems.