Class participation as a pedagogical tool in social work education

Class participation is an essential part of the social work pedagogy. However, active student engagement in classes is inconsistent and varies based on factors such as social backgrounds, educational background, and individual characteristics. Instructors often evaluate participation based on frequency of verbal contributions. Evaluation criteria are often unarticulated or difficult to measure, presenting numerous challenges for instructors and students alike. A model of reflective self-assessment of participation by students, paired with timely instructor feedback is put forth in this paper to mitigate these concerns. The steps in this model include initial self-assessment, goal setting, midterm review, and a final review. The process of continuous self-evaluation and problem-solving is discussed as strategies that aid the process of class participation. Three instructor touch points are suggested: at the goal-setting stage, the midterm review, and the final grade. Throughout the paper, connections to social work practice and social work pedagogy are highlighted. This model has yet to be implemented in a social work school’s curriculum. Challenges in the implementation and resolution of those challenges are also presented. This model suggests ways to enhance opportunities for student engagement and integration into graduate programs, in addition to fostering valuable skills for future practice in the field.     

Investigating the differential mobility experiences of Chinese cross-border students

Recent migration studies have adopted the lens of mobility to examine the stratifying effects of border policies, but few investigate the differential mobility of migrant families and children. This paper aims to contribute to the migration literature by considering the interplay between border policies, family configurations, and differential mobility. We apply the lens of differential mobility to the experiences of Chinese cross-border pupils – young child migrants with Hong Kong permanent residency who reside in Shenzhen, China, and cross the border to attend school. We begin by describing shifts in Hong Kong’s border and immigration policies since 1997, which have created a typology of families differentiated by mixed status, citizenship rights, and mobility. We then turn to four case studies of students with unequal border-crossing experiences to elucidate how border control constrains or promotes family mobility and perpetuates inequalities.     

‘Back to our Roots?’ Re-visiting psychoanalytically-informed baby and young child observation in the education of student social workers

While there is a well-established literature on psychoanalytically-informed baby and young child observation in social work education, little has been published recently. This paper reviews the rationale for its use, evaluating its impact on students’ learning in the light of contemporary policy and practice contexts facing social work education. Analysis of feedback gained from a recent cohort, identifies three ways in which learning through baby and young child observation contributes: firstly, students encounter and learn about the complexity of child development from the direct experience of observing and secondly, observing facilitates the development of important skills for practice; students’ ‘use of self’. Thirdly, through observing, students describe how they develop the capacity to take-up and sustain a professional role. Well-structured teaching and learning through observation is therefore shown to provide a rigorous, theoretically-grounded contribution to the training of university-based social work students entering this complex and challenging professional field.     

The experience of divorce for the psychotherapy patient—A developmental perspective

In this article the dynamics of divorce are discussed from the perspective of psychoanalytic developmental psychology. This theoretical framework is used to highlight and to explain some typical internal and external responses of psychotherapy patients for whom divorce is an issue. A therapeutic stance is suggested that enables the patient to understand the connection between his or her marital situation, early life experience, and past developmental problems. The patient's preoccupation with the unsatisfactory marital relationship can serve as a catalyst for the strengthening of the patient's overall ego functioning. This article demonstrates Kris' (1951) concept that the material at the psychic surface-in this case divorce-needs to be explored in such a way that the patient's ego is enlisted in his or her total growth.     

Voice and Identity in a Bicultural/Bilingual Environment

Researchers have noted that with the onset of adolescence, girls' voices become muted and school achievement drops. Girls learn that the expression of strong feelings leads to distance from others, and that full use of their bodies and minds cause others discomfort. Self-esteem suffers and girls become at risk for destructive behaviors. Most studies have been done with middle class Caucasian girls. Those few studies done with young girls of color speak of girls on the margin who seem to resist losing their voices and their self-esteem. This article describes a study involving 5th–8th grade girls participating in an Advisory group program at a grammar school in a predominantly Mexican community of a large city. Group sessions were taped and analyzed for common themes including voice and self-esteem. Focus was directed to the influence of the bicultural/bilingual environment in analysis of group content. Implications for practice are included.     

Regulation by disclosure: the case of internal control

In this paper we explore the use of disclosure as a regulatory tool, using as an illustration the current UK requirements regarding the disclosure of information about internal control. After discussing the broad concept of regulation by disclosure, we trace the evolution of concepts of internal control and its reporting, describing the background to the Turnbull guidance for directors on internal control reporting, the basis of current UK requirements. We then examine recent examples of internal control disclosures, identifying the range of ways in which they address the disclosure requirements and considering the possible impact of the disclosure requirements on corporate behaviour and on the audiences for disclosure. We conclude with some reflections on the disclosure life cycle. The paper contributes to the literature on disclosure by specifically considering the role of disclosure as a regulatory tool and by examining the nature of specific disclosures in an area of continuing interest, that of internal control.     

M.S.W.'s speak: Experiences in agency and private supervision

This paper derives from a study of the views of twenty-one M.S.W.'s about experiences in agency and private supervision. The contributions, from the perspective of the subjects, of both these sources to professional development are highlighted. Some of the less positively perceived elements of these two forms of supervision are also illuminated.