Fieldwork Education in Health Contexts: Experiences of Fourth-Year BSW Students

Abstract

The Social Work profession experiences various challenges in practice that influence the practice education of students. Educators, practitioners and the experiences of students should inform practice education in curriculums. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of fourth-year BSW students at the University of the Western Cape doing their fieldwork education in healthcare contexts. Integration of social work theories, the types of client problems, emotions caused by fieldwork and ethical dilemmas were challenges to students in health contexts. Supervision was emphasised by the students as a positive experience during fieldwork.

The expansion of developmental social work in Southern and East Africa: Opportunities and challenges for social work field programmes

“…This innovative focus tended towards 'pedagogical innovations' and 'collaborations with other agencies, groups and individuals in the community' (innovative categories identified in international research by Cwikel, Savaya, Munford, & Desai, 2010). Social work programs seemed highly aware of the difficulties some students had in the translation of theory to practice in the field (also highlighted in Beytell, 2014;de Jager, 2013). Many were making concerted efforts to prepare students through a range of experience-based, practical, oncampus activities, excursions, and projects where students were linked with key agencies.…”

“…Hochfeld et al's (2009) study revealed that the vast majority of those surveyed -generally department heads or senior staff members -were positive about the fieldwork opportunities offered to their students. However, they found that less attention had been paid in research and curriculum development to the practical fieldwork component (see also Bar-On, 2001;Beytell, 2014). Indeed, Bar-On (2001) argued that, universally, fieldwork was based on the underlying assumption that all of the players involved understood its importance, were dedicated to its principles, and had the capacity to fulfil their requisite roles.…”

“…Innovative developmental placement options included 'floating ', 'open', and 'workshop' placements, where groups of students were allocated to one or two staff members, and where student learning was a self-directed response to the issues and needs of people in a particular locality (Mupediziswa & Kubanga, 2016). There was mounting evidence that different placement settings and sites were being discussed, trialled, and evaluated (e.g., Beytell, 2014;Ferguson & Smith, 2012;Hoffman, 1993;Mupedziswa, 2001). Creativity and innovation had resulted in developing and placing students in non-traditional settings (Lombard, 1997), including social action and community-based placements (Ferguson & Smith, 2012;Gray & Simpson, 1998;Travis, McFarlin, van Rooyen, & Gray, 1999), while developmental models were trialled in some conventional settings (Neilson & Gray, 1997).…”

“…In the Southern and East African literature, fieldwork and academic, campus-based learning have long been understood as mutually beneficial and integral to social work education (Bar-On, 2001; Beytell, 2014; Chitereka, 2009; Dhemba, 2012; Earle, 2008; Engelbrecht, 2001; Lombard, 1997; Maxwell, 1999). Hochfeld et al’s (2009) study revealed that the vast majority of those surveyed – generally department heads or senior staff members – were positive about the fieldwork opportunities offered to their students.…”

Reflective Learning in Social Work Education in the Field of Substance Abuse

“…Clarity is needed on what reflection entails, while those who claim to practise it should ensure that they indeed do so and are not merely analysing a learning experience. It is also important to ensure that students know and understand what is expected of them regarding reflection work, as this is nowadays very much part of tertiary students' curricula (Bellefeuille, 2006;Beytell, 2014;Cowan, 2014;Johns, 2010;Jones, 2009;Van den Heuvel, Au, Levin, Bernstein, Ford-Jones & Martimianakis, 2014).…”