Large Classes in Social Work Education: A Threat to the Professional Socialisation of Social Work Students?

Simpson, Barbara

doi:10.15270/51-4-468

Cited by 4 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…Mzinyane & Motloung 2022), poverty, massification in higher education (cf. Simpson, 2015), and the disfavour of indigenous languages, among other issues, as mentioned by Makhanya and Zibane (2020). As a result, these contextual necessitate the intentional use of Ubuntu, by students and educators, as a practical remedy to the aforementioned challenges that affect social work education in a South African context.…”

Section: Relevance Of Ubuntu In the Context Of Social Work Education ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ubuntu as an emancipatory framework for teaching and learning in Social Work: A narrative literature review

Makhanya,

Mzinyane

2023

Afri. J. Soc. Work

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Due to the fact that it focuses on collectiveness, togetherness, and justice for all, Ubuntu, embodies a transformed and Afro-sensed approach to the processes of teaching and learning. This is particularly vital for social work education because it locates the academic journey of a student within a critical, interactive, and socially engaged paradigm, which is aligned with the values of the wider African society. Through the lenses of Afrocentrism, emancipatory approach and narrative literature review processes, this article uncovers the nexus of Ubuntu and social work in teaching and learning, within a South African context. The discussions draw conclusions that the idea of people’s existence cannot be separated from those around them, thus social work students, exist as a significant part of others. Essentially, this article magnifies the traits of humanitarianism and positive communitarianism within the philosophy of Ubuntu, which can be useful for social work education. Social work teaching and learning need to be the reflection of such harmony, shared morality, oneness, and togetherness for the re-distribution of justice in communities. Most fundamentally, this article emphasises the importance of the philosophy of Ubuntu which needs not only to guide social work practice but also social work education through teaching and learning. How to reference using ASWNet style:Makhanya, T. B. & Mzinyane, B. M. (2023). Ubuntu as an emancipatory framework for teaching and learning in Social Work: a narrative literature review. African Journal of Social Work, 13(4), 179-187. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajsw.v13i4.1 Visit journal website: https://ajsw.africasocialwork.net

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Section: Relevance Of Ubuntu In the Context Of Social Work Education ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Massification and large classes in social work education are also huge factors that are worth noting in South African social work education (Simpson, 2015). Simpson describes large classes and massification as a threat to the professional socialization of social work students (ibid).…”

Section: Relevance Of Ubuntu In the Context Of Social Work Education ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ubuntu as an emancipatory framework for teaching and learning in Social Work: A narrative literature review

Makhanya,

Mzinyane

2023

Afri. J. Soc. Work

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“…Discipline-specific 113 Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk 2018:54 (1) programmes are also called embedded programmes, and are more effective than generic programmes, because the content and knowledge is related to the profession, using "indiscipline vocabulary" (Kennelly, Maldoni & Davies, 2010: 63) to teach students professionalism (Simpson, 2015). The advantages of discipline-specific programmes are that they are embedded in the Social Work Department and therefore can offer individual consultations with subject experts, and feedback on writing, literacy and learning skills within the discipline; support systems within the department also help to develop a community of practice amongst students who are going to be in the same class throughout the four-year degree.…”

Section: Background To the Swsspmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, Social Work was later declassified as a scarce skill in 2014 in terms of the Department of Higher Education and Training's (DHET, 2014) list of occupations in high demand (DHET, 2014). Other contributing factors have been "the certainty of a job at the end of one's studies and the generally lower entrance requirements for Social Work" (Simpson, 2015). The degree is regulated by the South African Qualifications Authority and the Council for Higher Education, and students register with the South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP) from their second year.…”

Section: Social Work Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although UWits is described as a historically advantaged English-medium institution, the majority of the Social Work students regard English as an additional language. The South African Social Work student population has been described in an academic paper as having a "myriad of social, economic and academic challenges" (Simpson, 2015), including childhood trauma and psychosocial vulnerability (Dykes, 2012;Van Breda, 2013), which requires educators to engage thoughtfully when designing support programmes that cater for their diverse needs and strive to harness their potential and empower them to be successful in higher education.…”

Section: Social Work Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Inducting First-Year Social Work Students: Reflections on a Discipline-Specific Approach to Academic Development

Khosa

Pillay²,

Dube

2018

SWORK

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First-year students at tertiary education institutions face multiple problems including under-preparedness, financial problems and adjustment to university. In response, some universities have introduced generic academic development programmes. In contrast, three educators from the Department of Social Work at the University of the Witwatersrand (UWits) engage in a reflective analysis of a discipline-specific academic development programme. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse transcripts of two focus group interviews with students and reflective reports written by two educators on strategies used to design the programme. Findings suggest that this programme meets the unique needs and professional identity development of Social Work students. 111Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk 2018:54(1) INDUCTING FIRST-YEAR SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS: REFLECTIONS ON A DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC APPROACH TO ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENTPriscalia Khosa, Roshini Pillay, Nkosiyazi Dube INTRODUCTIONStudent success and retention are among the major debates in higher education institutions (HEIs). An area of special concern is the students' drop-out and failure rate in their first year of study, which is a worldwide problem (Spaull, 2013). Although the problem is common globally, within the South African context first-year students at institutions of higher education are confronted with additional challenges. Students coming from situations of low socioeconomic status (SES) have the added burden imposed by certain faculty members who assume and communicate publicly that financial limitations translate into limited educational and linguistic abilities (Notshulwana, 2011). The communication of this deficit view of students as deficient places an additional burden of stigma on them: this is especially so when the higher educational institution (HEI) and more specifically the teaching departments are unable to offer adequate structures of support to meet the specific needs of these students. In the South African context this position reinforces the social perception (experienced therefore by students) that access to an HEI does not mean success. This deficit view of low SES students is inextricably linked to shame, which exacerbates the burden carried by the student, and limits the potential or basic capabilities available to the student to thrive, exercise agency and feel at home within the university environment (Leibowitz, Bozalek, Carolissen, Nicholas, Rohleder, & Swartz, 2010).In the light of these serious concerns the majority of South African HEIs have recognised the need to put supportive programmes in place to help students successfully adjust to life and the demands of tertiary education and to achieve excellence in their academic performance (Andrews & Osman, 2015; Bozalek & Boughey, 2012;Potgieter, Davidowitz, & Mathabatha, 2008). However, many universities have adopted "one-sizefits all" generic academic development programmes for the first year, which are often unable to meet the specific needs of students. While these generic academic de...

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Exploring the Experiences of Social Work Students on the Use of Blended Learning and Emergency Remote Online Learning Prior to and During Covid-19 Pandemic

Makhanya,

Mfishi

2023

SWORK

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The study employed a qualitative research approach and emancipatory framework to explore students’ experiences with blended learning and emergency remote online learning (EROL). Two data sets were collected from two projects using focus group discussions and semi-structured individual interviews. The findings highlighted that although technological advancement in universities increased access to information, the needs of the disadvantaged students remain overlooked. EROL and/or blended learning adopted by the universities did not address the fundamentals of access to teaching and learning for the disadvantaged, but focused on institutional needs and saving the academic year. The utilisation of blended learning prior to COVID-19 was excluding some students, and it was unclear how EROL was transformed to ensure that all students accessed education during COVID-19 induced lockdowns. There is thus a need for research to focus on opportunities for student technological advancement not only for ensuring access to education but also for meaningful service delivery during practice. Keywords: blended learning, COVID-19, online learning, social work and students

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Large Classes in Social Work Education: A Threat to the Professional Socialisation of Social Work Students?

Cited by 4 publications

References 84 publications

Ubuntu as an emancipatory framework for teaching and learning in Social Work: A narrative literature review

Ubuntu as an emancipatory framework for teaching and learning in Social Work: A narrative literature review

Inducting First-Year Social Work Students: Reflections on a Discipline-Specific Approach to Academic Development

Exploring the Experiences of Social Work Students on the Use of Blended Learning and Emergency Remote Online Learning Prior to and During Covid-19 Pandemic

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