Real-Time Lived Experience of Social Work Students in Their Field Training during the Coronavirus Crisis: Insights from Photovoice-Based Research

Abstract

The present paper is based on a photovoice study conducted with sixteen undergraduate social work students in their third year of study, examining their real-time lived experience of their fieldwork training in the immediate aftermath of the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The findings of the study, based on an analysis of sixty-six photovoices, indicate four main narratives encapsulating the students’ real-time lived experiences: (i) the challenges of encountering the crisis; (ii) conceptualizing the experience; (iii) coping practices; (iv) perspectives for the future. The findings are discussed in the light of shared traumatic reality theory and transformative learning theory. Following the use of the photovoice methodology, the research conclusions encourage the assimilation of creative and entrepreneurial models of teaching and practice, in order to enable the inclusion of different types of knowledge and life experiences in different learning and research spaces.

Vzgoja in izobraževanje v času covida-19: odzivi in priložnosti za nove pedagoške pobude / Education during the Time of Covid-19: Challenges and Opportunities for New Pedagogical Initiatives

“…2020; Batič 2021;Dempsey idr. 2022;Jefferies, Davis in Mason 2021;Kim 2020;Kidd in Murray 2020;Kodele, Kustec in Rape Žiberna 2021;Malka 2022;McFadden idr. 2020;Morris idr.…”

“…Izkustveno učenje skozi podporo za skupnost je bilo v našem primeru umeščeno v kontekst aktualnega, nepoznanega in negotovega učnega okolja. Študentovo praktično pedagoško usposabljanje je bilo umeščeno v zahtevno, vsem deležnikom neznano situacijo, s katero se je študent moral neposredno soočiti (Malka 2022;Morris idr. 2020).…”

“…Ob tovrstnem izkustvenem učenju, ko smo bili vsi vpleteni v različnih vlogah, tako učečega se kot v aktivni vlogi sooblikovalca novega prostora učenja, odzivanja na krizno situacijo, smo se učili iz obstoječega znanja, hkrati pa smo, ob spopadanju s krizno situacijo, ustvarjali novo. Podobno se je istočasno odvijalo tudi drugod po svetu (Davis in Mirick 2021;Malka 2022;Morley in Clarke 2020). Četudi se nam je zaprtost ustanov ob razglašeni pandemiji na začetku zdela le kot velika ovira in motnja v praktičnem usposabljanju študentov, jo zdaj prepoznamo tudi kot pridobitev (Davis in Mirick 2021).…”

Izziv praktičnega učenja študentov ob podpori šolanju na daljavo v času covida-19

“…2020;Batič 2021;Dempsey idr. 2022;Jefferies, Davis in Mason 2021;Kim 2020;Kidd in Murray 2020;Kodele, Kustec in Rape Žiberna 2021;Malka 2022;McFadden idr. 2020;Morris idr.…”

Gerontological social workers’ perspectives about the future at the start of a COVID-19 vaccination program: A photovoice study

“…Researchers required methods that would allow "direct" access and document meaningful life experiences, perspectives, and priorities (Santana et al, 2021). Some authors (Malka, 2021a(Malka, , 2021bSy et al, 2020) suggested photovoice for remote data collection. Photovoice is participatory action research that combines participants' photographs and voices (Rodrigues et al, 2008;Wang & Burris, 1997) to document life experiences, needs, difficulties, and desires in photographs that are discussed in critical reflection.…”