ERIC Number: EJ1451004
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0360-1277
EISSN: EISSN-1521-0472
Available Date: N/A
A Thematic Analysis of Social Work Students' Assignments of Reflection on Interviews with Older Adults
Lun Li; Yeonjung Lee
Educational Gerontology, v50 n12 p1174-1185 2024
There is an increasing need of gerontological education in social work to enhance the knowledge of aging and interests in senior care among students. This study is conducted based on an experiential-learning strategy with a combination of having an ethnographic interview with an older adult and writing a reflection paper afterward as an assignment embedded in a Gerontology course of the Bachelor of Social Work program in western Canada. Thematic analysis was applied to eight reflection papers in which a consent was obtained from 2020 to 2021 cohorts of social work students. Three key themes emerged: connection between learned knowledge and interview topics, resonation interview content with personal experiences, and a positive perception of aging and a positive attitude toward working with aging populations. The findings support the combination of ethnographic interview and reflection paper as a pedagogical approach in gerontological education not only for improving students' learning experience and knowledge but also for establishing a positive perception of aging and older adults. The study also reveals the necessity of more interaction between students and older adults to enhance a better understanding of aging-related issues and promote willingness to work with older adults.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Social Work, Professional Education, Older Adults, Student Attitudes, Reflection, Interviews, Experiential Learning, Writing Assignments, Aging (Individuals), Educational Gerontology
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A