Pre-practicum student reflections were studied using an Objective Standard Clinical Examination adapted for social work. One hundred and nine students conducted simulated interviews and immediately wrote answers to reflective questions. Reflections were studied using descriptive qualitative methodology. Three patterns emerged: students rely…

Although a growing literature examines competencies in clinical practice, competencies of students in macro social work practice have received comparatively little attention. A grounded-theory methodology was used to elicit field instructor views of student competencies in community, organization, and policy contexts. Competencies described by…

The purpose of this study was to explore field instructors' experiences and insights in working with lesbian and gay MSW students. In-depth 1- to 1.5-hour interviews were conducted with 8 field instructors selected using purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using narrative thematic analysis and a constant comparative method. One set of themes…

While the move to anchored scales has been an improvement in the standardization of field performance evaluation, these tools have not been found to consistently discriminate among student performances or identify students experiencing clinical difficulties. This article presents two efforts to redress this problem. The use of a new practice-based…

This article reports on social workers' motivations to become field instructors. The findings from qualitative interviews indicate that current organizational culture has a powerful influence on social workers' motivations to volunteer to become field instructors. The implications of this shift are discussed in relation to rejuvenating the…

This exploratory qualitative study elicited the complex constructs underlying experienced field instructors' perspectives about competence. Eighteen experienced field instructors were asked to describe exemplary and problematic students, as well as student performance on 7 core dimensions. Themes that emerged revealed the importance that field…

Group supervision is recommended in the literature as an efficient method for field education, especially in the context of reduced agency resources for field instruction. This qualitative interview study explored the experiences of 18 MSW students who received group supervision as the primary method of field instruction. The competence of the…

Regular small meetings between field instructors and faculty have provided new field instructors with practicum skills. Using an andragogical model, these skills can be used in field practice education. Linkages between field and faculty can be strengthened, a mutual aid group developed, and student performance expectations unified. (MSE)

In a qualitative focus group study of educational coordinators in teaching hospitals with social workers, four main themes emerged: difficulty managing field education; a struggle to maintain stable student programs; the importance of support from the university and; the need to be creative in delivering the educational program while undergoing…

A survey of 62 social-work field educators investigated factors associated with effective interorganizational relationships, examining relationships between three categories of agencies and the university on four dimensions: commitment to education; organizational supports/resources; interpersonal relations; and collaborative/reciprocal…