The Zeitgeist of our time calls on social workers and the social work profession to reconsider the ways in which we practice, teach, and learn. The COVID-19 pandemic and the 2021 reawakening of the racial and social justice movements profoundly influence how social workers approach the directive from our accrediting body (CSWE) calling on us to…

Social work educators prepare students for practice mostly through field education as the signature pedagogy. However, the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted this standard process. It forced quick decision making to various adaptations of, and innovations in, teaching and learning practice readiness for social work. As countries gradually normalize,…

Over the last 25 years, cultural competence education has gained prominence in various helping professions (Kaihlanen et al., 2019; Shepherd et al., 2019; Stubbe, 2020). Interestingly, there are opposing perspectives regarding whether cultural competence training is necessary and/or relevant in such fields. Examples of such divisions are captured…

This exploratory qualitative study examines the impact of a short-term study abroad trip for U.S. social work doctoral students built around an international conference in Zagreb, Croatia. The program incorporated reflection and experiential learning. Data were collected using pretrip and posttrip written reflections from study participants (N=4).…

Self-awareness is important in social work education because it promotes knowledge, skill, and value development. However, little is written about the ways in which educators facilitate this process. A project was undertaken to design a new self-awareness assignment (SAA) and examine its value. The SAA's development, which relies on role-plays, is…

In this paper, we review the results of a qualitative thematic analysis exploring student reflections during an Objective Structured Clinical Examination Adapted for Social Work (OSCE-SW). Students interfaced with embedded participants representing either a parent-bisexual child or parent-transgender child dyad during a study examining learning…

With the 2008 Education Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) identifying field as signature pedagogy and the 2015 EPAS emphasizing holistic competence, social work education is challenged to identify and expand pedagogy that supports and enhances the integration of classroom and field education. This article posits reflective pedagogy as a…

Eleven doctoral interns and 9 faculty mentors participated in a two-year Teaching Mentorship Project (TMP). Qualitative analyses of 20 interviews and reflective writing by the interns resulted in six themes: preparation and guidance from mentors; teaching innovation; teaching rehearsal with intern peers; mentor-intern reciprocal support; teaching…

Purpose: Environmental social work (ESW) is an approach and a perspective in social work focusing on ecological and environmental sustainability and justice within the context of sustainable development (SD). This study aims to analyse students' reflective tasks on challenges for ESW education and practice from a critical theory perspective. The…

This field note explores the use of art and creativity in social work field education as an innovative pedagogical method. We highlight the value of incorporating the arts in field instruction courses, such as field seminar, to illuminate both students' and clients' experiences, explore professionalism, and navigate social work practice tensions.…

Research in distance education has investigated student satisfaction and learning outcomes, comparing face-to-face with online delivery formats, and tested various technological tools, but has yet to consider alternative pedagogies. Liberatory pedagogy facilitates critical thinking, awareness, reflection and social action around constructs such as…

This article introduces an innovative model of social work course development, teaching, and implementation. Using the principles of antioppressive education and community-engaged learning, the authors (a former student and faculty member) codeveloped and subsequently taught a course that explored writing, voice, social justice, and the…

There has been a call for social work programs to better prepare students for field education. This qualitative study examined an innovation titled Practice Fridays developed to enhance competence in MSW students in a classroom setting. Students (N=57) described what they learned through this simulation-based learning activity and the processes…

The movement towards competency-based education in social work has required a shift in delivery to more experiential learning opportunities for students. Looking forward, the Council on Social Work Education [CSWE] has instituted a Futures Task Force, exploring roles social workers may play in the future, with particular attention to the evolution…

This edited volume offers a range of insights about, practices of and findings associated with enrichening health and social care students' learning by their engagement in educational processes during and after the completion of their practicum experiences in health and social care settings. That is, using post-practicum intervention to augment…