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The success of any project depends on the stakeholder participation. There are many methods by which stakeholder participation is ensured in a project. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) is an approach that is used by many development projects to incorporate knowledge and opinions of the stakeholders, especially the beneficiaries, in various stages like planning, implementation, and evaluation. This paper documents a PRA exercise done by trained social work students to evaluate a company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects implemented in India. Apart from highlighting the process of conducting PRA, this paper sheds light on the possibility of using participatory methods like PRA to assess CSR projects in India, which ensures the inclusion of the perception of beneficiaries. The research adopted a case study approach, and the participants were the beneficiaries of CSR projects in the community. Qualitative feedback was also taken from 20 participants to understand the advantages of using participatory tools in the performance evaluation of CSR. The group discussions, in-depth interviews and PRA techniques were adopted to gather data. The findings underline the relevance of social work professionals in CSR initiatives and also the role of PRA in empowering the beneficiaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The postdisaster experiences of 167 social work students in the aftermath of the Great Flood of 2016 were examined. Using a cross-sectional survey design and validated self-report measures, the current study examined the association between students' protective factors (hope, altruism, spiritual support; at 8, 20, and 12 items, respectively) and six adaptive coping mechanisms, and further sought to determine whether such associations varied according to students' race (white vs. African American). Six hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses were conducted using each of the adaptive coping strategies (acceptance, active coping, positive reframing, self-distraction, planning, and venting). Results showed that students' race moderated the associations between altruism and active coping, spiritual support and active coping, spiritual support and self-distraction, altruism and planning, spiritual support and planning, and altruism and venting. The decomposition of the significant interactions indicated that the effect of altruism on active coping, planning, and venting was greater among white than among African American participants; the effect of spiritual support on active coping, self-distraction, and planning was greater among African American than among white participants. Recommendations include educating all students about risks incurred when working with traumatized populations. Research examining postdisaster coping responses of social workers can inform culturally responsive supervision approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of a global emergency, Covid-19, forced social work programs to shift to virtual teaching, disrupting students' learning abruptly. Social work students reported negative impacts from the pandemic on academic functioning as well as financial and emotional wellbeing. This study examines the relationships between demographic predictors (age, race, type of social work program, caregiver status, first-generation college student, household size) and challenges (emotional, academic/professional, financial, technological) social work students experienced during the pandemic. Participants included 332 BSW and MSW students from an urban university. Binomial regressions were conducted to determine the significance between student demographics and types of challenges. A Poisson regression was performed to determine the significance between student demographics and the total number of challenges. Students living in larger households, students with greater caregiver demands, BSW students, and students of color reported a greater number of challenges related to juggling school with caregiver demands, job searching, managing finances, food and housing, coping with grief and loss, and feeling disconnected with school (ps <.05). These findings contribute to the emerging body of literature on the impact of COVID-19 by informing ways social work schools can better address students' educational, professional, financial, and emotional wellbeing during times of worldwide crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students and practicum instructors in a primarily rural state were surveyed about suicide prevention practice and training opportunities provided to social work trainees during their practicum placements. A cross-sectional, electronic survey was administered to N = 86 students and N = 64 practicum instructors and descriptive statistics were analyzed. Most students (87.1%) and practicum instructors (86.6%) felt that students should have the opportunity to engage with suicidal clients while in practicum. Many students reported having had contact with a suicidal client while in practicum (70.6%) and had engaged in some sort of practice related to suicide prevention (82.6%). The most frequently reported practice behaviors were suicidal inquiry (62.8%), risk assessment (60.7%), disposition planning (51.0%), and safety planning (49.0%). Over half (52.9%) had not used any evidence-based tools for screening and follow-up and only one quarter (25.5%) had provided postvention services. Many students (72.9%) were concerned about iatrogenic risk. Although most practicum instructors felt comfortable addressing suicide prevention in supervision (74.4%), many (64.1%) also reported the desire for additional training. Although students appear to have opportunities to engage in suicide prevention in practicum, there are specific knowledge and practice gaps regarding evidence-based tools, postvention, and the "myth" of iatrogenic risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trigger warnings have become a hotly contested practice in higher education, including within the field of social work. Learning to become a social worker can be a demanding process that requires in-depth study about often socially taboo and traumatic topics. The learning process can, understandably, cause discomfort that may result in a disconcerting or anxiety-provoking experience for social work students. However, the inclusion of challenging topics in social work education, including human rights violations, domestic violence, sexual abuse, racism, sexism, and many other social injustices is essential in the development of competency in social work practice. What remains unclear is the role and responsibility of universities and subsequently educators, in how we include or exclude trigger warnings, their relevance to social work education, and how we manage the expectations of students and their responses to the exposure of sensitive material. This article argues that trigger warnings may contribute to the pathologization of the experience of discomfort while simultaneously silencing oppressed students who may not identify with the language or experience of being triggered. This article investigates trigger warnings from a critical social work perspective and considers if the use of trigger warnings may potentially be more harmful than helpful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Like other professional training programs, social work pedagogy has long recognized the value of experiential learning for professional development. Despite social work's rich experiential learning literature involving field education, direct practice courses, and program evaluation, there is a dearth of literature examining how to make learning in the policy classroom experiential, particularly for large class sizes. Purpose: We asked, "How might electoral candidate debates provide experiential learning opportunities for large classes?" Approach: The authors organized municipal and federal election candidate debates attended in-person and online by over 300 undergraduate students in a social work policy class at a Canadian university. Integrating our experiences as instructors/organizers and a teaching assistant, within a social constructivist framework, we used Kolb's experiential learning theory, and critiques thereof, to analyze reflective assignments from 73 students. Results and Conclusions: Candidate debates, when facilitated appropriately, can encourage students in large courses to work through the stages of experiential learning and consider related concepts and possible links among social justice course content and social policy, social work practice, and political engagement. Implications: The paper contributes to a broader understanding of the opportunities and constraints associated with employing experiential learning in the large social work classroom and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the important role fathers play in the lives of their children, social workers report that they do not feel prepared to work with fathers. It is ethically imperative that social workers are equipped to effectively serve diverse groups of fathers in practice, especially those who are marginalized within society. Human Behavior and the Social Environment (HBSE) courses provide an optimal opportunity for the incorporation of fatherhood content in social work education. Based on reflections on our own teaching experiences, research expertise, and existing literature, we recommend father-specific content for inclusion in HBSE courses. We also draw on person-in-environment and intersectionality to describe the lived experiences of specific marginalized father groups. Finally, we provide Council on Social Work Education competency-based course objectives and assignments that can be used by social work educators to incorporate fatherhood content in their respective HBSE courses, along with strategies that social work students can apply in their work with the father groups highlighted in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeMaterials and methodsResultsDiscussionThis study investigates the role of Public Service Motivation (PSM) in retaining highly skilled and qualified child welfare graduates within the public child welfare sector.Three entire cohorts of child welfare student social workers over three years (N = 125) in BSW and MSW child welfare programs at seven universities in a Southern state were surveyed to examine the effects of task self-efficacy achieved through the curriculum and public service motivation on retention intention among social work students specializing in child welfare practice at both the baccalaureate and master’s levels. Mediation analysis was conducted to estimate the indirect effect of self-efficacy on students’ retention intention.The self-efficacy of child welfare students, operationalized as their confidence in performing competencies, significantly influences their intention to remain in the field of child welfare. Furthermore, self-efficacy among child welfare students has a statistically significant effect on their PSM. PSM, in turn, significantly impacts their intention to persist in child welfare work.The findings indicate that PSM partially mediates the relationship between students” self-efficacy and their intent to remain in child welfare work, even when controlling for educational background. We recommend that child welfare agencies recognize and nurture workers” PSM by incorporating practices that promote PSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing health disparities through community engagement and interprofessional partnerships is increasingly critical. However, learner-led approaches that integrate medical students, resident physicians, and social work students are not well-studied. We designed a learner-led, interprofessional, public health campaign for a majority Hispanic community, with the goals of building interprofessional leadership skills, engaging learners to address COVID-19 inequities, and disseminating lessons learned. Faculty and students from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Schools of Medicine and Social Work partnered with community leaders to pilot an interprofessional project supported by the American Association of Medical Colleges’ Nurturing Experiences for Tomorrow’s Community Leaders (AAMC NEXT) Award. We describe the process of selection of a 12-member learner team of medical students, resident physicians, and social work students, and how we enacted the project from December 2020 to June 2021. Lessons learned in implementing our learner-led, community-engaged, interprofessional approach included: building interprofessional leadership skills, setting member roles and responsibilities, instilling requisite knowledge and skills, engaging with the community, and disseminating research findings. These lessons can guide other institutions seeking community-engaged interprofessional projects with learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the factors contributing to the low utilization of quantitative research approaches among social work research students. A census sampling technique was employed to conduct a survey of 1268 students who had completed their final year research dissertations. The descriptive statistics revealed that 81% (n = 1022) of social work students employed qualitative research, 16% (n = 208) used mixed methods, and only 3% (n = 38) utilized quantitative approaches. A multiple linear regression analysis revealed factors that were statistically significant (ρ<.05) in predicting low utilization of quantitative approaches that include; the supervisor’s preference, the student’s secondary education, training in research methods, competency in statistics, methodological flexibility and suitability, resources constraints, professional assistance, and fear of failure. These findings prompt recommendations for social work training institutions to enhance their research capacity, adopt co-supervisions, advocate for quantitative research, and prioritize continuous research mentorship in statistical tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To contribute to best practices in educating social work students on environmental justice, we report the results of a study evaluating a module that was incorporated into the course Human Behavior and the Social Environment (HBSE). A mixed-methods design was used to examine student attitudes toward environmental justice. Participants were 61 Master of Social Work students from three cohorts. The students provided pre- and posttest responses to the Climate Change Attitude Survey. Students also offered 33 comments in response to an open-ended question about views on climate change. Overall, findings revealed increases in beliefs that climate change is negatively affecting the environment and that this change has a disproportionately negative effect on populations served by social workers. Feedback indicated students viewed the module as contributing to their learning. Results suggest that integrating environmental justice content into core courses like HBSE is a promising approach to strengthening environmental justice education in social work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the findings and implications of interdisciplinary exploratory research conducted by social work and recordkeeping informatics researchers in Australia and the UK. It sought to identify the practices, systems, education and technologies that can foster rights-based, child-centred recordkeeping practices in child protection contexts, exploring the transformation and advocacy work that could be achieved in child protection case note recording and recordkeeping practices and systems through interdisciplinary collaborations. Drawing from qualitative interviews, focus groups and surveys with Social Work students, Social Work educators and practice educators, and with practitioners working in children’s social care (in England) and the child protection services system (in Australia), we identify how practitioners are prepared for keeping records that reflect children’s voices and experiences, and identify emerging best practices and persistent challenges. Focusing on the intersection of child rights, archival ethics, and participatory approaches, this paper adds to the discourse on critical archival studies concerning children and calls for an interdisciplinary approach to reimagine future possibilities for participatory and child-centred practice in which children are not just passive subjects but active collaborators in the recordkeeping process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the authors take the position that human rights are not a principal discipline of American social work. Rather, within the United States, social work is a profession that makes the fulfillment of human needs its principal focus. The authors offer methods to prepare social work students for rights-based practice, a product of their work in educating social work students in global human rights over the past decade and in undertaking research. The authors consider the importance of the Capability Approach as an overarching framework guiding human rights education in social work. Using the author’s experiences, review of key documents, and two approaches to human rights practice, proactive and reactive ones, to teach relevant content, the authors offer a framework guiding human rights education in American social work. By drawing from documents pertaining to the global human rights movement, the authors examine key ideas, practices, and institutions that constitute the human rights movement internationally. The authors conclude by identifying pedagogical approaches that can assist social work students in learning about human rights practice, theoretically and experientially, with an emphasis on preventing rights violations and on responding effectively during and after these violations occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schools play a crucial in the lives of children, families and communities and are increasingly used by social work programmes in England for practice learning. This qualitative study involved in-depth semi structured interviews with ten social work students who had undertaken at least one placement in a school in England. The aim of this study was to understand social work students’ experiences of placements in schools and to explore the benefits and challenges associated with school-based placements. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, manually coded and analyzed for broad themes. The findings indicate a lack of clarity about the roles and tasks expected of student social workers in schools and highlights some benefits for children and families. Implications for social work education and practice are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics and the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) require that social work practitioners and students engage in political and policy practice. However, social work practitioners report that they feel inadequately prepared by their education to engage in the political system. Thus, utilizing a content analysis approach, this study explores the frequency and integration of political and policy themes in Human Behavior in the Social Environment (HBSE) textbooks. Reviewing 607 learning objectives in six HBSE textbooks determined that political and policy themes are implicitly identified within these textbooks; however, more steps can be taken to integrate and explicitly incorporate political and policy themes. Thus, this article provides findings from content analysis as well as suggestions for social work educators to incorporate political and policy themes in HBSE courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In various countries, the digital competences of social work students are inadequately addressed within existing curricular frameworks. Addressing this gap necessitates a more nuanced understanding of the prevailing digital competence trends among these students, though the methodology for such measurement remains ambiguous. This study investigates the applicability of the DigComp 2.2 model for gauging the digital competence levels of social work students. Employing a predominantly quantitative-exploratory approach, data were gathered in the Czech Republic and Slovakia through a 22-item questionnaire designed to assess the five digital competence areas outlined in the DigComp v2.2 framework (N = 151). The analysis revealed a spectrum of competence levels, ranging from insufficient to relatively high across different areas. These findings were benchmarked against the only other known study utilizing the DigComp model on the social work student demographic, which employed the model in a relatively less rigorous manner, showing considerable alignment. Based on these insights, recommendations for enhancing future research methodologies are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nursing and social work professionals often exhibit avoidance or a lack of competence in delivering sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) care to service users. When such care is provided, it tends to be heteronormative and deficit focus. Thus, understanding how university education prepares professionals in the field is essential. This study is the first to qualitatively explore SRHR attitudes, learning experiences and educational needs of nursing and social work students in Australia and Hong Kong. Using focus groups, insights were gathered from 19 nursing and 21 social work students across two Australian and three Hong Kong universities. Thematic analysis of the data revealed that, despite regional and disciplinary differences, students’ SRHR educational needs in both regions and disciplines were not being adequately met. This negatively influenced their practical training and the quality of care provided. The study highlights the need to enhance SRHR knowledge and skills in nursing and social work curricula, thereby improving person-centred care. Recommended curriculum enhancements include promoting diversity and inclusivity, adopting a positive framing of sexuality, enhancing critical self-reflection and communication skills, fostering interprofessional learning, developing educators and mentors as role models, and creating safe and inclusive classroom and placement environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the role of social capital within the university context in retaining working students. It specifically examines the effects of university social capital factors—such as teacher–student relationships, peer networks, and support services—on the dropout intentions of working students, emphasizing the mediating role of employability trust. Using a sample of 1902 working students from the Eurostudent VII survey, this study employed factor analysis techniques and structural equation modeling to derive its findings. The results indicated that university social capital significantly reduces dropout intentions among working students. Strong teacher–student relationships, satisfaction with support services, robust peer networks, and high employability trust positively influence this social capital. There is a statistically significant negative association between teacher–student relationships, peer networks, employability trust, and dropout intentions. Furthermore, the findings reveal that without enhancing students' employability trust, the effectiveness of support services might be limited. These findings not only contribute to the discourse on student retention and the development of university social capital but also provide practical insights for higher education strategies aimed at supporting working students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a changing global environment, sustaining social work as a profession necessitates comprehensive education and heightened awareness of ecocentric perspectives and environmental ethics. Based on this information, the study aims to explore the relationship between social work students' environmental ethics awareness and their attitudes and behaviors regarding environmental issues. The study was conducted utilizing the general and relational survey model, a quantitative research methodology; the data collection was performed with an interview form consisting of the Personal Information Form, Environmental Ethics Awareness Scale, Attitude Toward Environmental Problems Scale, and Behavior Toward Environmental Problems Scale. The study comprised 461 students selected from 10 different universities offering undergraduate social work education in Türkiye, employing the purposive sampling technique. The data collected from the participants was analyzed using SPSS software. The study findings reveal that the environmental ethics awareness and attitudes of social work students toward environmental problems positively impact their behaviors regarding environmental problems. In this context, heightened environmental ethics awareness and positive attitudes toward environmental problems among students correlate with increased engagement in actions addressing environmental issues. These findings emphasize the need for future studies to assess the effectiveness of environmental education curricula and conduct evidence-based quasi-experimental group interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to examine social work students' perspectives on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on social work. This research was prepared with a qualitative design to explore the reflections of social work students in Türkiye and twelve focus groups were conducted. The data were analyzed using MAXQDA, and two main themes were created: opportunities and challenges. The opportunities include innovation, transformative dimensions, and work optimization, while challenges consist of competency for professional practice, ethical issues, and labor sub-themes. The results indicate that students think that AI will increase efficiency in terms of gaining speed and time, reducing bureaucracy, performing risk analysis, and reducing costs. In the research findings, students point out that AI may lead to ethical violations in terms of privacy concerns, the possibility of data misuse, etc. Students emphasize the risk of increased unemployment with the integration of AI into social work. Future research could investigate the long-term impact of integrating AI into social work practice, examining its evolving effect on client outcomes and professional roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Navigating complex and evolving practice environments requires resilient social workers. However, education's contribution to professional resilience development is underinvestigated. As part of a longitudinal, qualitative study, this article reports the findings on how social workers as students and then newly qualified practitioners perceived how their education fostered professional resilience. In stage one, interviews were conducted with 23 social work students from eight Australian universities in the final 12 months of their Master of Social Work (Qualifying) degree. In stage two, the sample was reduced to 19, with interviews occurring after approximately six months of practice. Framed by critical theory and social constructionism, narrative inquiry guided the analysis of participants’ perceptions. The results revealed professional resilience is relational and developed through curricula and pedagogy facilitating connection, building knowledge through critical reflection, and preparing students for the realities and complexities of practice. The study extends evidence that transitioning from student to practitioner is a crucial time in social workers’ careers. The findings identify that professional resilience can be fostered by responsive external resources and evidence-based programs offered by universities, practice organisations, and professional bodies.IMPLICATIONSSocial workers' resilience relies upon education fostering connection between students, academics, and qualified social workers, incorporating critical reflection and developing knowledge and skills in navigating practice contexts. Field education is integral to this process.Social workers in Australia could benefit from a nationwide program creating a consistent and evidence-informed approach to support newly qualified social workers as they transition into the workforce.Social workers' resilience relies upon education fostering connection between students, academics, and qualified social workers, incorporating critical reflection and developing knowledge and skills in navigating practice contexts. Field education is integral to this process.Social workers in Australia could benefit from a nationwide program creating a consistent and evidence-informed approach to support newly qualified social workers as they transition into the workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to examine levels of motivation, wellbeing, and employment preferences of newly qualified social workers who graduated in 2022. A mixed-method study design was employed using standardized measurements for wellbeing, measurable scales for motivation and employment preferences, and qualitative questions about job preferences. The online survey was completed by 176 final-year social work students in Northern Ireland during the summer 2022. The current paper reports Time 1 data from a longitudinal project examining levels of motivation, well-being, resilience, and employment preferences of graduates over a 12-month period. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS (version 26). Wellbeing scores were compared using Mann-Whitney U tests, and motivation was compared using Fisher’s exact tests. Qualitative data from responses to open-ended questions was analyzed using six-step approach to thematic analysis. There were no significant differences in wellbeing scores or levels of motivation between participants based on age, sex, caring responsibilities, or disability. The majority were motivated to find employment in social work (98.3%), in Northern Ireland (97.7%), in statutory Health and Social Care Trusts (71.1%). However, stakeholders need to improve support systems and stability within teams, enhance remuneration, and ensure workloads are manageable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: Clinical settings are increasingly focused on addressing patients' social needs, thus medical education must prepare future clinicians for this task. Critical consciousness, an awareness that puts health within a broader social, historical, and cultural context, could help shape students' understanding of patient social needs. Our paper explores how experiential learning through participation in a social care intervention deepened students' critical consciousness, or their understanding of the systems and structures that make it difficult for patients to meet their basic needs. METHODS: We conducted one-on-one semistructured interviews with all 24 students who served as advocates for the intervention. Of the 24 advocates, 75% (n = 18) were first-year medical students, 17% (n = 4) were public health students, and 8% (n = 2) were social work students. Interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using framework analysis. RESULTS: We identified themes informed by critical consciousness, including individual (assumptions and biases), interpersonal (communication and relationship), and structural (organization and power) factors. Within these categories, advocates expressed deeper self-awareness of personal biases (individual), the importance of interpersonal communication to build trust with caregivers (interpersonal), and the identification of the structural factors that influence health, such as housing conditions (structural). The advocates highlighted the importance of experiential learning to help them understand social determinants of health. By witnessing multiple patients experiencing social needs, advocates saw the cascading effects of social needs, the structures that make it difficult to meet basic needs, and the effect on health and healthcare behavior. CONCLUSION: Students engaged in the intervention demonstrated the development of critical consciousness. Although limited, our findings suggest that when students engage with patients around social needs, students can better understand the broader social context of patients' lives. Experiential learning through social care interventions may have the potential to influence critical consciousness development and shape the practice of future clinicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research literacy for graduate social work students may be enhanced by approaching the process of teaching research methods from an experiential learning perspective. This article provides an overview of an introductory MSW research course where students investigated adverse life events (ALEs) and their association with mental health outcomes in social work majors (N  = 51). MSW students’ inquiry into ALEs helped to increase their understanding of the practical elements of trauma exposure and aftermath, along with conducting research that adds to the knowledge base of the topic. The findings on childhood maltreatment, adult interpersonal violence, and mental health outcomes are presented, along with students’ process of constructing and implementing their research studies. ALEs were common across the lifespan. However, few associations were found between ALEs, whether in childhood or adulthood, and mental (depression, anxiety, stress) and behavioral (alcohol use, cannabis use) health. Such findings underscored for students the complex relationship between psychological distress and resilience for social work trainees. Implications include further investigation to examine how positive coping skills may serve as essential moderators that create stress-buffering effects for social work trainees in the context of risk. Such information may enhance curricula to prepare students better to achieve professional competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve inclusion in one social work teaching department, a ‘Students-as-Partners’ project employed four social work students with lived experience of neurodiversity to work in partnership with staff on pedagogical design. The student partners’ role was to evaluate teaching and learning through neurodivergent lenses and co-design strategies to enhance provision. Higher education can often adopt an individualized, adaptive approach to difference , rather than a social approach to inclusion where whole courses and environments are designed with neurotypical and neurodivergent learners in mind. ‘Neurodiversity’ offers social work education a constructive new paradigm for understanding learning experiences and for considering individuals’ strengths alongside challenges . Using a reflective, critical storytelling approach , this article weaves published research findings with the experiences of three student partners and one staff partner, to reflect on and analyze a Students-as-Partners neurodiversity pilot. We conclude that educational designs which actively include the perspectives and ideas of neurodivergent students can deepen understanding of individual challenges and strengths and facilitate the co-creation of more inclusive teaching and assessment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social work programs are grappling with changing students’ attitudes about working with older adults. Our study aimed to understand whether adding a guest speaker working in the field into weekly content would influence students’ attitudes about working with older adults. We conducted an exploratory study using a cross-sectional design with a pre and posttest to answer our question. Eighteen MSW students were enrolled in the ‘Social Work with Older Adults’ course and 17 students completed the pre-posttests. Willingness to work with older adults was measured using the “Willingness to Work with Elderly People Scale (WEPS). Guest speakers were recruited from local area agencies on aging. A significant finding was a statistically significant (t= −3.31, p < .01) increase from pre- (M = 3.59, SD = 1.54) to posttest (M = 4.88, SD = 1.22) scores for item, ‘My professors advise me to consider aged care career.’ In addition, there were statistically significant pre to posttest differences for all items of ‘Perceived Behavioral Control’ and ‘Intention toward working with older adults’ reflecting competence, training, skills, and capabilities to work with older adults, suggesting guest speakers may play a crucial role as influential sources to positively shape students’ attitudes and intentions toward working with older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An Enquiry Action Learning sequence was undertaken by MSc social work students at a Scottish University as part of a decision-making module, to assist them to work together in gathering information to present to a case conference. Drawing on the taught sessions on ethics, legislation, policy and human rights, the students plan their research, explore community resources and prepare a case report. Through this research, the students gained understanding of multi-agency roles and perspectives and built their knowledge throughout the activity. This paper analyses what the students learnt from Enquiry Action Learning, with particular emphasis on how it will impact on their decision-making practice in the future, and evaluates the EAL activity using the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy (RBT). The benefits of Enquiry Action Learning are multiple, and the findings show that the students developed group work skills and acquired knowledge of multi-agency decision-making processes in practice. They learned how to evidence their decision-making, applying theoretical knowledge to practice situations. They were able to relate and contextualize their classroom-based learning in practice situations, developing a deeper understanding of the social work role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a practice-based profession, the application of human rights approaches situated within a radical and critical lens is the focus of this article. It is suggested in this article that human rights can be considered a feature in both the practice and the result of radical social work. Through the use of a case study example of social work activism in Ireland, this article aims to describe how the involvement of practitioners in social work education modules, who are involved in human rights-based campaigns, can be utilized as a tangible way to show social work students the application of human rights-based approaches to the practice of social work in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the set of key competencies supported by social work organizations in the development of the social work profession at the global level, we aim to analyze from a theoretical point of view those competencies that presuppose the integration in professional practice of attitudes and behaviors that encourage non-discrimination, cultural diversity, equity and inclusion in the training of social work students. The student in the field of social work here can be both the one who benefits from training and continuing education, and the one who in turn perpetuates future practices and balanced client-professional relationships, after being integrated into specific social work organizations. The analysis starts from how the professionalization of future social workers is correlated with their guidance and involvement in practices based on anti-racism/non-discrimination, equity, equal opportunities, cultural diversity and inclusion. The objective of this paper is to draw, at a theoretical level, lines of connection between professionalization practices at the international level -as formulated by the Boston University School of Social Work in agreement with the Council on Social Work Education, the national association that represents education of social work from the United States, with Romanian national norms - adopted from European and international practices - the National College of Social Workers in Romania (NCSWR./ CNASR - the acronym in Romanian language), in agreement with UNICEF and ISCO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated health care poses a unique opportunity for social workers to deliver person-centered, empowering, and collaborative care addressing all aspects of patient health. This study analyzed four years of data from a project designed to train social work master's students to be effective members on integrated teams. Students that participated in the project achieved statistically significant levels of improvement from pre- to posttests with large effect sizes on the Behavioral Health Consultant Core Competency Tool skills (n = 93, Cohen's d = -1.752, t(92) = -16.894, p <.001) and the Team Skills Scale (n = 94, Cohen's d = -1.558, t(93) = -15.101, p <.001). Wilcoxon signed-rank tests confirmed improvements. No existing evaluations of integrated training for social work students capture behavioral health competencies data. Offering specialized training in integrated behavioral health work to students has immense potential benefit for outgoing social workers seeking to support patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Social workers, the largest group of mental health clinicians in the United States, play a pivotal role in mental health promotion. Despite the importance of sleep for mental health, there is no empirical research on sleep education interventions for social workers. Method: We designed an online sleep health education intervention to equip social work students to promote healthy sleep practices among their clients. An interdisciplinary team of experts devised the 90 min intervention using an empirically supported behavioral change theoretical model (COM-B). The intervention discusses multi-level factors that impact sleep and emphasizes considerations for health disparities in populations commonly served by social workers (e.g., unhoused populations, clients with substance use disorders, etc.). We assessed sleep knowledge, sleep quality, and acceptability using survey and focus group data. Results: Ninety social work students (92.2% female, 38.8% non-Hispanic white) completed pre- and post-intervention assessments. Participants demonstrated significant improvements in sleep health knowledge and their personal sleep quality. Quantitative and qualitative data revealed perceived usefulness for social work practice. Conclusions: A short online sleep education intervention can improve sleep health knowledge, offering a practical method to expand social workers' understanding of healthy sleep promotion that can be readily implemented in clinical training and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined a model based on the Terror Management Theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to identify factors associated with social work students' intention to work with older adults. A cross-sectional study with a sample of 375 first-year Israeli social work students was undertaken. Attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control were directly associated with this intention. Contact with older adults was related to anxiety about older adults, which along with anxiety about self-aging, was related to the TPB constructs. The model explained 63% of the variance of the students' intention to work with older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social work external accrediting bodies are moving towards competency-based models that require educational providers to demonstrate that students meet specific competencies at graduation. It is expected that all social work students at accredited social work programs in Australia will have acquired specific graduate attributes and demonstrated the associated learning outcomes by the completion of their degree. The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences and benefits of using an ePortfolio with Master of Social Work students (n = 43) to critically reflect on their own learning and demonstrate how they met the Australian Association of Social Work graduate attributes necessary for accreditation. The findings revealed that students' perceived level of readiness for practice and identity as a professional social worker increased with the successful completion of the ePortfolio. The study also identified barriers and enablers in implementing the ePortfolio as an assessment piece to document overall program learning outcomes. The conclusion discusses how ePortfolios are a viable assessment tool in the online and blended learning space that has benefit for both the student and the program in demonstrating learning outcomes and compliance with accreditation graduate standards. Academic ePortfolios are an effective tool for student reflection and communication of competence of required graduate outcomes. Student self-assessment of graduate attributes can strengthen professional identity and preparedness for professional practice. The ePortfolios benefit students and social work educators by sharing the accreditation-obligated responsibility of ensuring that AASW graduate competencies are met. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the concept of racial microaggressions, everyday slights and offensive behaviors experienced by people of color, particularly focusing on their manifestation within social work education programs. Black social work students, in particular, frequently encounter instances tied to stereotypes about their intellectual abilities, perpetuating historical prejudices and contributing to mental health challenges such as anxiety and impostor phenomenon (IP). The historical trauma endured by Black individuals adds a distinct layer to the struggles faced by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students in social work education. Despite the evident impact, there exists a significant gap in scholarship addressing these issues, emphasizing the urgent need for the social work profession to confront and comprehend how implicit biases and racial microaggressions impede the success of Black social work students. This theoretical exploration aims to spark vital dialogue on the manifestations of implicit biases and racial microaggressions, probing their link to feelings of IP and historical trauma. Central to this inquiry is the examination of the critical consciousness framework’s efficacy in social work education, uncovering its role in raising awareness among professionals regarding their inadvertent perpetuation of oppressive systems. By leveraging this framework, the paper seeks to unearth structures of oppression and privilege, promoting awareness of unintentional complicity in upholding these structures. Recommendations align with the critical consciousness framework, advocating for future dialogues and the implementation of effective microaggression scales to incorporate and analyze frequencies and the impact of racism in social work research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the imperative for social work educators and professionals to integrate environmental dimensions into curricula and field practice purposefully. Advocates argue that this integration is vital for the profession to effectively contribute to social and environmental justice. Despite these calls, there is a paucity of scholarly attention to the extent of environmental justice considerations in social work curricula. In response, this study employs in-depth interviews with program directors and curriculum content analysis at McGill University’s School of Social Work to assess the inclusion of environmental justice issues. The findings reveal that these issues are marginally and superficially integrated into the curriculum. Despite this, interview participants express confidence in social work students’ ability to support clients facing significant environmental challenges. This study suggests broadening the traditional ‘person-in-environment’ concept in social work education and practice to encompass the physical environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whilst a main task of social work education is to develop the student's professional identity, the literature on social workers' identity formation is limited. Drawing on twenty-one reflective written assignments, this qualitative study examined defining moments as perceived by third-year Israeli social work students—moments seen as most influential in their process of professional identity formation. The crafting of a social worker identity was found to be an ongoing and spiral process, unfolding across three main spheres: (1) coping with challenges as an opportunity for development; (2) sparkling experiences validating the emerging professional identity; and (3) intersections of personal and professional identities. The findings suggested that through a process of guided reflection and discussion, often facilitated in supervisory sessions and classroom settings, students were able to transform their experiences into cornerstones for structuring their emerging professional identity. These dynamics underscore the significance of directly incorporating professional identity exploration as an integral part of the social work curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social work is an honorable profession, but it may also be a difficult profession considering high caseloads, low salaries, and numerous opportunities to experience stress, burnout, and vicarious trauma. The process of becoming a professional social worker at the graduate level requires considerable time, energy, money, and stamina. Four first-semester MSW students and I, their professor, share our lived experiences and challenges during the Fall 2021 semester at a historically Black university in the midst of the pandemic. Time management, work-life balance, coursework demands, self-care, social support, social justice, and advocacy surface as primary concerns. Our narratives suggest that self-care for graduate social work students is as important as self-care for professional social workers. Graduate social work programs are advised to consider implementing courses or programs that teach social work students how to engage in self-care rather than presenting it as a topic for discussion. Implications for research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores our lived experiences as undergraduate social work students in our practicum placements during the first year of COVID-19, including our reactions to seeing COVID-19 unfold in our agencies, the impacts on clients, how we developed social work skills given all of the restrictions, and how we managed our own physical and mental health. We struggled with getting sick—and so did family, clients, and co-workers, some of whom did not live. We highlight the importance of support networks, supportive supervision, and self-care. We utilize the concept of shared trauma to illustrate how, despite the collective nature of the pandemic, each of us brings a unique perspective, especially given the wide range of practicum placements. Finally, we include reflections on systemic vulnerabilities that COVID-19 revealed and frustrations with engaging and supporting client needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doctoral education in social work equips students to be stewards of the discipline through training in practice, policy, and research methods. In this article, we, as two doctoral students, reflect on our research practicum coursework. As fans of the musical Hamilton (Miranda, 2015a), we were struck by the parallel of gaining access to “the room where [research] happens” (Miranda, 2015c) and offer commentary on the historically exclusionary practices of the empiricist-driven academy. While learning the research process, it became obvious and disconcerting that doctoral education in social work focuses on teaching students how to engage in primarily positivist, empiricist, generalizable research. However, this epistemology does not align with most social work scholarship agendas. Through critical consideration of personal and professional values, we posit that the social work profession has a responsibility to infuse humanizing, community-engaged research methods and offer points of reflection educators may consider to enhance their research courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since social workers are often confronted with dilemmas as insoluble conflicts, professional judgment and decision-making skills are necessary. Therefore, social workers must already be confronted with such conflicts during their education, especially with dilemmas challenging the value of equal treatment: While equality for all clients remains one of the highest mandates in social work, specific cases require unequal treatment for social justice. To assess social work students’ ability to recognize such conflicts, two dilemma stories were presented in two quantitative studies, involving a total of 156 participants. The task was to approve or disapprove of decisions, with different grades to filter out extreme views. The results reveal that students hold both perspectives on the equality-related conflicts. Furthermore, about half of the students rate a decision as extremely right or extremely wrong, which indicates that they do not recognize the dilemma as such. These findings highlight the need to address such dilemmas in education while promoting students’ ability to weigh up ethical considerations. This research invites us to adapt teaching methods by using the dilemma stories together with the related theoretical parts to foster an understanding of conflicts and prepare future social workers to navigate such ethical challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young people with borderline intelligence functioning (BIF) have intellectual functioning at the border between intellectual disability and those considered neurotypical. This population group is often underrepresented in social research, which makes it difficult to understand their experiences and needs. The research aims to understand the daily lives of young people with BIF to identify needs that society might not be aware of. The study was conducted with a sample of 30 young people. The ethnomethodological design was appropriate for the study of the routines and daily dynamics of these young people, which allowed the researchers to understand the experiences and meanings of the participants from their own perspective. The analysis was carried out in the context of the subject of Qualitative Research Tools in Social Work with fourth-year students, through participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and field diaries. Data analysis was performed using the Atlas.ti23 qualitative content analysis program. The findings suggest a strong dependence on family and social support; a daily life marked by challenges; and a search for autonomy, among many other aspects. Collaboration with the participants allowed the researchers to better understand their experiences and needs from reflexivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pandemic caused significant changes and consequences in all areas of daily life. The impact of the COVID-19 virus completely changed the way of living and working, and consequently, new working conditions were imposed on it. Daily exposure to new conditions causes certain stressful situations for all, and it has aggregated mental health suffering throughout the entire world. It affects not only working employees, migrant workers, and senior citizens but also students, who can become more agitated and restless. It is becoming very common among students in this world; many of them do not realize that they are affected by stress, but it is a very serious and emerging problem about stress among students, which affects students' learning, motivation, concentration, and social interaction. The study recognizes the pervasive nature of stress among students globally, with many remaining unaware of its profound effects. Stress emerges as a substantial and escalating problem affecting students' learning, motivation, concentration, and social interactions. This research aims to know the primary stress factors confronting students during crisis situations. Data synthesis involves a simple tabulation method, offering insights into the impact of stress on social work students across key parameters such as, academic, physical, psychological, and social stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To make social work education relevant, educators, students, and practitioners must assess the extent to which taught concepts, theories and techniques are relevant for practice within the local context. Currently, there is little empirical research in Ghana that reviews the social work curriculum in relation to practice. This paper relies on data collected from BA Social Work graduates working with various social service agencies in Ghana. These graduates earned their undergraduate degrees from one of Ghana's top public universities, offering social work education. Respondents were asked to reflect on their education and their work contexts and to comment on the extent to which they find taught concepts relevant and practical for their work. While we do not draw broad conclusions from our study, we believe that our methodological approach can help other Ghanaian educators evaluate and enhance social work education for effective practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an exercise aimed at stimulating the students' critical reflective thinking and reflexivity in a seminar course from a Social Work undergraduate program. The exercise, deployed through collaborative methods and focus groups, sought to foster the students' inter-subjective recollection and sharing of their first contacts with professional practice. The integration in the institutional setting, the contact with newly-met routines of practice and the experiencing of complex situations and critical incidents were key dimensions subject of attention. The exercise was focused on three interrelated key dimensions: how students experienced the process of integration in the organization; how students conceptualized intervention problem(s); how students represented the (dis)continuities between academic knowledge and practice-based learnings. The exercise resulted in perceiving the most important challenges students faced in their internship conveyed on their own terms. It also allowed access to the students' accounts of their first contacts with practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following article is part of the teaching innovation project entitled 'The use of life history through ICTs for "conceptual teaching" in Social Sciences', carried out at the University Pablo de Olavide (Seville, Spain) between September 2021 and March 2022, with a sample of students of Social Work (n = 110) and Double Degree in Sociology and Social Work (n = 52). This article consisted of the analysis of life history, taking as a reference Pierre Bourdieu's book, 'The "Misery" of the World', as well as the development of the biographical or semi-structured interview. The main objective was to examine the potential of the life history and the biographical interview through ICTs for conceptual teaching in Social Sciences in Social Work students. For this purpose, we applied a posttest of satisfaction after the teaching innovation project, with a double quantitative and qualitative approach, ad-hoc with open questions and a Likert scale. The main conclusions were the students' satisfaction with the use of the life history and interview as a didactic resource, as well as a satisfactory acquisition of sociological skills and knowledge, such as critical thinking, micro/macro connections and the interaction between structure and agency, among others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the curriculum development for social work student placements in primary health care. Social work in General Practice [GP] is an emerging area for social work practice, able to fill a gap in primary health. The inclusion of social work in GP practices can be complex. Social work placements offer an opportunity for students to become familiar with this practice setting and undertake social work relevant learning; however, they need to be well prepared for such placements and able to articulate and use social work knowledge and processes. They offer an opportunity for GPs to understand what social workers can do and offer to the GP community. We have used available research, support of an active reference group and two surveys to develop a curriculum for social work students in GP practices. We provide an overview of the literature and the methods of developing the curriculum. We describe how feedback and curriculum design principles were used. Core aspects of the curriculum and accompanying resources are outlined. The discussion highlights that the curriculum was a valuable tool in not only inducting students into a GP placement setting but as a meaningful reference guide throughout the entirety of placement. Social work students undertaking placements in GP settings need to be able to understand and articulate the role of social work in primary health care; A curriculum for social work placements in primary health care provides students the opportunity to consider the clinic context, the role of social work in primary health care and getting started in GP settings; Feedback and guidance from a range of interdisciplinary stakeholders is invaluable in developing resources for interdisciplinary work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, social workers serve a growing number of clients who are culturally and linguistically diverse. The importance of cultural competence in the quality of social work is evident. There is a greater need for different educational models and approaches to enhance the teaching of cultural competence in social work students. The present research study was carried out as an intervention study with a pretest and posttest design, with both experimental(n = 29) and control(n = 29) groups. For this study, we developed the Cultural Competence Education Model (CCEM) in the context of Turkey by examining various preexisting social work education models. We used CCEM in the intervention phase of the study. The results of this study confirm the effectiveness of the CCEM. In particular, the data obtained from the pretest and posttest measurements show that the content of the training contributes to the cultural knowledge, self-awareness, awareness and cultural sensitivity of the participants on pressure and diversity. To conclude, the study provides offers recommendations for the development of basic knowledge for cultural competence skills and culturally effective practices in the future, and concludes with a call that additionally calls for the integration of integrating cultural competence education into the general social work education curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to describe our experiences designing a short-term virtual student exchange between Germany and Sweden and to discuss the implications of these experiences. Quantitative and qualitative material from three semesters of student evaluations relating to a course on the global aspects of social work and health in times of crisis is analyzed. The course focused on theory-practice transfer, ethnographic methods, and global citizenship, taking pedagogical and didactic inspiration from problem-based learning and co-constructive pedagogy. Our analysis concentrates on developments to the course made on the basis of student evaluations; it directs attention to the fact that teachers needed to balance giving the students the space to co-create the course, whilst maintaining a focus on learning outcomes. This is exemplified by the need to create a tangible virtual space, to provide the course with a thematic and social framework. To achieve this, not only do the learning outcomes need to be expressed clearly and does teaching have to be adapted accordingly, the digital space also needs to be perceived as welcoming and safe. To build on students' local experiences, ethnographic methods can be used to highlight global aspects as well as theory-practice transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]