Fieldwork in Social Work Education and Training: Issues and Challenges in the Case of Eastern and Southern Africa
While it is widely accepted that fieldwork and its theory counterpart in social work education are of equal importance, the fieldwork component is marginalised at some social work training institutions in Eastern and Southern Africa. This study, which was carried out at three selected social work t...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Social Work & Society
2012-07-01
|
| Series: | Social Work and Society |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://132.195.130.183/index.php/sws/article/view/1431 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849713312797818880 |
|---|---|
| author | Jotham Dhemba |
| author_facet | Jotham Dhemba |
| author_sort | Jotham Dhemba |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
While it is widely accepted that fieldwork and its theory counterpart in social work education are of equal importance, the fieldwork component is marginalised at some social work training institutions in Eastern and Southern Africa. This study, which was carried out at three selected social work training institutions involved gathering data from social work students, agency supervisors and fieldwork coordinators using personal interviews and questionnaires. The study found that there are practices at these institutions that inadvertently diminish its importance. Such practices include the use of non-social work agency supervisors, lack of training for agency supervisors, the lack of a fieldwork curriculum and non-existent or inadequate funding of fieldwork related activities. It is quite clear that inadequate funding is the root cause of most of the challenges bedeviling fieldwork and that fieldwork shall remain just a ritual if this situation is not addressed.
|
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9ee5e3f1a0014ccbaae32d28f6bed9ef |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1613-8953 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2012-07-01 |
| publisher | Social Work & Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Social Work and Society |
| spelling | doaj-art-9ee5e3f1a0014ccbaae32d28f6bed9ef2025-08-20T03:13:59ZengSocial Work & SocietySocial Work and Society1613-89532012-07-01101Fieldwork in Social Work Education and Training: Issues and Challenges in the Case of Eastern and Southern AfricaJotham Dhemba While it is widely accepted that fieldwork and its theory counterpart in social work education are of equal importance, the fieldwork component is marginalised at some social work training institutions in Eastern and Southern Africa. This study, which was carried out at three selected social work training institutions involved gathering data from social work students, agency supervisors and fieldwork coordinators using personal interviews and questionnaires. The study found that there are practices at these institutions that inadvertently diminish its importance. Such practices include the use of non-social work agency supervisors, lack of training for agency supervisors, the lack of a fieldwork curriculum and non-existent or inadequate funding of fieldwork related activities. It is quite clear that inadequate funding is the root cause of most of the challenges bedeviling fieldwork and that fieldwork shall remain just a ritual if this situation is not addressed. http://132.195.130.183/index.php/sws/article/view/1431Fieldworksocial workagency supervisorschool supervisorblock fieldwork placement |
| spellingShingle | Jotham Dhemba Fieldwork in Social Work Education and Training: Issues and Challenges in the Case of Eastern and Southern Africa Social Work and Society Fieldwork social work agency supervisor school supervisor block fieldwork placement |
| title | Fieldwork in Social Work Education and Training: Issues and Challenges in the Case of Eastern and Southern Africa |
| title_full | Fieldwork in Social Work Education and Training: Issues and Challenges in the Case of Eastern and Southern Africa |
| title_fullStr | Fieldwork in Social Work Education and Training: Issues and Challenges in the Case of Eastern and Southern Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fieldwork in Social Work Education and Training: Issues and Challenges in the Case of Eastern and Southern Africa |
| title_short | Fieldwork in Social Work Education and Training: Issues and Challenges in the Case of Eastern and Southern Africa |
| title_sort | fieldwork in social work education and training issues and challenges in the case of eastern and southern africa |
| topic | Fieldwork social work agency supervisor school supervisor block fieldwork placement |
| url | http://132.195.130.183/index.php/sws/article/view/1431 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jothamdhemba fieldworkinsocialworkeducationandtrainingissuesandchallengesinthecaseofeasternandsouthernafrica |