Fieldwork Education in Social Work as One Way of Building Bridges between China and Europe : In Rajendra Baikady, Sajid S.M., Varoshini Nadesan, and M. Rezaul Islam (eds) The Routledge Handbook of Field Work Education in Social Work

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• The Routledge Handbook of Field Work Education in Social Work is a welcome addition to the lit- erature on social work education and comparative research. It offers a wealth of contributions on field education across four continents.The book comes at a time of increased interest in international social work and in learning from others. It is also a time when educators in diverse contexts are struggling to provide quality field education for students, as field education across the globe is facing both old and new challenges. As the editors point out early in their introduction, field education is an essential part of the preparation of social workers; indeed, it is now sometimes referred to by the US Council on Social Work Education and others as the ‘signature pedagogy’ of the field. From the earliest days, educators have recognised that practical experience must accompany academic learning to prepare social work practitioners.This differentiates a profession from a purely academic subject. A review of the history of social work education bears this out. Between 1950 and 1972, the United Nations (UN) conducted five world surveys of social work education. In the very first of these, issues and variations in ‘practical training’ were dis- cussed (UN, 1950). Supervision, the need to integrate theory and practice, and the balance between observation and learning by doing were highlighted in the overview and in country summaries.The International Association of Schools of Social Work continued the global survey of educational programmes,issuing the World Guide to SocialWork Education in 1984.The crite- ria for inclusion as a social work programme were few in number and quite modest. It clearly stated, however, that ‘The course of study should include theoretical study as well as substantial continuing field practicum with an arrangement for appropriate instruction in both class and field’ (p. ix).This volume profiled social work programs in 61 countries across six continents, an expansion from the 46 countries listed in the 1950 UN publication. In 2004, the International Association of Schools of Social Work and the International Federation of Social Workers issued the first ever Global Standards for the Education and Training of the Social Work Profession. The standards were revised in 2020 (IASSW/IFSW, 2020). Both versions include lengthy sections on field education under curricula and state that field education must ‘be sufficient in duration and complexity of tasks and learning opportunities to ensure that students are prepared for professional practice’ (IASSW/IFSW, 2020, p. 13). Other standards include pro- viding qualified supervision, training for field instructors, a field manual with clear policies, and methods of evaluating students and field settings. New to the 2020 version is an aspirational stand- ard that programmes should ‘Create practice placement opportunities that correspond to at least 25% of the overall education activity within the courses (counted in either credits, days, or hours)’ (p. 14).This is clearly an effort to reduce the variability in attention paid to the field component. Organising and delivering quality field education continues to be a challenge for schools of social work. Many of the issues identified 70 years ago continue, including providing regular, xxvii Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 20:32 15 Jun 2022; For: 9781032164946, Prelims, 10.4324/9781032164946 Foreword professionally competent supervision and the need to help students integrate their classwork with field education. Over the past three decades, social work has expanded to numerous new locales,most notably to the countries of the former Soviet Union and China.The 2020 world census of social work education identified more than 3,500 programs in 159 countries (IASSW, 2021). In some places, social work is a completely new subject, and educators have had to initiate placements in areas without trained supervisors or even settings that defined them- selves as social work settings (Healy & Thomas, 2021). In other countries, including such diverse places as Jamaica and Ethiopia, expansion in the number of schools of social work and increases in the number of students enrolled has outpaced the availability of suitable field placements (Kebede, 2019). Mentoring students into the profession is less likely to occur if experienced social work supervision is missing. The Routledge Handbook of Field Work Education in Social Work includes overviews of field education and treatment of special subjects in 26 countries ranging from the United Kingdom to China, Slovenia,Turkey, Canada, and New Zealand. Several chapters provide student perspec- tives on their learning in the field. Special topics addressed include the experiences of indig- enous students in field placement and considerations for ensuring that international placements are optimally designed and supported. Reflexivity as a component of learning and way of inte- grating learning is addressed by several authors. Finally, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is covered in three chapters at the end of the volume. Field education faced disruptions and unusual challenges, in terms of the needs and demands of service users, threats to the health of students and field instructors, and widespread closures of in-person services. Learning from these experiences will inform education in future emergencies. In their conclusion, the editors lament that the topic of technology is not adequately addressed in the present book. Presumably, the expansion of virtual service delivery during the pandemic will offer lessons for future considera- tion of technologies in field education. In concluding the book, the editors remind readers that ‘Competency of students and graduates from a school of social work largely depends on the quality of the field education agency, availability of faculty support, competent supervisors, and expertise in introducing an innovative fieldwork practicum’. In the United States, and perhaps other contexts, increased pressures for research and publication have diminished the involvement of full-time faculty in field liaison and engagement, widening the divide between classroom instruction and field learning and severing what was, in earlier times, a close collaboration between academia and the field. At the same time, neoliberal pressures push agencies to meet higher efficiency stand- ards through increased caseloads and outputs.This leaves less time for field instruction and is resulting in fewer available placements for the growing social work student population.These trends may heighten the stresses on the dominant model of field education for social work and call out for creative solutions. Comparative study and increased sharing across borders can help in developing new models.This volume is an excellent start and a most welcome addition to the literature. Lynne M. Healy, MSW, PhD Board ofTrustees Distinguished Professor Emerita University of Connecticut School of Social Work, USA

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Sociologi -- Socialt arbete (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Sociology -- Social Work (hsv//eng)

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