How social work students develop the skill of professional judgement: Implications for practice educators
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1921/jpts.v17i3.1445Abstract
This article is based on findings of research into how social work students begin to develop expertise in professional judgement during their practice placements and what enables, facilitates and supports them to do so. The research sought to understand the ‘authentic professional learning’ that took place for social work students who were at the point of qualification. The findings indicate that the optimal environment for the development of the skill of professional judgement is one in which there is the presence and positive inter-relationship of three domains of learning: professional responsibility, the facilitation of the professional voice and learner agency.
The role of the practice educator was pivotal to this development but the findings go beyond merely re-articulating the positivity of the student/educator relationship to illuminating what it was about the practice educators’ pedagogical approach that facilitated the development of the skill of professional judgement.
This article has a particular focus on implications for practice educators and others who support professional work-based learning. The research indicates the benefits of adopting an autonomy-support approach and the article provides ideas for how this might be incorporated into practice placements.
References
Author (2016)
Author (2018)
Bandura. (1977) ‘Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioural change’ Psychology Review Vol 84 no 2 pp191-215
Braun, V and Clarke, V. (2006) ‘Using thematic analysis in psychology’ Qualitative Research in Psychology 3 pp77-101
Cheetham, G. and Chivers, G. (2001) ‘How professionals learn in practice: an investigation on informal learning amongst working professionals’ Journal of European Industrial Training 25 (5) pp246-288
Cooperrider, D., & Srivastva, S. (1987). Appreciative inquiry in organisational life. Research in
Organisational Change and Development, 1, 129–169.
Deci, E. and Ryan, R. (1985) Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. New York: Plenum.
Deci, E and Ryan, R. (2008) ‘Facilitating Optimal Motivation and Psychological Well-Being Across Life’s Domains’. Canadian Psychology Vol 49, No.1 pp14-23
Drikx, J. (2006). Studying the complicated matter of what works: Evidence-based research
and the problem of practice. Adult Education Quarterly, 56, 273–290.
Enosh, G., and Bayer-Topilsky, T. (2015) ‘Reasoning and bias: Heuristics in safety assessment and placement decisions for children at risk’ British Journal of Social Work. 45 pp1771-1787
Epstein, I. (2001). Using available clinical information in practice-based research: Mining for
silver while dreaming of gold. Social Work in Health Care, 33(3/4), 15–32.
Eraut, M. (2004) ‘Informal learning in the workplace’ Studies in Continuing Education. 26 (2) pp247–273
Eraut, M. (2007) ‘Learning from other people in the workplace’ Oxford Review of Education 33 4 pp 403-422
Fortune, A., Mccarthy, M. and Abramson, J. (2001) ‘Student Learning Processes in Field Education’ Journal of Social Work Education 37 (1) pp111-124
Gillingham, P. (2017) ‘Decision making in child and family welfare: The role of tools and practice frameworks’ Children Australia 42 (1) pp49-56
Helm, D. (2016) ‘Sense-making in a social work office: an ethnographic study of safeguarding judgements’ Child & Family Social Work. 21 (1) pp26-35
Hoybye-Mortensen, M. (2015) ‘Decision-making tools and their influence on caseworkers’ room for discretion’. British Journal of Social Work 45 (2) pp 600-615
Keddell, E. (2016) ‘Weighing it up: family maintenance discourses in NGO child protection decision-making in Aotearoa/New Zealand’: Child and Family Social Work 24(4) pp512–520
Kettle, M. (2017) ‘The tipping point’: Fateful moments in child protection’ Child & Family Social Work 22 pp31-39
Killick, C. (2005) ‘DipSW students’ satisfaction with practice teaching on their first placement’ Journal of Practice Teaching 6 (1)
Knight, C. (2000) ‘Engaging the Student in the Field Instruction Relationship’, Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 20 (3-4), pp173-201
Lefevre, M. (2005) ‘Facilitating practice learning and assessment: The influence of a relationship’ Social Work Education 24 (5) pp565-583
Mackenzie, C and Stoljar, N. (2000) ‘Introduction: Autonomy Refigured’ in Mackenzie, C and Stoljar, N (eds) Relational Autonomy. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Maidment, J. (2000) ‘Methods used to teach social work students in the field: A research report from New Zealand’ Social Work Education 19 (2) pp145-154
Munro, E. (2002). Effective child protection. London, UK: Sage.
Nedelsky, J. (1989) ‘Reconceiving Autonomy: Sources, Thoughts and Possibilities’ Yale Journal of Law and Feminism. Vol.1 No.7
Parker, J. (2005) ‘Should you encourage students to assess themselves in practice learning? A guided self-efficacy approach to practice learning assessment’ Journal of Practice Teaching 6(3) pp8-30
Parker, J. (2006) ‘Developing Perceptions of Competence during Practice Learning’ British Journal of Social Work 36, 1017–1036
Polkinghorne, C. (2004) Practice and the Human Sciences. New York: State University of New York Press
Reeve, J. (2002) ‘Self-Determination Theory Applied to Educational Settings’ in Deci E, and Ryan, R. (Eds.) Handbook of self-determination research. Rochester, N Y: University Of Rochester Press
Rodrigues, L., Calheiros, M., Pereira, C. (2015) ‘The decision of out-of-home placements in residential care after parental neglect: Empirically testing a psychosocial model’ Child Abuse & Neglect 49 pp35-49
Saltiel, D. (2016) ‘Observing front line decision making in child protection’ British Journal of Social Work. 46 (7) pp2104-2119
Stanley, T. (2013) ‘Our tariff will rise’: Risk, probabilities and child protection’ Health Risk & Society 15(1) pp67–83
Skills for Care. (2016) Social Work Education in England. Leeds: Skills for Care
Taylor, B. (2010). Professional decision making in social work. Exeter, UK: Learning Matters.
Van-Manen, M. (2007) Researching Lived Experience. Ontario: The Althouse Press
Van-Manen, M. (2016) Phenomenology of Practice: Meaning giving methods in phenomenological research and writing. Abingdon: Routledge
Wayne, J. Bogo, M. & Raskin, M. (2010) Field education as the signature pedagogy of social work education, Journal of Social Work Education, 46:3, 327-339
Webster-Wright, A. (2009). Reframing professional development through understanding
authentic professional learning. Review of Educational Research, 79, 702–739.
Webster-Wright, A. (2010). Authentic professional learning: Making a difference through
learning at work. London, UK: Springer.
Wilson, G. and Kelly, B. (2010) ‘Evaluating the effectiveness of social work education: Preparing students for practice learning’ British Journal of Social Work 40 (8) pp2431-2449
Winch, C. (2014) ‘Know-how and knowledge in the professional curriculum’ in Young, M & Muller, J (2014) Knowledge, Expertise and the Professions. Abingdon. Routledge
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright lies with the journal. Enquiries regarding reproduction should be sent in the first place to enquiries@whitingbirch.net.Accepted 2020-10-07
Published 2021-01-24