Evaluating the Integrative Framework for Practice Teaching with social care educators and students

Jennifer McGarr; Margaret  Fingleton

doi:10.1921/jpts.v21i2.2131

Authors

Jennifer McGarr Technological University Dublin https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7906-7539
Margaret Fingleton Technological University Dublin https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8025-7126

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1921/jpts.v21i2.2131

Keywords:

social care, education, proficiencies, evaluation of framework

Abstract

This paper outlines an evaluation of the Integrative Framework for Practice Teaching (McGarr and Fingleton, 2020), a tool developed to support practice teaching within social care education in Ireland. A mixed methods approach was utilised, which included focus groups with 5 educators and a survey of 168 social care students from the City and Tallaght campuses of TU Dublin. Both educators and students reported the framework to be useful in supporting the integration of knowledge and to explain the context, role, and goal of social care work. Recommendations were made in relation to strengthening the representation of the workers’ ‘self’ on the framework visual to reaffirm the pivotal role of the personal and professional self in social care practice. The evaluation also identified wider pedagogical application beyond applied subjects, in particular potential to use the framework to integrate learning within practice elements of the programme.

Author Biographies

Jennifer McGarr, Technological University Dublin

Jennifer McGarr is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Social Sciences, Law and Education in TU Dublin and is Programme Chair for the Applied Social Care programme.

Margaret Fingleton, Technological University Dublin

Dr. Margaret Fingleton is a lecturer and tutor in the School of Social Sciences, Law and Education in TU Dublin.

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