Addressing Class in Field:

Financial and Psychosocial Challenges Reported by Social Work Students: Findings From a Cross-Sectional Online Survey

“…Faced with rising costs of living, tuition hikes, and compelled to reduce or eliminate their paid work hours to make room in their schedules for (largely unpaid) field practicum, many social work students turn to loans when they are unable to make ends meet. Because they effectively kneecap students' earning potential, unpaid internships may contribute to financial instability and exacerbate debt burdens, as the P4P (n.d.-b) campaign and others have noted (e.g., Aguilera et al, 2022).…”

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Although field education is social work's signature pedagogy, few studies explore student perspectives surrounding the challenges and costs of field practicum (Aguilera et al, 2022).Available research indicates that some social work students experience role conflict and financial stress as they attempt to balance caregiving and employment responsibilities with coursework and field requirements (Hemy et al, 2016). While prior research found that part-time and nontraditional students are disproportionately likely to experience such challenges, the extant literature is limited to a handful of studies, with most of these focusing on social work education in Australia (Smith et al, 2021).

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“…Although field education is social work's signature pedagogy, few studies explore student perspectives surrounding the challenges and costs of field practicum (Aguilera et al, 2022).…”

“…Particularly for students experiencing poverty or financial precarity and those with caregiving responsibilities, field requirements may pose serious barriers to participation and degree completion (Aguilera et al, 2022;Hemy et al, 2016).…”

“…A growing body of literature illuminates the conceptual, interpersonal, and practice skills students attain via field instruction. Yet relatively few studies to date have explored the challenges students encounter while engaging in field practicum, or while pursuing a social work degree more generally (Aguilera et al, 2022). While some prior research indicates that costs and barriers are particularly high for part-time and non-traditional students (e.g., Baglow & Gair, 2019), the extant literature is limited to just a handful of studies, with most of these focusing on social work education in Australia and other international locations (Bogo et al, 2022;Smith et al, 2021).…”