Restructuring Social Work Field Education in 21st Century Canada

Abstract

Social work field education in Canada is in a state of crisis. For over two decades field education has faced increasing challenges and barriers within neoliberal contexts in higher education and the health and social services sector. These challenges have been magnified by an unprecedented growth in social work education programs and student enrolments, which has increased demand for field placements to an unsustainable level. Although some strategies for restructuring social work field education have been developed, to date little work has been done to formally identify, evaluate, and share information about these strategies across Canadian social work education programs. This article explores the current state of crisis from a solution-focused lens and describes three inter-related strategies to address critical problems with current models, practices, and processes. The strategies are presented as a Sustainability Model for Field Education. The results of a two-year study that sought to identify alternative delivery mechanisms for social work field education and promote sharing of information across social work education programs are discussed. A key recommendation is to restructure and move away from a crisis management approach by implementing strategies for enhancing the sustainability of field education.

Canadian Social Work Field Education During a Global Pandemic

“…Through the comparison of field instructor and student perspectives on field education during the pandemic, the study found that while the field instructors and students experienced similar impacts to their practice, they had varying perceptions on the experience, especially noted in supervision. As noted in the literature, field education was in a state of crisis before the pandemic due, in part, to shortages in practicum placements, lack of resources and difficulty retaining competent field instructors (Ayala et al, 2017(Ayala et al, , 2018Bogo et al, 2017;McConnell, 2016;TFEL, 2020). Our findings reinforce these concerns, and identify new challenges specific to the pandemic.…”

“…Prior to the pandemic, there were significant challenges in the delivery of appropriate field education experiences. Shortages of field instructors and field placements, increasing challenges in field instructor retainment and a lack of resources and funding, as well as high workloads of field education coordinators and directors, have contributed to a state of crisis in field education (Ayala et al, 2017(Ayala et al, , 2018Bogo et al, 2017;McConnell, 2016;TFEL, 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the existing challenges facing field education.…”

“…Prior to COVID-19, Canadian field education was in crisis, with decreased funding and a lack of resources dedicated to field education (Ayala et al, 2018). These concerns were amplified during the pandemic with an increased stress placed on both students and field instructors, with little additional funding to further support them (Archer-Kuhn et al, 2020).…”

Fieldwork in Social Work Education During Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic in India: Disruptions and Discoveries

“…The instructors do this by demonstrating the information, practical competence, attitudes and values that the learner is expected to acquire and internalise (Barretti, 2007). The conventional field instructor–student relationship in SW field education is still prevalent today (Ayala et al, 2018).…”

“Neither it had social work components nor experiential”: Students' perspectives of online fieldwork practice during COVID‐19 in India

“…According to Slocombe ( 1993 ), fieldwork is more vulnerable to mediocrity, lack of standardization, poor quality control, few resources, and myriad frailties prevalent in today's welfare and educational climate (Slocombe, 1993 , p. 49). Similarly, Ayala et al ( 2018 ) asserted that fieldwork education in social work in Canada is in a state of crisis due to an unusual increase in social work programs nationally coupled with the neoliberal context in higher education and health and social service sectors. Lack of fieldwork opportunities and indigenization of social work knowledge and practice (Chen & Fortune, 2017 ), inadequate preparedness, insufficient support and supervision, and difference in the conceptualization of social work practice in the international social work practice (Matthew & Lough, 2017 ) becomes obstacles to the fieldwork learning and practice worldwide.…”