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The inclusion of the natural environment in the theory, education and practice of social work has increasingly become a matter of interest amongst scholars and social work educators. There is a large and increasing amount of literature on this topic. However, the inclusion of environmental issues in the curricula seems to be evolving very slowly to date. This paper examines 94 social work curricula in four European countries, and notes the presence of environmental issues in their content, by using term categories. Findings show that the natural environment is extremely under-represented in the education of social workers. The paper argues that social work curiccula need to undergo immediate reform on an international level. The discussion section includes suggestions on how the natural environment could be integrated into social work curricula. The first suggestion is to create new subjects with a direct reference to environmental issues and green social work. The second one is to include in existing subjects topics that will draw on environmental sociology and focus on the interconnections between social and environmental problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As study abroad opportunities increase, so too are international teaching exchanges. This article describes the collaborative teaching experience of a course which was jointly developed and offered for Bachelors and Masters level social work students. The course aimed to explore the integration of Eastern and Western cultural understandings and approaches to promote health and wellbeing by examining the mind, body, and spiritual connections and exploring the integration of strategies for health and mental health systems. This paper outlines the process involved in developing and delivering a course which complies with both the curriculum standards of two institutions, and the professional accreditation standards by CSWE across international contexts. Evaluation of the student work through the use of a rigorous qualitative methodological approach demonstrates that the course was useful for the participants and at the same time, the experience was valuable for the authors. The student work reflected two central themes: First is a growing appreciation for the importance of a cultural humility perspective with special attention to an international perspective. Second, directly related to the course content which focused on the integration of Eastern and Western approaches to addressing mental health challenges as a social worker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we provide a descriptive comparison of the similarities and differences between social work education at six different universities situated in Australia, England, Finland, Northern Ireland, Sweden, and the United States. The aim was to begin an international conversation by examining the similarities and differences in these examples, around admissions and recruitment processes, professional training, and field practicum to prepare social work students for practice and to consider any implications that differing models of recruitment and training might have for the students' preparedness for the challenges of social work. The findings reflect common characteristics relating to the curriculum, such as skills training, reflective practice and application of theory into practice. Differences include a range of approaches to professional regulation, admissions and selection, duration of courses and practicum during training. The complexities of trying to measure similarities and differences across diverse models of education are recognised, including the difficulties stemming from different factors being relevant in diverse geographic regions across diverse contexts. The authors suggest that starting an international discussion allows us to learn from one another and may serve as a catalyst for future progress in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing recognition that social work educators must do more to ensure that social work students transitioning into the profession are prepared to engage in adept self-care practices. However, documented curricular efforts targeted at meeting this aim are few. This paper documents the impact of a credit-bearing self-care course on student (N = 40) competency about self-care. The course occurred in a social work education program at a large public institution in the United States. The researcher used a pre-experimental (e.g. pre/post) design to assess course outcomes. Results indicate significant improvements in student knowledge about self-care, skills related to engaging in self-care practices, and value related to self-care. After a review literature, this paper will provide a foundational overview of the course, delineate outcome variables and measures, explicate evaluative findings, and discuss salient implications derived from this endeavor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the imperative for social work educators and professionals to integrate environmental dimensions into curricula and field practice purposefully. Advocates argue that this integration is vital for the profession to effectively contribute to social and environmental justice. Despite these calls, there is a paucity of scholarly attention to the extent of environmental justice considerations in social work curricula. In response, this study employs in-depth interviews with program directors and curriculum content analysis at McGill University’s School of Social Work to assess the inclusion of environmental justice issues. The findings reveal that these issues are marginally and superficially integrated into the curriculum. Despite this, interview participants express confidence in social work students’ ability to support clients facing significant environmental challenges. This study suggests broadening the traditional ‘person-in-environment’ concept in social work education and practice to encompass the physical environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To make social work education relevant, educators, students, and practitioners must assess the extent to which taught concepts, theories and techniques are relevant for practice within the local context. Currently, there is little empirical research in Ghana that reviews the social work curriculum in relation to practice. This paper relies on data collected from BA Social Work graduates working with various social service agencies in Ghana. These graduates earned their undergraduate degrees from one of Ghana's top public universities, offering social work education. Respondents were asked to reflect on their education and their work contexts and to comment on the extent to which they find taught concepts relevant and practical for their work. While we do not draw broad conclusions from our study, we believe that our methodological approach can help other Ghanaian educators evaluate and enhance social work education for effective practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately threefold increases in older age population groups (+65 years) are projected in the next 15 years. Demographic changes in society will mean greater numbers of older adults in proportion to the younger generation. In the current policy on older age groups, emphasis is placed on healthy aging warranting a multidisciplinary workforce to work with older people. Despite this need and increased demand in the aged care sector, a fewer social work students are willing to undertake aged care placements or to choose it as a career option. An innovative teaching and learning pedagogy was used in designing the course curriculum titled 'Social Work with Older People', including the input of invited specialist guest speakers, an on-campus interactive workshop with older guests, and an assessment designed to evaluate the learning related to the workshop content. The paper reports changes in the attitudes of students studying gerontological social work after the course delivery, evaluated through an online survey with the purpose of improving the learning outcomes in the course and to gauge students' interest, experiences, attitudes and motivation to work in the aged care sector. The paper contributes to building knowledge in addressing the needs of the changing social demographic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) has mandated teaching both multicultural diversity and oppression content since the first decade of the 21st century. Yet, little research examines social work faculty's attitudes toward the content they teach. A national online survey of faculty teaching in accredited MSW programs across the United States was conducted to investigate faculty's attitudes toward content related to diversity, oppression, and social and economic justice. This paper examines (a) faculty's attitudes toward diversity and oppression content, (b) faculty's perceived importance of content on social groups (e.g. different social classes) compared to content on oppression (e.g. classism), and (c) the factors that predict faculty's attitudes. Findings revealed that faculty are generally supportive of most diversity and oppression content, with some notable exceptions. However, results indicated that faculty perceive content on diversity as more important than its corresponding oppression content. Lastly, faculty who indicated that their school had more resources on diversity and oppression reported higher perceived importance of including this content in their courses. The current study reveals there can be a discrepancy between how faculty think about this content and the CSWE curriculum policy. Findings have implications for education, workshops and training for social work faculty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of the history of the social work profession and of the historical forces that shape the development of social welfare is critical to developing competence in social work. Study of history helps students develop a critical perspective on current controversies within social welfare and the social work profession. The study of local history allows social work students to consider the economic, political, social, and cultural origins of the problems that have shaped and often constrained the lives of people they serve. Using examples from the history of Detroit, Michigan, this paper shows how local history can animate social welfare history, provide students with important context about the practice environment, including relationships between diverse populations, and give specific, meaningful examples of historical trends presented in social welfare history and policy textbooks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social work education now operates within a complex array of higher education imperatives while the practice context has changed to adapt to a culture with an emphasis on technical and instrumental approaches. In response, one Australian social work program has embarked on a curriculum redesign project to incorporate a consistent theoretical framework across the whole program. This paper presents the results of a scoping review, which aimed to inform the redesign by the identification of theoretical orientations of other social work programs. Anti-oppressive, critical and postmodern, critical race, First Nations and eco-social work frames dominated the literature. Positive psychological theories to support graduate resilience were present, as were a small number of systems frameworks. The analysis identified the relevance and importance of the 'implicit curriculum' concept that brings attention to the organizational cultures in which learning takes place. The multitude of conceptual papers compared to the dearth of implementation and evaluation papers may suggest institutional barriers to the implementation of whole curriculum theoretical frameworks. More implementation research is needed to better inform coherent theoretical orientations for social work education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growing economic and sociopolitical challenges, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing use of social media, Nigeria is recording a continuous increase in mental health problems. Social workers are expected to be at the forefront of mental health management, which begs the question of whether student social workers are ready for mental health practice. This paper sets out to find out the extent to which the content of the undergraduate curriculum of the Department of Social Work, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, prepares the students to practice in the field of mental health. In-depth interviews were used to collect data from 20 purposively selected undergraduate social work students. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the generated data. Findings show that the students who participated in the study believed that the curriculum has sufficient mental health courses to prepare them to practice in the field of mental health. Highlighting the paramount role of educators, the participants also indicated a need to improve the delivery of the course contents by educators. With this, it is necessary to introduce practical context-based and innovative delivery methods like the recent use of video simulations for mental health service delivery training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports findings of the second phase of a formative peer review into the critical reflection curricula in a Bachelor of Social Welfare course in a university in regional Australia. This study investigated the scaffolding of the 'declared' critical reflection curricula. It extends the first phase of the review, which was an analysis of the critical reflection assessment tasks; the 'learned' curricula (English 1978, cited in). During phase one, the authors learned most students did not engage with critical reflection comprehensively. Therefore, in this phase we critically examined how critical reflection was described in the written curricula throughout the course. Findings revealed the curricula informed students about reflective processes, and linked critical reflection to the development of personal and interpersonal communication skills, cultural safety, ethical practice, empowering practice, and the integration of theory and practice. However, instead of introducing critical reflection incrementally across the entire course, comprehensive and complex descriptions about critical reflection were introduced repeatedly from the beginning of the course. Conclusions include how the authors will use analysis of the 'declared' curricula to explicitly guide students through the scaffolding of critical reflection curricula, including incorporating a map of this scaffolding into course-wide learning materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simulation-based learning (SBL) is an innovative experiential teaching method where students and instructors interact with a simulated client to foster students' holistic competence in practice. Considering the context of North America where social workers are the largest service provider in the field of mental health, it is critical for educators to enhance competencies in students during the social work program. Guided by competency- and simulation-based, adult learning frameworks, this paper illustrates the development and integration of a range of educational activities into a treatment-focused advanced mental health course in the social work curriculum. We conclude by discussing how SBL enhances students' mental health competence and provide recommendations when developing SBL in the mental health curriculum in social work education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social work policy and practice all over the world continue to face the impact of the neoliberal agenda. Similarly, social work education has been subject to the economic and political changes, with an increasing emphasis on a discourse of 'evidence-based practice'. However, it is the core of social work programs in higher education to initiate students in the fundamental values of social work, as they are recognized in the global definition of social work. In order to prepare future social workers for their assignment, human rights should be given an explicit place in the social work curricula at Universities and Universities of Applied Sciences. For human rights to gain more attention in social work programs in higher education, a Manifesto was written by lecturers' social work in the Netherlands and Flanders, with a 5-point program to include human rights in the social work curricula. In this article, we elaborate on the five objectives that are presented in the Manifesto. Throughout the paper, we introduce small 'case examples' of how human rights can be integrated in education. These experiences show the importance of developing a particular social work perspective on human rights that is found in the idea of 'human rights from below.' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approaches to curriculum design often occur at the unit or course level within social work education. Only rarely have ‘whole of curriculum’ approaches been discussed in the literature. This paper describes the creation of a ‘whole of curriculum approach’ to social work teaching and learning within an Australian University. The project involved the creation of a methodology and conceptual framework to map assessment across an entire social work curriculum. In doing so, the mapping exercise provided a way to evaluate the sequencing and integration of assessment tasks across the four-year degree pathway, and judge the effectiveness that such assessments fit with theories and research on assessment more broadly, and with the graduate outcomes for a social work degree. This paper outlines the background to the 2013 assessment project and its alignment to the curriculum mapping. It argues and explains how a systematic approach to mapping and improving social work curriculums can be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper explores how working on a faculty-led research project influenced the views of Master of Social Work students concerning unauthorized immigrants. Five graduate assistants worked for one year with two faculty members and one doctoral student to code data from interviews with social workers at immigrant-serving organizations in South Carolina. The master's students then reflected on what they learned from participating in data analysis tasks, indicating that the experience had further sensitized them to the social justice concerns confronting unauthorized immigrants. Drawing on social contact theory, we argue that student participation in faculty-led research can provide a form of indirect social exposure to other groups, which reduce bias, and suggest that such experiences be included in how educators conceptualize the implicit curriculum in schools of social work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the findings of a study on the role of social work field education programmes in the transmission of developmental social work knowledge in Southern and East Africa. It highlights the challenges in locating developmental social work placements and the creativity shown by social work educators in addressing these challenges and improving learning opportunities for social work students. Both academics and students were found to be committed to developmental social work, within a willing practice environment hampered by knowledge, capacity and resource constraints. Social work education was found to be playing a transformative role through the teaching of a developmental social work curriculum and the creation of collaborative developmental social work learning experiences. Social work educators trained and supported agency supervisors in developmental social work, while students served as conduits, modelling developmental social work practice. What has yet to be determined in future research is the students’ perspective of this developmental educational environment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the Western policy landscape, students from diverse cultural, linguistic, economic and other backgrounds are increasingly represented in an expanded tertiary education system. Structural and technological changes have challenged traditional pedagogies designed for more elite cohorts, and shifted the boundaries of textual practices in both universities and professional worlds. In spite of these momentous trends, university literacies often remain tacit and inaccessible to those new to them, and pedagogies rarely explicitly engage with the complexities of these shifting boundaries. University students unfamiliar with these tacit literacies can become marginalised and ultimately struggle with the literacy demands of their academic and professional worlds. This is problematic in social work education, as professional practice demands complex written and oral communication, with potentially significant social and legal repercussions. This paper reports on pedagogies initiated by action research in a Bachelor of Social Work programme in an Australian University. Pedagogies were introduced to make elite codes explicit, use students' literacies as assets for learning and encourage 'code switching' between literacy practices to resist colonising into more powerful literacies. Students' capacities in academic and professional literacies were significantly enhanced by these practices, and their cultural inheritances valorised, encouraging their contribution to the social work discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes an initiative to improve social work education in Vietnam through a three-year international collaborative, including US Aid for International Development, San José State University, eight universities in Vietnam, Vietnam's government ministries, and Cisco Systems, Inc. The social work profession was officially recognized by the Vietnamese government in 2010. Despite the rapid expansion of social work education programs, there are significant limitations in the universities' ability to provide social work education. The goal of the Social Work Education Enhancement Program (SWEEP) is to strengthen the capacity of Vietnam's undergraduate social work programs to deliver quality education and prepare trained, job-ready social workers. The SWEEP project aims to improve the administration of social work education, the professional capacity of faculty, social work curriculum, and networking technology to enable centers for excellence in learning and scholarship. To ensure that the SWEEP team targeted training and technical assistance activities that were culturally congruent, a comprehensive needs assessment and frequent mid-course evaluations were conducted, showing many shared and unique contextual issues facing universities. The collaborative process of developing social work education which fits the local context can be replicated in other countries that are in the early stages of social work development. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the four scores of social work in India, education in the professional discipline has grown substantially, from being a diploma course to a doctoral degree. The curriculum too has evolved. Though some issues and problems such as inadequate contributions, lacking contextualization, thematic restrictions, etc., sometimes restrain advancements resulting in a narrowly defined curriculum of social work literature in the country. The article discusses social work education and curriculum in the Indian context. It is primarily based on a review of literature of articles and chapters published across various journals and books in India and abroad and discusses social work education and curriculum in India. Attempts have been made to examine the social work curriculum, why it needs to be reassessed, and what new could possibly be added to extend the realm of the discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an information science perspective on Social Work (SW) education based on the results of a comparative policy content evaluation (PCE) of accreditation documents in Canada and the U.S. It investigates to what extent information and technology education (ITE) is integral to the accreditation documents that guide the SW curriculum in both countries. Empirical results are presented in the context of current advances in information science, technology, and artificial intelligence affecting the practice of SW, social justice, and social change. With accreditation documents viewed as stage-setters for SW programs, it is proposed that technology- and information-driven change may not be reflected in the SW curriculum design in an adequate or timely fashion but is seen as a bonus, not essential knowledge. The article suggests some ways to revise the current accreditation documents and positions information science as a potential partner that can contribute to SW education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses on background of social work and social work education as it began in India. It provides details on the curriculum of the discipline and discussions regarding its diversity and specialisations. It, further, highlights the process of indigenization, indigenous knowledge, Indianisation and the various debates related to it. The article also traces, in brief, the developmental history of the social work curricula in India, the University Grants Commission (UGC) review committees and the Model Curriculum. There is a brief description of the Self Learning Material (SLM) developed by the School of Social Work, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi. Towards the end, we have discussed the major findings related to the gaps in social work education in India. This article will be very useful for social work teachers, researchers and practitioners as it will help in building a theoretical understanding of social work education, in general and in context of India, in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important that social work students engage in critical reflection of curriculum content in the classroom as a prerequisite for developing cultural humility to engage in unbiased cross-cultural professional practice. The present study explored students' learning, centered on cultural humility, among predominantly White students enrolled in an international social work course in a U.S. university. Participant observation, focus groups, and in-depth interviews were used to explore students' reflections. Results indicate that the participants recognized their privilege and barriers to understanding different cultures, were open to alternate models of development from other cultures, and expressed a willingness to understand and empathize with cultures different from their own. These findings underline the need to integrate international content in the social work curriculum using multiple pedagogical strategies and to provide students opportunities for critical self-reflection in classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students working toward a Master's of Social Work in Israeli colleges must complete a demanding research seminar course, a source of stress for many. Focusing is a contemplative practice that these and other students may use to self-regulate their emotions and better cope with the seminar course and beyond. This qualitative research assessed the impact of introducing a modified focusing approach to 17 MSW students enrolled in a research seminar course at a college in Northern Israel. Participants wrote individual reflections on their experience. Analysis revealed four main themes: turning inward, clear thinking, the body knows (a sense of knowledge), and practical application (a sense of efficacy). The results of this contemplative pedagogy suggest students who learn meditative methods of self-regulation, such as focusing, can shift rapidly from stressful states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses social work educators' perception of the challenges for social work education in India. Literature on social work education, including the curriculum, practice and pedagogy, provided the framework for the study. The study reported on the results of qualitative interviews conducted with 33 social work educators across five schools of social work located in three metropolitan cities in India ‒ New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. The study finds that there are four major challenges for social work education in India: (i) the problem of definition; (ii) the lack of a regulatory framework; (iii) diversity among the schools; (iv) the lack of professional identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors present an overview of the 'advanced integrated practice' approach to MSW education developed by the University of Montana School of Social Work to counter the false dichotomy between 'micro' and 'macro' social work practice. Advanced integrated practice is articulated through five key facets: 1) commitment to ongoing critical self-reflection and examination of the values and assumptions that shape social work; 2) critical understanding of historical, cultural, and political perspectives and the interplay of difference, privilege, and oppression; 3) integration of the skills of direct practice and community work; 4) application of knowledge and skills of research, policy analysis, and advocacy; and 5) leadership in the profession and community to promote participation, empowerment, and social justice. The authors provide an overview of the program's context and social-justice framework; develop these five facets of integrated practice; and provide examples to show how this pedagogical approach is translated into curricular design and learning activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is the second of two detailing the outcomes of an extensive study exploring a largely unrecognised role for social workers as educators in their everyday practice in Aotearoa New Zealand. The first focused on the quantitative aspect of the study. The second, smaller phase of the study is discussed in this article. In a series of semi-structured interviews, social workers from a range of settings and positions shared short narratives describing their practice. While their accounts gave clear examples of undertaking educative tasks in their everyday practice, the social workers did not always recognise them as such. In addition, content analyses showed that the role is hardly recognised in position descriptions, and educational theory and practice skills are not included in the Social Work Registration Board's requirements for curricula for professional programmes. It is considered that making the role explicit and incorporating education theory into the social work curriculum would create an opportunity to refocus the lens for practice away from the current pervasive neoliberal paradigm. The article concludes by arguing that, as is being considered in a number of western countries, the European discipline of social pedagogy has much to offer in this endeavour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical reflection involves the identification of deeply seated assumptions about the social world and the individual’s connection with it; however, its scope and practice are contested. While ambivalence about its definition remains, critical reflection is described as a threshold concept in social welfare and social work education. This study investigated students’ conceptualisations of critical reflection by analysing the ‘learned’ critical reflection curricula of five core units in an Australian University. A content analysis of 162 assignments submitted by 86 students in 2013 and 2014 was conducted. Findings revealed students conceptualised critical reflection as a process that raised self-awareness, supported the application of theory in practice and, reinforced aspects of their professional identity. However, students adapted the process to fit their purpose and, when personal views clashed with professional practice, rather than examining the tensions that emerged, students privileged professional practice and silenced their personal views. Students did not engage with critical reflection to foster social change; rather their utilitarian approach positioned them to demonstrate competence in professional procedures. These findings highlight the influence of the contexts within which critical reflection is practised and informs the further development of the authors’ pedagogy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Previous research has found service-learning in undergraduate social policy courses to increase student's knowledge, skills, values and competence. The present study utilized a sample of 60 graduate-level social work students who participated in a research-based service-learning (RBSL) project that involved collecting and analyzing data about the extent of payday loan use among bankruptcy filers and reporting results to community partners. Quantitative findings revealed significant increases in student's personal social responsibility. Qualitative findings shed light on growth in personal social responsibility, civic awareness, policy advocacy, and personal values. Suggestions for future studies using RBSL pedagogy to teach social policy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses similarities and differences in social work education and profession in Australia and the USA, reflects on contemporary issues and challenges that affect social work education and practice in both countries, and identifies mutual areas of learning and exchange. Drawing on secondary data, it comparatively analyses important variables such as the growth of social work education, curricula and curricular models, accreditation standards, code of ethics and professional licensure. The analysis shows significant similarities and differences in these variables, and brings out unaddressed issues and challenges. It argues that the profession in general has not adequately been successful in translating its value-based ideals into social work education and practice in both countries, particularly in the context of the free market economies. Experiences of both countries provide scope for mutual sharing and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To begin to systematically determine what qualities may be most useful for social work students and developing practitioners from a gatekeeping standpoint, this study explored the relationship between personality traits among first-year MSW students and performance in the field and classroom. Results indicated that there is a relationship between some personality traits and performance in the field and classroom. Findings from this study support previous research in allied disciplines indicating that personality traits are relevant to professional training and occupational success. They also lend support to recent literature in social work, which has recognized personal characteristics or attributes as critical to success in practice. Implications regarding gatekeeping, the US Council on Social Work Education's implicit and explicit curricula, and signature pedagogy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]