Introduction: Student Handbook on Field Education
The Student Handbook on Field Education is designed to accompany social work students in their field education journey. Field education or practicum is the site where students prepare themselves for their professional practice and transform into social workers. We are reminded by many of the contributors in this Handbook that “learning is at the heart of field education” (Chapter 1). For many students, it is in the field where one can integrate classroom learning and personal experience with real life situations.
For many years, social work education has brought together classroom learning and field learning—in equal importance—together contributing to the development of required competencies for professional practice. Students attend classes to learn practice principles, values, and ethical behaviors that will inform their future practice. Field is the place where students get to integrate these practice principles, values, and ethical behaviors into practice. Field education is an integral and valuable component of the social work curriculum for students (Drolet et al., 2012). Indeed, it is recognized as the signature pedagogy of social work education (Council on Social Work Education [CSWE], 2015). Field education is systematically designed, supervised, coordinated, and evaluated. Students engage in “hands-on” learning with the supervision of a field instructor(s) in a setting that is affiliated with the social work education program. Student learning is structured through a learning agreement, or learning contract, that identifies the goals and objectives into specific practice and learning tasks for the student. Social work education programs use a variety of approaches to facilitate the integration of theoretical content into practice, and there is increasing awareness of the need to also integrate research into practice and in field education. Field education programs bring together students, faculty, field instructors, and practitioners. Field instructors provide ongoing evaluation of the student’s progress through formal and informal supervision and by providing feedback regularly to the student. A midterm and final evaluation of the student by the field instructor(s) occurs prior to the end of the term.
There is an urgent need for social work education programs to re-vision how field education is conceptualized, structured, and delivered, and ultimately how the profession prepares the next generation of social workers (Ayala et al., 2018; Drolet, 2020). Many of the contributors in this Handbook would agree that the landscape of the social work practice environment is dramatically changing, and this is having a direct impact on field education (Drolet et al., 2021). Many social work education programs are facing increasing challenges in delivering quality field learning opportunities to students around the world (Drolet, 2020). There is an urgent need for new resources to inform social work field education. New practices, insights, and approaches to teaching and learning are urgently needed for social work education to thrive in evolving and increasingly demanding social contexts, educational landscapes, and labor markets (Drolet, 2020; Walsh et al., 2022). Numerous studies call for the integration of research in social work practice, specifically in field education (Hewson et al., 2010; McConnell et al., 2023; Traber et al., 2021). In social work field education, students are immersed in both academic and practice settings, and these environments influence their professional development. The concept of Research As Daily Practice is used to understand this integration of research and practice, through which practitioners reflexively consider how to improve their practice (St. George et al., 2015). Because social workers work with vulnerable populations, such as children in need of protection and adults living in poverty, among many others, it is critically important to create new knowledge for better practice in complex situations (Drolet, 2020). The integration of research in field education will improve social work practice. This will contribute to micro, mezzo, and macro system improvements in social and health services for all.
Since the COVID-19 global pandemic, social workers are increasingly involved in remote service delivery (Drolet et al., 2020; Ossais et al., 2021). Technology continues to expand social services with e-counselling, e-therapy, and videoconferencing options. Many social work students have experienced and will continue to experience practicum placements that involve remote or hybrid models of field learning and/or service delivery. Students are being called upon to address complex realities in social work practice (Drolet & Todd, 2020). By integrating diverse practice experiences, this Handbook contributes to equipping students with a better understanding of social work practice and policy in the field.
We strongly support an open-access book publication for students to serve as a guide during their practicum experience, a key requirement in social work education. It is our hope that this Handbook will serve as a resource to stimulate new ideas and thinking in preparing students for placement. This is the first Canadian open access Handbook in social work field education for undergraduate and graduate level students and will also be available in print. The Handbook is edited with contributions from members of the Transforming the Field Education Landscape project (TFEL) that brings together diverse theoretical, geographic, practice research, and sites of learning in field education. The Handbook reflects the diverse sites of learning that students experience with respect to practices, policies, procedures, and strategies in field education.
The TFEL partnership, funded by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) partnership grant, brings together social work academic researchers, field educators, students, professional social work associations and partners who share concerns about the state of field education in Canada and internationally (Drolet, 2020). TFEL research is focused on identifying innovative, promising, and wise practices in field education that can inform the development of sustainable models of field education in the future. TFEL is actively engaged in the training and mentorship of students through qualitative and quantitative research and partnered research training activities. Our research findings identified the need for open access resources to support student learning in field education. TFEL members offer this Student Handbook on Field Education to students in the field, as well as social workers, field educators, practitioners, academics, and researchers, to share insights, knowledge, strategies, and innovations that will facilitate student learning in the field.
The Handbook shares practices, tips, and strategies to support the field education journey of social work students as well as social work practitioners, academics, and field educators. The Handbook is structured into 14 chapters and includes several features that will appeal to diverse learning styles, including activities, exercises, short case studies, reflections, practice research, discussion questions, assessments, suggested readings, and web links to videos, webinars, podcasts, and other media resources. A workbook is included at the end of the book to allow students to reflect on their learning using a journaling format. The content can be integrated into field seminar courses and student field learning agreements and can inform self-directed practicum activities to transform students’ learning and experiences in field education.
The Handbook focuses on anti-racism, anti-colonialism, equity, diversity, inclusion, health placements, interprofessional practice, remote field instruction and supervision, self-care and wellness, trauma- and resilience-informed practice, practice research, spirituality, and student transition from school to work. These topics need to be urgently incorporated into social work field education.
It is important for students to learn about the history and current trends in field education. Without an awareness or knowledge of the Canadian field education context, there can be little appreciation of the importance of field education in social work. When students engage in practice, they often find their values challenged. It is in the field that students will learn about people who have a variety of needs for support and intervention in their lives; in the process, students will learn more about themselves The Handbook will assist students in identifying their strengths, values, beliefs, knowledge, and skills through a variety of self-assessment activities and what they bring to their field placement. This is particularly important for student wellness and self-care (Drolet & McLennan, 2016; Drolet et al., 2017; Samson et al., 2019).
Undergraduate and graduate students develop a learning contract with their field instructor(s) in the first few weeks of practicum. The learning contract includes the learning goals, objectives, assignments, tasks, and activities that will provide the context for the learning and inform how the student will be evaluated. To be effective, social workers need to base their work on a variety of theories and approaches that are applicable at the individual, family, community, and society levels. Social work theories are essential for good practice, from social cohesion theories to empowerment theories, social change, and development theories. Theories guide and direct social work practice in diverse contexts, and it is important that practitioners be able to explain why they engage in the strategies they use and why they need resources to support these strategies. Students are often encouraged to begin to develop a theoretical framework for practice that is congruent with their personal and professional values in the field placement.
The Handbook begins with Kelly Allison and Antoine Coulombe’s “Tips for Starting a Field Practicum” (Chapter 1). This chapter is written for students who are about to begin their placement and provides students with guidance on developing relationships with service users and colleagues, making ethical decisions, and considering how social context shapes individual and collective realities. The authors discuss some of the uncertainties experienced by students who are starting a new practicum and acknowledge that students may feel anxious or worried about their ability to meet the challenges. As a new learning context for students, the chapter guides students in navigating the practice environment at the start of practicum such as participating in orientation and onboarding activities. Allison and Coulombe identify one of the most challenging aspects of beginning a practicum as the difficulty students have accepting the vulnerability of being a learner. Students are encouraged to proactively take responsibility for their own learning and to understand the diverse ways they can learn in a placement. The field placement provides an opportunity to engage in concrete activities and requires time to intentionally reflect on these experiences and connect these experiences to theories and concepts that they have been learning about in the classroom. Students are reminded about the importance of meeting the people and building relationship in their organizational context or workplace, guided by their interests and curiosity. The chapter also points out that students learn about the practicum organization’s structure, policies, and legislation, and how various teams work together. Students are encouraged to set up a learning agreement contract for a successful placement in consultation with their field instructor supervisor. Each placement offers a variety of learning opportunities and activities, and these will inform their learning objectives. The authors explain that students may encounter challenges in their practicum placement and provide guidance based on their experience in facilitating communication while considering safety issues. The chapter introduces the need for practicing good self-care and identifies the field placement as an excellent opportunity to begin to explore self and collective care strategies.
Practicum is an entry point for students to consider self-care skills and wellness plans. In Chapter 2, “Making Space for Wellness in Field Education” Sherri Tanchak, Patricia Samson, and Julie L. Drolet consider the relevant literature. The chapter begins by explaining that there are multiple ways of understanding well-being. For example, from Indigenous perspectives, wellness is embedded in teachings of the Medicine Wheel that integrates physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional well-being (Nabigon & Mawhiney, 2011). Similarly, the mosaic approach, which includes diverse perspectives, contributes to supporting holistic self-care, health, and wellness in ways that are culturally relevant. The field placement creates opportunities for students to become practitioners that work to support and promote well-being in others, which calls for social workers to consider themselves and their own sense of wellness.
In the literature, Grise-Owens and Miller (2021) describe social worker well-being and organizational wellness as complementary. This is an important consideration for field agencies and organizations as they prepare students as emerging practitioners and promote a culture of wellness among those in the profession. Further, the authors discuss how organizational wellness has a direct impact on the field supervision process; both individual and organizational wellness are important to the overall health and well-being of social work students and field instructors. The chapter provides examples and resources that students, field instructors, and faculty can utilize as they embark on a reflexive journey to establish their own self-care plans as they navigate their professional and educational paths throughout their careers. The authors encourage students to reflect and respond to questions based on their lived experiences and understanding of well-being and present students with opportunities to use their reflections and awareness as a foundation for developing and practicing well-being. The chapter also discusses the role of emergency self-care, which can supplement well-being plans after a negative event that has dysregulated one’s thoughts, emotions, and body.
Chapter 3, called “Trauma- and Resilience-Informed Practice for Self-Care among Social Work Students,” by Evalyna Bogdan and Elaine-Miller Karas, builds upon Chapter 2. This chapter presents the community resiliency model that aims to strengthen individual and community resilience by teaching biology/body-based wellness skills that bring the nervous system back into regulation after stressful and traumatic events (Miller-Karas, 2015). The authors discuss the role of social workers in helping clients and communities build resilience and argue that to build the resilience of others, social workers first need to practice and demonstrate resilience skills. The chapter introduces wellness skills with brief descriptions and accompanying activities that can help students manage stress during their social work education and when transitioning into one’s career. The functions of the nervous system are presented along with four wellness skills for self-regulation/stabilization, and self-care. The iChill app is a resource that can assist in this process. The chapter introduces the Resilient Zone, which is state of well-being in mind, body, and spirit. The authors demonstrate the biology of the stress response and the ways it assists in adopting non-judgmental responses towards everyone who is struggling with stress and trauma.
Chapter 4, titled “Remote Field Instruction and Supervision” is written by Eileen McKee, Jenna Nieves, Kelly Allison, Cyndi Hall, and Shella Zagada. This chapter presents resources to support students with e-learning and supervision in their field education. With the increased use of technology in remote social service delivery, students are developing technical competencies in remote field education, including how to develop effective field instructor–student relationships. The chapter discusses how the onset of the COVID-19 crisis has fundamentally shifted our thinking about ethics and standards in this unprecedented era. Important ethical considerations need to be addressed in remote field instruction, as well as strategies and approaches to enhance the education of social work students. The authors articulate considerations for equity and diversity in remote field education and recognize the importance for racialized students to have access to online spaces to talk about equity, diversity, inclusion; to provide counternarratives; and to offer and seek resources. The authors argue that remote service delivery, and thus remote social work learning and field practicums, will continue to some degree post-pandemic. Students, therefore, need to be equipped with the skills to thrive in their field learning with flexibility and accessibility for both clients and students.
“Integrating Research into Social Work Field Education—Beginning with your Learning Contract,” Chapter 5, by Sheri M. McConnell and Melissa Noble, presents how research and research activities can be included in field practicums. Students are encouraged to add their own research-based learning objectives and activities in their learning agreement contracts. The authors highlight the need for students to develop applied research skills and make connections between research and practice. To effectively engage in research and research activities in field practicums requires field educators, agencies, and students to integrate research activities into direct practice or community-based field placements or in research-focused placements. The chapter provides practical, concrete examples of how to include research and research activities in field practicums through Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) learning objectives and research activities and skills.
In “Research As Daily Practice as an Agency Asset” (Chapter 6), Sally St. George and Dan Wulff describe daily research practice for students, field instructors, and field agencies. The authors consider an approach to research that happens in the daily activities of practitioners and agencies, creating new possibilities for student involvement in any practice or organizational context. The authors explain that as practitioners attend to questions and issues that arise in their daily work, they often work with their colleagues to figure out the best ways to systematically inquire into those questions. This approach provides a venue for integrating research into field education by recognizing that research is already being done in social service agencies and with social workers.
Chapter 7, titled “Maneuvering the Macro: A Guide to Macro-Level Field Placements for Social Work Students, Field Instructors, and Field Liaisons” is presented by Julie Mann-Johnson, Anne-Marie McLaughlin, Brenda Vos, and Maddie Wandler. This chapter shines a spotlight on the importance of macro-level placements in social work education and in generalist practice. Policy development, research, analysis, advocacy, administration, organization, and mobilization that aim to influence systems captures the macro-level social work discussed by the authors. Macro-level competencies and skills are presented with a focus on learning and growth, reflexivity and relationships, leadership, critical thinking, professional communications, and values and ethics. The chapter concludes with a reminder of the important contribution of macro practice to social change and the pursuit of social justice.
In Chapter 8, titled “Developing a Theoretical Framework for Practice” Heather I. Peters discusses the need for students to bring theories into their social work practice and develop a theoretical framework for that practice. While many students recognize the need to integrate theory into practice, it is not always clear how to make these connections. Historical influences from the late 19th century that have informed social work practice are identified. By exploring various theories, students can distinguish between different levels of theory (such as grand theories and practice theories) and related skills.
“Striving for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Social Work Field Education: From the Personal to the Political” (Chapter 9), by Emmanuel Chilanga and Jill Hanley, focuses on providing students with the knowledge and skills they need to understand and implement equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) principles in their field practicum. The authors discuss the meaning of equity and equality, and the need for students to develop a strong understanding of the systematic barriers faced by service users from underrepresented groups in accessing social services. Dimensions of diversity are presented using a diversity circle scheme (Gardenswartz & Rowe, 2003) that considers intersectionality and diversity attributes that give advantages and disadvantages to some members in society. Students are advised by the authors to think about EDI when working with populations and reflecting upon the organizational culture and practices in the field setting. Students are also encouraged to reflect on how EDI applies to them, and to ensure that EDI principles are present in their emerging practice skills.
Saleema Salim contributes to the conversation about EDI by centering Chapter 10, “Addressing Discrimination Against Minority Groups in Social Work Practice and Field Education,” on educating students about the pervasive discrimination experienced by minority groups and provides tips and strategies for addressing discrimination in field education and social work practice. The author explains how diverse people experience difficulties due to discrimination and outlines the role of social workers in addressing institutionalized discrimination and oppression in their social work practice. The chapter invites student to reflect on their own self-identity and purpose to gain a deeper understanding of their own perspectives and biases. The author calls for students to increase their engagement with diverse groups and to address institutionalized discrimination and oppression against minority groups in their practice. The field practicum can provide an opportunity for students to develop practice skills that encompass respect for human individuality and the richness of diversity through compassionate, empathetic, caring, and to improve the well-being of minority groups.
Chapter 11 offers a spiritual practice model for integrating spirituality into one’s professional identity and practice. Heather Boynton and Indrani Margolin’s chapter, titled “Becoming a Spiritual Influencer through The Heart and Soul of Field Practice,” presents spirituality as a dimension of social work practice. Drawing from the authors’ work, students are guided to understand and conceptualize spirituality while developing a greater awareness of their own spirituality. The chapter includes spiritual assessments and guidance on how to approach spiritual questions using a holistic strengths perspective. The authors consider students as change agents in the field as well as learners who can become spiritual influencers in their practicum sites and in their future practice.
In Chapter 12, “Advancing Social Work Field Education in Healthcare,” Patricia L. Samson, Janet McFarlane, Debra Samek, Hilary Nelson, and David B. Nicholas, discuss social work in healthcare and how the shifting context influences field education opportunities for students. The chapter provides background and context to social work in healthcare with a focus on patient-centered, or person-centered, care in the healthcare system. The gaps in healthcare are presented, including disparities and inequitable access to quality healthcare due to factors such as race, gender, ethnicity, social supports, geographic location, and income, as well as systemic challenges embedded in the healthcare system. New models and innovations seek to advance social work field education in healthcare and to create more potential placement opportunities. Rotational models, co-teaching, interprofessional collaboration, and a community of practice for social work students are among the new practices to consider in field education. The COVID-19 pandemic amplified many challenges in the delivery of health and social services, and this chapter highlights the need to re-envision how field placements are delivered given current realities.
Chapter 13, “Interprofessional Education and Practice in Social Work Field Education,” by Kelly Allison and Grant Charles, demonstrates why social workers should engage in interprofessional and collaborative practice. The authors discuss how the complexity of social and health issues led to the creation of multiple health professions and a complex system for service users who often interact with team(s) of professionals for effective interventions. Interprofessional education and practice is needed to improve interactions among health and human service professionals, including social workers, and to ultimately improve the quality of care and service delivery for service users. Drawing from their practice in British Columbia, the authors define key terms, explain concepts, and identify competencies for interprofessional practice and education. Some core skills identified in the chapter include cooperation, assertiveness, effective communication, working collaboratively with other professions and autonomously within one’s own profession. A model for optimal learning that focuses on exposure, immersion, and mastery is laid out for health and human services students and practitioners; the model identifies optimal points of learning based on stages of professional identity development, readiness to learn, and new perspectives on professional interaction. Practicum students are encouraged to articulate their role and scope of practice and to understand the role of other professions.
The final chapter, “The Transition from School to Work, From One Work Setting to Another: Guided by Curiosity” is a student reflection from Karen Lok Yi Wong. As students learn in their field placements, they also prepare for social work practice. This chapter documents one student’s transition from school to work while remaining curious about new practice contexts. The ‘curiosity’ approach is explained and considered in three practice sites—working in a senior community centre, a long-term care centre, and a hospital. While adopting a learner stance through curiosity, the author shares her strategies for observation, searching for answers, asking questions, and reflection.
The Handbook provides a conclusion, and additional pages for student reflection through journaling or memoing.
Sharing innovative, promising, and wise practices in field education is of interest to Canadian and international academics, field educators, researchers, and practitioners. The Handbook supports students who are seeking to develop new understandings and practical skills for their social work practice while living in a highly interconnected and complex world. This is the first open-access book that focuses on building students’ capacity in social work field education. The book is written for students and is of relevance to field educators, field education directors and coordinators, and faculty members and liaisons who support student learning in field education. We also expect that academics and researchers interested in work-integrated learning, experiential education, internships, and preceptorships in the health and social sciences will be interested in this Handbook. Field instructors and supervisors in field agencies may wish to use this resource to guide the development of field learning agreements and to inform student evaluations. Other parties in field education may be interested in this Handbook, including but not limited to professional social work associations, academic institutions (and libraries), government institutions, non-governmental organizations, health and social service organizations, social policy institutes, activists, social planners and policy makers, and social program officers.
The book will be of particular interest to the fields of social work and human services, and we anticipate that many professional programs and disciplines that offer experiential learning, internships, and work-integrated learning opportunities may be interested in the book. This may include disciplines such as nursing, education, social policy, health studies, geography, planning, sociology, international development, criminology, and others.
The TFEL partnership is contributing to the development of talent through partnered research training initiatives that integrate research and practice in social work field education. This Handbook brings together diverse perspectives on field education to support student learning during field practicum. Social work scholars, students, field educators, collaborators and practitioners in the book offer new insights, practice experiences, case studies, and reflections that offer the potential to transform student learning in social work field education. This Handbook is being published to advance a transformational approach that will enhance student learning in practicum by accompanying students in their field education journey and creating new understandings of field education that is of relevance to the current and future generations of social work scholars, practitioners, and policy makers.
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