There has been a call for social work programs to better prepare students for field education. This qualitative study examined an innovation titled Practice Fridays developed to enhance competence in MSW students in a classroom setting. Students (N=57) described what they learned through this simulation-based learning activity and the processes…

This article focuses on the culture of human interchange, which is included as a component of the implicit curriculum in the current EPAS. It presents the use of the implicit curriculum concept in teacher and medical education as a context for its application to social work education. The authors argue that professional behaviors taught in the…

In its EPAS, CSWE (2008) identifies field education as the signature pedagogy (Shulman, 2005b) of social work education. This article analyzes the field education-signature pedagogy fit. It finds congruence in selected organizational arrangements that are pervasive and routine, and disparities with respect to expectations about public student…

An exploratory study using qualitative methodology was undertaken with recent MSW graduates (N=12) from 2 graduate social work programs to identify and describe the students' emotional reactions to experiences in field education. Significant and interrelated themes emerged including the subjective and unique definitions of emotionally charged…

The purpose of this study was to explore field instructors' experiences and insights in working with lesbian and gay MSW students. In-depth 1- to 1.5-hour interviews were conducted with 8 field instructors selected using purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using narrative thematic analysis and a constant comparative method. One set of themes…

This article examines the historical development, rationale, and implementation of selected field education accreditation standards. Those reviewed include the number of required field hours, the role of the field liaison, and employer-based placements. Archival data and field education literature from the Council on Social Work Education…

Examined the reliability and validity of a measure to evaluate social work students' field performance. Results demonstrated a consistent factor structure with excellent internal consistency; however, there was inadequate consistency between ratings of individual students in their first and second field education experiences. Scores wee…

Group supervision is recommended in the literature as an efficient method for field education, especially in the context of reduced agency resources for field instruction. This qualitative interview study explored the experiences of 18 MSW students who received group supervision as the primary method of field instruction. The competence of the…

A survey of 62 social-work field educators investigated factors associated with effective interorganizational relationships, examining relationships between three categories of agencies and the university on four dimensions: commitment to education; organizational supports/resources; interpersonal relations; and collaborative/reciprocal…

A social work education model integrating classroom instruction and field experience, adapted from learning theory positing a four-stage learning cycle, is described. Instructors (in either classroom and practicum) begin with a specific practice situation and, with students, engage in a process of cognitive and personal associations to arrive at…

This article relates the evolution of field-related accreditation standards since the 1982 Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Curriculum Policy Statement to the changes that have occurred in agencies, students, and educational institutions. It demonstrates how CSWE modifications helped solve some problems while creating new ones. The authors…