The author used a mixed methods design to assess field work-related educational disequilibrium and its effect on the self-concept and mental health of MSW students. Twenty-eight advanced, fourth-semester MSW students were compared with 37 entering, first-semester MSW students in practice-related sense of accomplishment. Compared with first-year…

A path model predicting students' satisfaction with their field placement was tested on 144 MSW students at a northeastern university. The results showed that supervision was related to satisfaction both directly and indirectly through its influence on efficacy in the field and strain. Amount of preparation for the field affected satisfaction only…

This exploratory study surveyed 17 BSW-level field instructors on their experience, beliefs, and perceived self-efficacy regarding evidence-based practice (EBP). The authors conducted focus groups concerning EBP in participants' agencies and with BSW students under their supervision. Results indicate that although they felt positive toward EBP and…

An increase of 88% in programs from 1990 through 2004, low GRE scores, low entry- level wages, declining pass rates in licensing tests, and an increase in ethical violations reported all support the contention that there are higher enrollment rates and decreased gatekeeping selectivity in today's graduate MSW programs. This article discusses four…

This article includes a review of the literature on personal epistemology and the reflective judgment model and applies these theoretical concepts to undergraduate students who engage in service-learning projects. The application will provide instructors with greater understanding of students' abilities and limitations in their…

This pilot study, conducted with BSW and MSW field students at a public university in Southwestern United States, explored the psychological effect of compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction on social work students in field placements. Results from the Professional Quality of Life Scale's compassion satisfaction and fatigue subscales…

This study elicited 39 field instructors' perspectives on the anxiety that students experience as they begin field placements. Field instructors rated students as significantly more anxious than did students themselves, and although field instructors believed anxiety interferes with learning to a greater extent than did students, they did not…

This article discusses the interaction of attachment processes and stages of social work student development within the field supervisory relationship and suggests ways supervisors can modify interactions with students. Attachment theory and research provide a framework for understanding innate capacities of students and the relational dynamics of…

In light of the assertion that field education is the signature pedagogy of social work education, this Internet-based study explores field director demographics and questions the fulfillment of this potential, examining BSW and MSW field education through the lens of the field director position. Field directors (159) and deans/directors (150)…

In October 2010, the University of Southern California School of Social Work entered the online education environment with the launch of the first national web-based MSW program. After an initial enrollment of 80 students, in just 3 years this state-of-the-art MSW, offered in a technology-advanced synchronous and asynchronous format, has generated…

Commentators find that education in social group work has diminished over the past three decades, creating a shortage in group work-trained field instructors. The role of instructing group work students may appear relatively easy; however, quality instruction requires careful planning, time, energy, and specialized knowledge. Without knowledge and…

This article proposes the use of a structured process recording format for policy practice students, field instructors, and social work faculty as a learning, teaching, and assessment tool. Traditionally, casework and group work have used process recording to facilitate students learning in the field practicum to assess both the process and…

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…

Social work students' experiences with termination are rarely explored. This paper discusses the results of a survey of 54 MSW interns regarding termination and, in particular, premature termination resulting from placement completion. Twenty-four percent of respondents experienced natural terminations, 35% experienced client-initiated ones, and…