Professional development needs of Australian social work field education supervisors
Journal Publication ResearchOnline@JCUAbstract
The centrality of field education in social work education is widely recognised. Past research findings highlight the role of placement supervision to support students’ professional growth, navigation of ethical dilemmas, integration of theory, and competence to practice within professional standards. The role of the social worker supervising these placements (field educators) is essential and they must have a range of knowledge and skills including an understanding of adult learning theory, assessment and supervision methods, and managing conflict. This mixed methods research used an online survey to gather perspectives from Australian social work field educators to better understand the training and support received in preparation for their role, and how confident they felt in their ability to support student effectively. Invitation to participate in the survey was distributed via Australian tertiary social work programs. One hundred supervisors completed the survey. Results identify various models of supervision, desired topics for training, and the knowledge ranked as essential to their roles. Although some respondents received an induction and had sought additional training, there was a mixed level of satisfaction with the training available. These results highlight the importance of higher education providers working with the field to provide ongoing development opportunities for supervisors. Implication statement • Supervisors of social work placements are motivated to take on this important role, but need and request further training to support them in this work. • It is vital to ensure that induction training include more than a basic focus on processes and expectations. • Supervisors need to receive adequate workload relief, particularly in light of field education is a workforce development strategy.
Journal
Australian Social Work
Publication Name
Australian Social Work
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ISBN/ISSN
0312-407X
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Pages Count
17
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Publisher
Taylor & Francis
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EISSN
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DOI
10.1080/0312407X.2025.2544850