Social work skills for students prior to fieldwork placement

Abstract

Social work skill is a key component of social work education yet it is an under researched area. This thesis seeks to address the gap in research around preparing social work students with skills they need for fieldwork placement. To do this eight field educators were interviewed to ascertain the skills students need prior to placement. The findings identified ten core skills useful for social work students. The study concludes by suggesting that a robust social work education requires continuing conversations about bicultural education and cross-cultural skills. It also suggests that field educators would benefit from further training on ethical decision-making with newer technologies.