Abstract for presentation at Global Social Work 2004

‘Real Learning’ or Just Your Usual Job?-StudentsPractica in Their Place of Work

  • Ms Brenda Bartlett, University of Western Sydney, Australia
  • Ms Karen Heycox, University of New South Wales, Australia
  • Dr Carolyn Noble, University of Western Sydney, Australia
  • Ms Justine O'Sullivan, University of Western Sydney, Australia


    • NSW/ACT Combined Universities Field Education Group (CUFEG) represents staff involved in field education in social work/social welfare across the seven universities in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.
    CUFEG is currently interested in exploring the issues surrounding social work and welfare practica conducted in the student's place of work. Increasingly within the field education component of Social Work and Welfare degrees staff are getting requests from students, on the grounds of financial pressures etc, to undertake a practicum in their place of employment. For universities generally there has always been some issue in locating appropriate practica(particularly first practica) and the increasing pressures on agencies has made offering learning opportunities for students difficult.With the growth of regional-based courses where students are limited in their choice of practica this issue assumes even more immediacy.
    At previous CUFEG meetings, discussions around this topic have concerned a number of issues that arise for all parties involved - students, agencies and universities.
    While work based practica have been an area of interest for field
    instructors and students for some time there has not been a corresponding increase in research and writing that characterize such placements. The first stage of the project uses a survey -of university staff-to establish the current picture with regards to formalised policies and frequency of work based practica across Australia, New Zealand and Canada as well as what are seen to be the advantages and disadvantages of these types of practica.
    The second stage of the research involves a qualitative study in Australia, via focus groups and one to one interviews, of the experience of workbased practica for students/ graduates and field instructors. Additionally this stage of the research examines further the experiences and views of those university staff specifically involved in the negotiation and liaison of practica.
    We will be reporting on the findings of both stages of the research with a view to assisting university staff in the formulation of appropriate policy on workbased practica.

    Conference Organiser - ICMS Pty Ltd