53 graduation (Karpetis 2010); whilst the responsibility of the supervisor is the protection of the client’s interest (Page & Wosket, (2001) as cited in Karpetis (2010).
According to Tsui & Ho (2008), “a supervisory contract serves as a plan, an agreement and standard for evaluation”. Karpetis (2010) looks at the aspect of assessment in social work, as a key focus of supervision, a process and a prerequisite for planning and conducting interventions with clients. Assessment is, therefore, a critical aspect in the supervision process which aids in determining a suitable plan of action and intervention. The process includes what is referred to as
’reflective practice’, a process of reflection upon professional practice that leads to practice improvement. The supervisor’s stance and practice is seen to be influenced by his training and professional experience.
54 Due to the fact that field education is such a critical component of the education of social workers, it is imperative that social workers at agencies be suitable for the task of field supervisors. In most agencies supervising students is seen as a senior position, which entails acquiring teaching skills and competencies. Field instructors generally have to cope with organizational structures, high work load, a diverse student population and various challenging situations. This could lead to burn out, impacting negatively on their job commitment and job satisfaction, resulting in a decrease in their commitment to supervisory tasks, (Peleg-Oren, et al.
2007).
Many studies as cited in Kanno & Koeske (2010) confirm that anxiety and negative student emotions and burnout in field placement result in students not learning as effectively or performing as competently as they should. There is however evidence that good support in the field placement environment and particularly positive supervisory communication can reduce a student’s negative feelings, anxieties and levels of burnout (Ben-Zur & Michael (2007), Kim &
Lee (2007), Koeske & Koeske (1989) and Mor Barak, Nissly, & Levin (2001).
Kanno & Koeske (2010), cite studies where the quality of instruction and supervisory relationship during field placement, was related to the students’ overall satisfaction of their experience (Alperin (1998), Bogo & Vayda (2000), Giddings, Vodde, & Cleveland (2003), Knight (1996, 2000, 2001) and Raskin (1982)). Whereas the opposite, i.e. conflicts between supervisor and student and lack of proper instruction and guidance resulted in problems in the placement and students’ distress in their fieldwork (Barlow & Hall (2003), Barlow et al. (2006), Giddings et al. (2003) and Tepper (2000) as cited in Kanno & Koeske (2010).
Studies therefore concur with the fact that social work education will be enhanced through high quality supervision in the field resulting in a higher level of preparation of students for the field.
2.7.1 Challenges associated with field placement
Changes in the funding and management structure have compromised the availability of field placement opportunities, impacting on the exposure to learning opportunities for students.
55 Studies by Lytre & Smith (2008) confirm that there is an absence yet a critical need for the link between the academic programme and field education. The authors in their roles as field education directors discovered that there was a disconnection between the competencies and skills emphasized in the curriculum and those desired by the field agencies. Though students are exposed to the best of both worlds there appears to be poor integration and limited intersection between the two. Both field educators and field supervisors are aware of the prominence of the goal of integration, however, “most social work programmes place the major responsibility for the integration of class and field on the liaison person” (Royse, Dhooper, & Rompf 2003).
Lyter & Smith (2008) recommended that collaboration and communication within and among the members of the academy and the field community be reinforced. In addition, the gaps preventing integration need to be identified and filled in order to empower field education supervisors to integrate the curriculum and field work through sharing their experiences, becoming a proactive link between the student, the curriculum and the field and to grant field supervisors opportunities to influence the curriculum and conduct on-going field related research and evaluations.
According to Fortune, Lee, & Cavazos (2007), the more students practice their skills the more proficient they become, especially if experiential learning is encouraged which is regarded as an ideal way to engage with students and help them with the process of integrating knowledge and skills. According to Fortune, et al. (2007), these findings support the basic premise of social work education that experiential learning contributes to performance. Education through experience began in the 1890s with social work education’s first training programme and it is now fully institutionalised as an accreditation requirement throughout the world within the various councils and programmes that govern the practice of social work (Schiller (1972) as cited in Fortune, et al. (2007).
2.7.2 Recommendations for the future of field practice education
There are a great number of social workers involved in the aspect of social work education.
According to Bogo (2006), field practice and standards have evolved over time and have not
56 been subject to empirical testing. “Those responsible for field programmes report that the challenges of administration leave little time to engage in the reflective and empirical work of building a knowledge base” (Wayne, Bogo, & Raskin 2006). “ When field directors join with faculty colleagues interested in understanding the educational processes and dynamics that lead to effective outcomes, programs of research can be developed and maintained” (Bogo 2006).
If the factors that influence supervision can be determined this could aid in building a network of supervisors who are willing to impart knowledge of the profession to the younger generation, aid in creating a system of reward for professional staff committed to student supervision, and serve as a means of selecting and retaining professionals for this purpose.
“One must learn by doing the thing; though you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try.” Sophocles
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