It gives me great pleasure to introduce this Special Edition of Social Work Education: The International Journal which presents scholarship and research on social work education in the English-speaking countries of North America. Social work education in this region represents an enterprise with numerous participants and institutions. Programs in universities and colleges involve social work educators employed as full time faculty members, sessional instructors, participating agency-based field educators, and thousands of students studying social work. Institutions of higher education support social work programs and community agencies are also actively involved; in governance and advisement roles, in curriculum development, and especially in the provision of field education (practice learning) opportunities as social workers employed in these settings serve as field instructors. In the United States, the Council on Social Work Education has accredited 706 programs consisting of 483 baccalaureate social work programs and 223 master's social work programs. There are 36 programs in candidacy status. In Canada, the Canadian Association for Social Work Education has accredited 64 social work programs consisting of 34 baccalaureate social work programs and 27 master's social work programs, with three programs in candidacy status. Of these programs, 16 are delivered in French. In the Caribbean, colleges and universities have developed social work programs. There are 14 baccalaureate social work programs and four master's social work programs offered in the English-speaking Caribbean. In the non-English-speaking countries there are five programs. (This does not include programs in Puerto Rico, Cuba or the Dominican Republic.) Stimulating and well-attended annual program meetings bring together educators to share their research and scholarship on social work education, to examine current trends and issues, to exchange ideas, and to create and sustain networks with shared interests. In workshops and faculty development institutes participants learn about new educational approaches and techniques. The scope and size of these conferences can vary, with over 2,600 attendees at the 2012 meeting of the Council on Social Work Education (USA). While smaller, social work educators meet with colleagues in their geographic region at the annual conferences of the Canadian Association for Social Work Education and of the Association of Caribbean Social Work Educators.
This journal, Social Work Education: The International Journal, has established regional boards, one of which is The North American Board. The Board consists of 11 active and involved members who enthusiastically undertook production of this Special Issue. Our goal was to provide to our international colleagues a sense of current issues facing social work education in our region, and to communicate the wide ranging nature of scholarship and research in pedagogy for social work. Accordingly this issue begins with three commissioned papers which provide a discussion of salient issues in the respective regions, followed by six papers that illustrate the diversity of academic work, and also three reviews of books authored by faculty members from Canada and the United States.
The commissioned papers are from scholars who are engaged in higher education in social work and address key developments, challenges, and possibilities. All of the papers highlight macro issues, both globally and in their respective countries, and consider the implications for social work education in light of these significant trends. The first paper in the issue is from Cheryl Regehr, Vice-President and Provost at the University of Toronto, Canada and Professor, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. This paper identifies trends in higher education in Canada and thoughtfully examines how social work education can benefit from these opportunities while also needing to address resource issues. The second paper is from Michael Reisch, Daniel Thursz Distinguished Professor of Social Justice, School of Social Work, University of Maryland, United States. The focus is on global and macro changes affecting society in the United States especially in relation to social work's mission of social justice. The paper provides a stimulating critical analysis of how social work education, research, and practice have responded to these challenges, with a vision for the future. The third commissioned paper is from Letnie Rock, Head of the Department of Government, Sociology, and Social Work, The University of the West Indies at Cave Hill, Barbados. The article is grounded in the social development needs of the Caribbean and offers an illuminating discussion of the development of professional social work education in this context.
Following the commissioned papers are six articles which are indicative of the diversity of issues of interest to North American educators. They cover substantive topics related to preparing students for specific areas of practice such as child welfare (DeHart), mental health (Lawrence and Abel), and interprofessional practice (Oliver). The articles also examine pedagogical issues and approaches. Lawrence and Abel compare the outcomes of web-based and face-to-face class formats. Educational issues, such as instructor influence on student motivation and engagement in learning, are studied (Rodriguez-Keyes, Schneider and Keenan) as well as teaching innovations to address social work students' research-related anxiety (Maschi, Wells, Slater, MacMillan and Ristow). An international teaching experience involving a US school delivering a program in the Philippines is examined with key lessons for such international involvement (Sheridan, Bennett and Blome). The articles also reflect the range of approaches in North American pedagogical scholarship including theoretical work, quantitative research methodology, qualitative research methodology and mixed methods.
An international journal such as Social Work Education makes available to its readers ideas from around the globe and promotes learning about perspectives and experiences not present in one's local environment. It builds the scholarly and educational capacity of our community of social work educators and education researchers. The North American Board members hope the articles in this journal will contribute to our shared goal of promoting excellence in social work education and ultimately in social work practice.