“Active Student Involvement and a Real Struggle with Ideas”: Small Group Teaching in Social Work Education?

Abstract

The present article examines the strengths of small group teaching within the context of the professional and ethical requirements of social work education. It outlines some of the strategies adopted to ensure that reliance on this mode of educational delivery contributes to the excellence of practice knowledge and teaching standards to which universities commit and which professional associations and clients expect. Small group teaching continues to be perceived as an integral component in the preparation for professional social work practice and has important functions in the mentoring and socialisation of beginning practitioners. It would be valuable, in the light of developments in technology-assisted educational modes of delivery, to further research the relative impact of face-to-face teaching and its alternatives, given contemporary pressures upon both tertiary institutions and social work students.

Keywords:

• Professional Education
• Small group Teaching
• Social Work

Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges the encouragement and assistance of Dr Louise Harms and Dr John Whyte, both of the School of Social Work, University of Melbourne, in perusing the draft of this article.