The transcultural training needs of field educators of international social work students

ABSTRACT

This study explores the perceived professional development needs of field educators supervising international social work students and how they might be linked to transcultural teaching practices. Both field education and transcultural teaching practices aim to provide reciprocal learning opportunities for educators and students. The survey responses of 66 field educators across Australia who had supervised international students were analyzed, along with data from 15 semi-structured interviews. Describing low levels of training in supervising international students, almost all respondents agreed such training should be offered. Participants perceived a need for specialized training to assist them in achieving reciprocal learning when supervising international students. This paper argues that specialized training in the field education of international students should be offered by universities with critical knowledge and expertise in on-campus transcultural teaching practices. The aim of such training is to form an understanding of culture as an act of doing, rather than a state of being. This changes the focus of learning to a mutual formation of new cultures and realities, rather than placing the onus of learning on the student and their ability to assimilate to existing cultural practices.

KEYWORDS:

• Social work
• field education
• placement
• international students
• CALD students
• transcultural teaching

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was partly supported by a Monash University Advancing Women’s Research Success Grant. No financial interest or benefit to the authors has arisen from the direct applications of this research. This manuscript has not been published or submitted simultaneously for publication elsewhere.

Notes on contributors

Averil Grieve

Dr Averil Grieve is a Senior Lecturer in the Student Academic Support Unit (SASU) in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Monash University. She provides allied health communications education for students preparing for or completing a Master of Social Work placement. Averil also develops and facilitates specialised training for supervisors of CALD studies in health and allied health professions. Her current research focuses on transcultural teaching, professional communication, CALD student communicative strategies, innovation in social work placements and the use of machine translation software in tertiary health and allied health settings.

Binh Ta

Dr Bella Ross is a lecturer in the Student Academic Support Unit in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Monash University. She provides language support to students with their academic coursework in the Department of Social Work. Currently, her research focuses on social work education and writing, international student education and online education.

Bella Ross

Binh Ta works as an ELICOS teacher at Monash College, Monash University, where she teaches international students academic language skills in preparation for their university studies. Currently, her research focuses on international student education, feedback practice, interaction between educators and students, conversation analysis and storytelling.