Facilitating Practice Learning and Assessment: The Influence of Relationship

Abstract

Practice learning has moved to centre stage in the new Degree in Social Work in England, Wales and Northern Ireland with a 35% increase in placement days. This increase has proved a challenge to existing structures and new models are developing. Student perspectives need to be taken into account. The nature and impact of the relationships formed between social work students and their practice teachers should be one area of focus, as the literature has already highlighted the significance of this relationship in the creation of the learning environment and the development of relationship competency. Findings are presented here from a small scale empirical study into subjective student perceptions of the nature of these relationships and their significance to (a) student learning and (b) accuracy of summative assessment. The implications of these findings for practice learning are considered.

Keywords:

• Practice Teaching
• Practice Learning
• Student
• Relationship
• Assessment
• Supervision
• Support

Notes

The UK term for what is known elsewhere as ‘fieldwork’ or the ‘practicum’.

The term ‘practice teacher’ will generally be used in this article as shorthand for these three roles.

The professional qualification to practise social work in the UK between 1991 and 2003. It is now being superseded by the Degree in Social Work.