Personal and Professional Development (or Use of Self) in Social Educator Training. An Experience Based on Reflective Learning

Abstract

Working on use of self with professionals in social education from the initial training stage onwards is often deemed a necessary contribution to their personal and professional development. Despite this, it is difficult to find references to programs and experiences that have been undertaken from this perspective. In this article we present a recent experience from a university in Catalonia (Spain) which aimed to work on self-knowledge and professional identity through the implementation of the reflective learning model prior to students' practical work experience. The first section of the article is dedicated to contextualizing the experience of training social educators in Spain. A theoretical framework is then provided, including a description of course content, methodology and assessment, and finally the experience is assessed by noting strengths and weaknesses detected in the process.

Keywords:

• Social Work Education
• Personal and Professional Development
• Reflection
• Course Design

Notes

^[1] European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is a standard for comparing the study attainment and performance of students of higher education across the European Union and other collaborating European countries. One academic year corresponds to 60 ECTS credits that are equivalent to 1,500–1,800 hours of study in all the countries and is used to facilitate transfer and progression throughout the Union.