https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8858-384X
![Sample our Health and Social Care journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5938/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Health-Social-Care.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
Social work education now operates within a complex array of higher education imperatives while the practice context has changed to adapt to a culture with an emphasis on technical and instrumental approaches. In response, one Australian social work program has embarked on a curriculum redesign project to incorporate a consistent theoretical framework across the whole program. This paper presents the results of a scoping review, which aimed to inform the redesign by the identification of theoretical orientations of other social work programs. Anti-oppressive, critical and postmodern, critical race, First Nations and eco-social work frames dominated the literature. Positive psychological theories to support graduate resilience were present, as were a small number of systems frameworks. The analysis identified the relevance and importance of the ‘implicit curriculum’ concept that brings attention to the organizational cultures in which learning takes place. The multitude of conceptual papers compared to the dearth of implementation and evaluation papers may suggest institutional barriers to the implementation of whole curriculum theoretical frameworks. More implementation research is needed to better inform coherent theoretical orientations for social work education.
Disclosure Statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Dianne Cox
Dianne Cox (BSW,MSW,PhD). As a social work academic at La Trobe University in Bendigo, I have a background in child and family work, school social work, rural social work, social work governance and management and social policy advocacy. My PhD research focused on the policy context of community work.
Helen Cleak
Helen Cleak is Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Community & Clinical Health, La Trobe University, and has been a Visiting Fellow at Trinity College, Republic of Ireland and Queens College, Belfast. Dr Cleak has an extensive research record in the area of health care, domestic violence and family mediation. She has a strong practice and research background in field education and was the Director of Field Education and International placements for over 20 years. Her book, co-authored with Jill Wilson, ‘Making the Most of Field Placement’ is now in its 4th edition and has been adopted as the major fieldwork text in most Australian social work programs.
Alex Bhathal
Alex Bhathal is a social worker who has worked in child and family services, including child protection and out of home care as well as in political advocacy and environmental social work. She is a Lecturer in Social Work and Social Policy at La Trobe University.
Lisa Brophy
Lisa Brophy (BBSc, BSW, MPolLaw, PhD) is Professor and Discipline Lead in Social Work and Social Policy at La Trobe University. Has a professional background in Social Work and a career long commitment to the mental health field of practice dating back to 1985. A member of the expert advisory group that reviewed the Victorian Mental Health Act, 1986. Also, a current sessional community member of the Victorian Mental Health Tribunal and was reappointed in April 2018. A honorary principal research fellow in the Centre for Mental Health in the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health at the University of Melbourne, leading the Recovery and Social Justice Unit. Her research focus has been on people experiencing mental ill illness and psychosocial disability and their recovery, social inclusion and human rights.