Meeting learning objectives in an in-house research placement: results of a student-supervisor duo-ethnography

ABSTRACT

To address a shortage of social work placements during the COVID-19 pandemic, the first author created a remote in-house research placement providing a third-year undergraduate student with 240 field education hours to count toward a Bachelor of Social Work degree. The primary task was for the student to analyze interview transcripts about the experiences of students and trainers in an online counseling skills workshop. Using a duo-ethnographic method, the findings showed that the student-supervisor relationship was key to the learning, there were challenges in aligning the tasks with the range of learning objectives expected in the program, and several of the expected and unexpected learning outcomes achieved were considered transferable beyond just research skill development. While there were some challenges related to isolation, exhaustion, and self-care, overall this placement was considered to be a success. Recommendations for future research and in-house placements were made.

KEYWORDS:

• Social work education
• field education
• research placement
• in-house
• learning objectives

Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Connie Kvarfordt for her support in the project, Dr. Marina Morgenshtern for her suggestion to use a duo-ethnography design, and the Trent University Research Ethics Board for their suggestions for addressing the student-supervisor power-imbalance in the research design.

This project received Research Ethics approval from Trent University.

Disclosure statement

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

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kimberly A. Calderwood

Kimberly Calderwood is an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work at Trent University in Ontario, Canada. She completed her PhD in Social Work at the University of Toronto in 2001 with a focus on concurrent addiction and mental health issues. She since has theorized and conducted research about addiction and mental health concepts, the bereavement process, societal messages regarding bereavement, and teaching and learning in social work.

Larissa Rizzo

Larissa Rizzo is currently a fourth-year undergraduate social work student at Trent University. She has eight years of experience volunteering in mentorship and leadership roles for various grassroots organizations. Her work experience includes assisting Deafblind people with maximizing their independence, working in an intensive care unit in a retirement home, and supporting women fleeing domestic violence.