“Nobody’s Failing at Going Through a Global Pandemic”: Lessons and Tensions in Social Work Education

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ABSTRACT

Social work educators prepare students to respond to crises across system levels. A global pandemic or large-scale disasters, however, present challenges educators are ill prepared for. This study explored the experiences of BSW and MSW students during the COVID-19 pandemic. With a trauma-informed pedagogy framework, a team of faculty and students conducted in-depth interviews with social work students at a Midwestern school of social work. Thematic analyses revealed two categories. First, broad lessons learned included clear guidelines for educators across higher education. Second, three themes revealed tensions in student reactions to their experiences during COVID-19: (a) loss versus safety, (b) flexibility versus structure, and (c) affective responses versus competing responsibilities. Findings are discussed and implications for social work are identified.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to the students who shared their time and experiences with us.

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by internal funding from the KU School of Social Welfare Research Development Funds.

Notes on contributors

Megan S. Paceley

Megan S. Paceley is an Assistant Professor at the University of Kansas. Sarah J. Cole is an MSW student at the University of Kansas. Jennifer A. Robinson is an MSW alumnus at the University of Kansas. Kortney A. Carr is a PhD student and Professor of the Practice at the University of Kansas. Sarah Jen is an Assistant Professor at the University of Kansas. Michael R. Riquino is an Assistant Professor at the University of Kansas. Samantha Mitra is a BSW alumnus at the University of Kansas. Kelechi C. Wright is a PhD student at the University of Kansas.