Training research-minded social workers: experience from Estonia^*

* All authors of this article are team members in the Chair of Social Work at the University of Tartu.

ABSTRACT

Social work education in its modern sense started to develop after Estonia regained independence from the collapsing Soviet Union. The aim of this article is to introduce good practices of teaching research-mindedness, this being one of the main principles in teaching social workers-to-be in the University of Tartu in Estonia. We have been inspired by the academic tradition of university teaching in general, the new international definition of social work and, not least, the realisation of social workers in practice of not being able to apply academic knowledge to everyday social work practices. This article revisits the term research-mindedness and examines how it has been integrated into the university level teaching process. Our purpose is to discuss the methods students of bachelor’s and master’s programmes can learn to ‘translate’ social issues into research questions, critically appraise the findings and ‘translate’ them back as new research evidence for social work practice.

LÜHIKOKKUVÕTE

Kaasaegne sotsiaaltöö haridus Eestis algas vahetult pärast Nõukogude Liidu lagunemist ja Eesti taasiseseisvumist. Käesoleva artikli eesmärk on tutvustada uurimismeelse õpetamise kogemusi Tartu Ülikoolis, kus see on üks sotsiaaltöö eriala õppe juhtprintsiipe. Uurimismeelse õppe arendamist on toetanud ülikooli akadeemilise õpetamise traditsioon üldiselt, uus rahvusvaheline sotsiaaltöö definitsioon ning olukord, kus sotsiaaltöö praktikud on raskustes uute teadmiste loomisel ja akadeemiliste teadmiste rakendamisel oma igapäevases töös. Artikkel annab ülevaate uurimismeelsuse mõistest ja uurib, kuidas uurimismeelsuse arendamine sotsiaaltöö eriala üliõpilastel on integreeritud õppeprotsessi. Artiklis tuuakse näiteid sellest, kuidas bakalaureuse ja magistriõppe käigus üliõpilased õpivad märkama sotsiaalseid probleeme igapäevases praktikas, ‘tõlkima’ neid uurimisküsimusteks, otsima uurimuste kaudu püstitatud küsimustele vastuseid ning neid ‘tagasi tõlkima’ uurimistõenditeks, mida saab kasutada sotsiaaltöö praktikas.

KEYWORDS:

• Research-mindedness
• social work training
• bridging theory
• research and practice
• Estonia

VÕTMESÕNAD:

• uurimismeelsus
• sotsiaaltööõppe
• teooria
• uurimuse ja praktika sildamine
• Eesti

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Judit Strömpl, Ph.D. (Social Work), is an associate professor of social policy and head of the Chair of Social Work. She is an active social work researcher and a lecturer of social work disciplines and methodology courses on all study levels. Her teaching activity is based on research experiences and research-minded learning and teaching methods.

Dagmar Kutsar, Ph.D. (Psychology), is an associate professor of social policy. Her research interests related to teaching social work disciplines are around bridging research, teaching and social work practice. She contributes to development of research mindedness in students in general social work seminars and in a course of strategic planning of social study.

Marju Selg, MSW, is a lecturer of social work. Her teaching field is theories of social work and social pedagogical approaches that equip students with theoretical frameworks for their research projects and future practice.

Merle Linno, MSW, is a lecturer of social work. Her teaching field is child protection and social work evaluation. She uses elements of social work research methodology in her courses to support students to become research-minded practitioners.

Reeli Sirotkina, MSW, is a lecturer of social work and social policy. Her interests in social work research are in professionalisation of social work and social work gerontology. Her teaching fields are generalist practice of social work, ageing policy and social work theory and practice combinations during field placements.

Dagmar Narusson, MSW, is a lecturer of social work. Her research and teaching interests are related to community work and social inclusion of people with disabilities, support work qualities in mental health client work, social counselling, group work, health care social work and social rehabilitation process.

Notes

* All authors of this article are team members in the Chair of Social Work at the University of Tartu.