Learning Opportunities in Field Practica

Abstract

A study of 118 students in a Masters of Social Work program investigated learning opportunities in field practica and how they are related to indicators of student outcome. Learning opportunities included engaging in specific professional skills (engaging in specific skills, allocation of time, and numbers of client contacts) and educational learning activities such as getting conceptual frameworks or feedback on their work. Indicators of student outcome included self-evaluation of performance and satisfaction with practicum. Students completed a questionnaire about their field placements. Those who practiced specific skills more evaluated their performance as better but were not more satisfied with their practica. For educational learning activities, students given more work to do on their own evaluated their performance as better. They were more satisfied if they used more conceptual frameworks and more emphasis on both cognitive and emotional learning. Allocation of time in the practicum and number of client contacts were not associated with indicators of student outcome.

Key Words:

• Field education
• student outcome
• supervision
• learning activities