MSW Foundation Students in the Field: Reflections on the Nature and Quality of Group Work Assignments and Supervision

Abstract

Commentators find that education in social group work has diminished over the past three decades, creating a shortage in group work-trained field instructors. The role of instructing group work students may appear relatively easy; however, quality instruction requires careful planning, time, energy, and specialized knowledge. Without knowledge and skill, the field instructor may not be capable of providing an adequate conceptual framework. This article reports on an empirical study that examined the group work-based field work experiences of first-year MSW students. The authors focused on the nature, significance, context, and self-perceptions of MSW students regarding their field work experience.