McFadden, Paula and Russ, Erics and Blakeman, Paul and Kirwan, Gloria and Anand, Janet and Lähteinen, Sanna and Astrid Baugerud, Gunn and Tham, Pia (2020) COVID-19 impact on social work admissions and education in seven international universities. Social Work Education, 39 (8). pp. 1154-1163. ISSN 0261-5476

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Abstract

Inter-country Social Work admissions and educational comparisons are difficult due to variance in policy and practices between Social Work educational providers, even within the same country. However, this paper aims to provide an examination of different levels of impact that COVID-19 ‘lockdown’ had on ‘admissions to social work’ processes and on education, using examples from universities in Australia, England, Finland, Northern Ireland, Norway, Ireland and Sweden. Already we know that across these examples, admission processes differ significantly. Variances are between selection and entry methodologies with some institutions using academic entry criteria and personal statements and interviews, while others use academic entry criteria and relevant experience or academic entry only. We also know that practicum duration is variable across providers, lasting between 75 and 200 days. Despite all differences, a distinct adjustment to lockdown required a shift to virtual teaching methods for each institution. This paper seeks to explore the range of approaches adopted to lockdown in relation to practice learning placements in each example. We consider the underpinning values and principles that guided responses to these change processes in the various institutions and longer term implications emerging from the required rapid change processes are discussed.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Education; professional practice; training;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Applied Social Studies
Item ID:	14898
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2020.1829582
Depositing User:	Gloria Kirwan
Date Deposited:	05 Oct 2021 14:48
Journal or Publication Title:	Social Work Education
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	Publisher
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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