Social Work Education in Improving the Digital Professionalism of Social Work Students

Authors

Keywords:

Covid-19, Digital professionalism, Social work, Social work education

Abstract

With the Covid-19 pandemic, digitalization in social work education has increased. It has become important for students to be competent in using digital technologies to benefit clients and adapt to the new normal. This study is the first attempt to relate the contribution of undergraduate practical and theoretical courses to digital professionalism with the Covid-19 pandemic. Seventeen social work students at the undergraduate level from 12 different universities in Turkey participated in this exploratory research, and in-depth interviews were conducted with them. As a result, it was determined that the current theoretical and practical courses were insufficient to develop digital professionalism.

Author Biographies

  • Hatice Öztürk, Aksaray University, Aksaray, Türkiye

    Res.Assist., Aksaray University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Social Work, Aksaray, Türkiye

     

  • Erdinç Kalaycı, Ankara University, Ankara, Türkiye

    Res.Assist., Ankara University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Social Work, Ankara, Türkiye

  • Filiz Yildirim, Ankara University, Ankara, Türkiye

    Ankara University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Social Work, Ankara, Türkiye

References

Allen, K.D., Wallace, D.P., Renes, D., Bowen, S.L., & Burke, R.V. (2010). Use of video modeling to teach vocational skills to adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorders. Education & Treatment of Children, 33(3), 339–349.

Balcombe, L., & De Leo, D. (2020). An integrated blueprint for digital mental health services amidst COVID-19. JMIR Mental Health, 7(7), e21718.

Belluomini, E. (2017). Technology considerations in running a private practice. Handbook of Private Practice: Keys to Success for Mental Health Practitioners. London, England: Oxford University Press.

Belluomini, E. (2020). Bridging the digital divide in social work practice. https://socialworksdigitaldivide.blogspot.com/p/why-this-topic.html

Berzin, C.S., Singer, J., & Chan, C. (2015). Practice innovation through technology in the digital age: A grand challenge for social work (Working Paper No. 12). American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare.

Burcu, E., Yıldırım, F., Sırma, Ç. S., & Sanıyaman, S. (2015). Çiçeklerin kaderi: Türkiye’de kadınların erken evliliği üzerine nitel bir araştırma. Bilig, 73, 63-98.

Council on Social Work Education [CSWE]. (2015). Educational policy and accreditation standards. https://www.cswe.org/getattachment/Accreditation/Accreditation-Process/2015 EPAS/2015EPAS_Web_FINAL.pdf.aspx

Council on Social Work Education [CSWE]. (2020). CSWE statement on field hour reduction. https://cswe.org/News/General-NewsArchives/CSWE-Statement-on-Field-Hour-reduction

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications.

Diaconu, M., Racovita, L.D., Carbonero Muñoz, D., & Faubert, S.J. (2020). Social work educators’ perceived barriers to teaching with technology: The impact on preparing students to work with younger clients. Social Work Education, 39(6), 785-812.

Ege, A., & Altındağ, Ö. (2018). Sosyal hizmet akademisyenlerinin teknoloji kullanımlarının incelenmesi. Ufkun Ötesi Bilim Dergisi, 18(1), 73-89.

Ellaway, R.H., Coral, J., Topps, D., Topps, M. (2015). Exploring digital professionalism. Medical teacher, 37(9), 844-849.

EUROSTAT. (2015). The EU is moving closer to its Europe 2020 goals on education, Europe 2020 education indicators in 2014. http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ documents/2995521/6787423/3-20042015-BP-EN.pdf/b2f295ba-2e15-409c-bec9 91c4e49c5d32.

Farkas, K.J. & Romaniuk, J.R. (2020). Social work, ethics and vulnerable groups in the time of Coronavirus and COVID-19. Society Register, 4(2), 67-82.

Fitch, D. (2015). A conceptual framework for information technology in social work practice. Advances in Social Work, 16(1), 15–30.

Hanson, M. (2021). College dropout rates. https://educationdata.org/college-dropout-rates

Ho, C.W.L., Caals, K., & Zhang, H. (2020). Heralding the digitalization of life in post-pandemic east asian societies. Journal of bioethical inquiry, 1-5.

International Federation of Social Workers [IFSW]. (2012). Human rights policy. https://www.ifsw.org/human-rights-policy/

Liu, J. (2021). Bridging digital divide amidst educational change for socially inclusive learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. SAGE Open, 11(4), 1-8.

López Peláez, A., Erro-Garcés, A., & Gómez-Ciriano, E.J. (2020). Young people, social workers and social work education: The role of digital skills. Social Work Education, 39(6), 825-842.

Mishna, F., Milne, E., Bogo, M., & Pereira, L.F. (2020). Responding to COVİD-19: New trends in social workers’ use of information and communication technology. Clinical Social Work Journal, 1-11.

OECD. (2017). Education at a glance 2017. https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/education-at-a-glance-2017_eag-2017-en

Öngen, Ç. (2014). Aile ve Sosyal Politikalar Bakanlığı’na bağlı sosyal hizmet kuruluşlarının sosyal hizmet uygulamalarında bilişim teknolojilerinin kullanımı: Ankara ili örneği [Master’s thesis]. Hacettepe University.

Perron, B., Taylor, H., Glass, J., & Margerum-Leys, J. (2010). Information and communication technologies in social work. Advances in Social Work, 11(1), 67–81.

Quinn, A., & Fitch, D. (2014). A conceptual framework for contextualizing information technology competencies. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 32(1-2), 133-148.

Sanders, C.K., & Scanlon, E. (2021). The digital divide is a human rights issue: Advancing social inclusion through social work advocacy. J. Hum. Rights Soc. Work, 6, 130–143.

Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) & British Association of Social Workers (BASW). (2019). Digital capacities for social workers: Stakeholders’ report. https://www.scie.org.uk/social-work/digital-capabilities/stakeholders

Stuhlmiller, C., & Tolchard, B. (2009). Computer-assisted CBT for depression and anxiety: Increasing accessibility to evidence-based mental health treatment. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 47(7), 32-39.

Taylor, A. (2017). Social work and digitalization: Bridging the knowledge gaps. Social Work Education, 36(8), 869-879.

Taylor, A.M. (2019). Examining the contribution of social work education to the digital professionalism of students for practice in the connected age [Doctoral dissertation]. University of Central Lancashire.

Ullah, M.S. (2020). ICTs, power prejudice and empowerment: Digital exclusion of the poor in rural Bangladesh. In M. Ragnedda & A. Gladkova (Eds.), Digital inequalities in the global south. Global transformations in media and communication research- A Palgrave and IAMCR Series. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.

UNESCO. (2020). How many students are at risk of not returning to school? https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000373992

United Nations General Assembly. (2016). Human Rights Council thirty-second session, agenda item 3: promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development. https:// www.article19.org/data/fles/Internet_Statement_Adopted.pdf

VanDeMark, N., Burrell, N., Lamendola, W., Hoich, C., Berg, N., & Medina, E. (2010). An exploratory study of engagement in a technology-supported substance abuse intervention. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 5(10), 1-14.

Wang, J., Katz, I., Li, J., Wu, Q. & Dai, C. (2020). Mobile digital divide and older people’s access to ‘Internet plus social work’: İmplications from the COVID-19 help-seeking cases. Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work and Development, 1-7.

Warf, B. (2012). Contemporary digital divides in the United States. Journal of Economic and Social Geography, 104(1), 1–17.

West, D.M., & Karsten, J. (2016, May 23). Rural and urban America divided by broadband access. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/techtank/2016/07/18/ruraland-urban-america-divided-by broadband-access/

World Bank. (2019). Ending learning poverty: What will it take?. World Bank, Washington, DC. World Bank. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/32553

Downloads

Published

01.10.2023

Issue

Section

Original Research

How to Cite

Social Work Education in Improving the Digital Professionalism of Social Work Students. (2023). Journal of Social Work Education and Practice, 8(4). https://www.jswep.in/index.php/jswep/article/view/189