COVID-19 impact on social work admissions and education in seven international universities

McFadden, P, Russ, E, Blakeman, P ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8535-194X, Kirwin, G, Anand, J, Lähteinen, S, Baugerud, GA and Tham, P, 2020. COVID-19 impact on social work admissions and education in seven international universities. Social Work Education. ISSN 0261-5479

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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, admissions 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 seventy-five and two hundred 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:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Social Work Education
Creators:	McFadden, P., Russ, E., Blakeman, P., Kirwin, G., Anand, J., Lähteinen, S., Baugerud, G.A. and Tham, P.
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Date:	1 October 2020
ISSN:	0261-5479
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1080/02615479.2020.1829582 DOI 1371222 Other
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	Linda Sullivan
Date Added:	02 Oct 2020 10:49
Last Modified:	01 Oct 2021 03:00
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/41104

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