Theory-driven supervision as a method of strengthening the emerging professional identity of social work students
Maija Jäppinen, Heidi Muurinen, Aino Kääriäinen
This article analyses a teaching experiment carried out during a candidate-level (BSW) social work practice-training course. The aim of the experiment was to demonstrate how research and theories intertwine in social work practice, and to produce research-minded social workers with an ability to translate scientific knowledge into practice. The article examines the possibilities and challenges of the teaching experiment and the consequences of the theory experiments on students’ emerging professional identity. The data consist of focus-group interviews conducted in 2017–2019 and course feedback. The paper concludes that combining theory and practice in social work practice training does not happen automatically, but students and supervisors need tools for it. The theory experiments strengthened students’ professional identity, and gave flexibility and capability in recognizing multiple perspectives in encountered situations.
Keywords
Social work practice placements, theory, practice, pragmatism, professional identity.
