ACADEMIC SUPPORT FOR FIRST-YEAR SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Authors

  • Kathleen Collins Department of Social Work, University of the Western Cape.
  • Adrian van Breda Department of Social Work, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15270/46-1-179

Abstract

Students in their first year face the great challenge of transition from school to university,where independent and self-directed learning is called for. Students must navigate multifacetedlife adaptations – physical ones such as moving away from home, and psychological ones suchas moving into young adulthood, from the familiarity of the homogeneous school environmentto the heterogeneous culture of the university, often from rural to urban, to a different language,to mixing with diverse race groups. Moving from the control, protection and predictability ofschool life, learners are free for the first time to test their autonomy and experiment withchoices. Equally, the challenge of providing the best teaching and learning to this group restswith the educators in first year.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

st SOUTHERN AFRICAN CONFERENCE ON THE FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE. 2008.

Opening conversations on first-year success. University of Stellenbosch, South Africa.

ASKELAND, G.A. 2003. Reality-play: experimental learning in social work training. Social

Work Education, 22(4):351-362.

ASKELAND, G.A. & BRADLEY, G. 2006. Linking critical reflection and qualitative research

on an African social work master’s programme. International Social Work, 50(5):671-685.

AUSLANDER, G.K. 2002. Using large classes to positive advantage: involving students as

research subjects and active learners. Social Work Education, 19(4):375-385.

BANKS, A.C. & FAUL, A.C. 2007. Reduction of face-to-face contact hours in foundation

research courses: impact on students’ knowledge gained and course satisfaction. Social Work

Education, 26(8):780-793.

BELLEFEUILLE, G., MARTIN, R.R. & BUCK, M.P. 2005. From pedagogy to technagogy in

social work education: a constructivist approach to instructional design in an online,

competency-based child welfare practice course. Child and Youth Care Forum, 34(5):371-

BEYTELL, A. 2008. Report on ASASWEI meeting. Pretoria, South Africa.

BLUNT, R. 2008. Turning apartheid around. In: GROSLING, G., THOMAS, L. &

HEAGNEY, M. (eds) Improving student retention in higher education: the role of

teaching and learning. London: Routledge.

BOUD, D. 1990. Assessment and promotion of academic values. Studies in Higher

Education, 15(1):101-111.

BOUD, D. & KNIGHTS, S. 1996. Course design for reflective practice. In: GOULD, N. &

TAYLOR. I. (eds) Reflective learning for social work. Hants, UK: Arena.

BOZALEK, V. 2009. Outcomes-based assessment: necessary evil or transformative potential?

Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 45(1):91-110.

BOZALEK, V. & MATTHEWS, L. 2009. E-learning: a cross-institution forum for sharing

socio-cultural influences on personal and professional identity. International Social Work,

(2):222-233.

BOZALEK, V., ROHLEDER, P., CAROLISSEN, R., LEIBOWITZ, B., NICHOLLS, L. &

SWARTZ, L. 2007. Students learning across differences in a multi-disciplinary virtual learning

community. South African Journal of Higher Education, 21(7):812-825.

BROOKFIELD, S.D. 1995. Becoming a critically reflective teacher. San Francisco, CA:

Jossey-Bass.

BUTCHER, C., DAVIES, C. & HIGHTON, M. 2006. Designing Learning: from module to

effective teaching. London: Routledge.

COUNCIL ON HIGHER EDUCATION. 2009. [Online] Available: http://www.che.ac.za

[Accessed: 29/06/2009]

CLARE, B. 2007. Promoting deep learning: a teaching, learning and assessment endeavour.

Social Work Education, 26(5):433-446.

COLLINS, K.J., PRETORIUS, B., SMITH, P. & VAN BREDA, A.D. 2009. Teaching and

learning experiences of first-year social work students in South Africa. Report for the

Association of South African Social Work Educational Institutions. Bellville, South Africa.

DAVIES, J., WELCH, C. & HARGIS, J. 2008. The Bridge Course design: formative

assessment and student-centred learning in cross-course classrooms. International Journal for

the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 2(2):1-17.

EAST, J. & CHAMBERS, R. 2007. Courage to teach for social work educators. Social Work

Education, 26(8):810-826.

EDERER, P., SCHULLER, P. & WILLIAMS, S. 2008. University systems ranking: citizens

and society in the age of knowledge. Brussels: The Lisbon Council.

EGAN, K. 1997. The educated mind: how cognitive tools shape our understanding. Chicago:

The University of Chicago Press.

FOOK, J. 2002. Social work: critical theory and practice. London, UK: Sage Publications.

FREIRE, P. 1993. Pedagogy of oppressed. London, UK: Penguin.

GIBBS, G. 2006. How assessment frames student learning. In: BRYAN, C. & CLEGG, K.

(eds) Innovative assessment in higher education. London: Routledge.

GRAY, M. & GIBBONS, J. 2007. There are no answers, only choices: teaching ethical

decision making in social work. Australian Social Work, 60(2):222-238.

GROSLING, G., THOMAS, L. & HEAGNY, M. (ed) 2008. Improving student retention in

higher education: the role of teaching and learning. London: Routledge.

HOPE, A. & TIMMEL, S. 1984. Training for transformation: a handbook for community

workers (vol 1). Gweru, Zimbabwe: Mambo Press.

JONES, B., COETZEE, G., BAILEY, T. & WICKHAM, S. 2008. Factors that facilitate

success for disadvantaged higher education students. Athlone, RSA: Rural Education

Access Programme.

KNOWLES, M.S. 1988. The modern practices of adult education: from pedagogy to

andragogy (2nd ed). Englewood Cliff, NJ: Cambridge Book Company.

KRETZMAN, J. & McKNIGHT, J. 1993. Building communities from the inside out: a path

toward finding and mobilizing a community’s assets. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University.

MARKUS, H. & NURIUS, P. 1986. Possible selves. American Psychologist, 41(9):954-969.

MOXLEY, D.P., NAJOR-DURACK, A. & DUMBRIGUE, C.Y. 2000. Seven strategies for

facilitating access of nontraditional students to graduate education in social work. Social Work

Education, 19(4):335-348.

PARKER, J. 2007. Developing effective practice learning for tomorrow’s social workers.

Social Work Education, 26(8):763-779.

REEVES, P.M. & REEVES, T.C. 2008. Design considerations for online learning in health and

social work education. Learning in Health & Social Care, 7(1):46-58.

REGAN, J.R. & YOUN, E.J. 2008. Past, present, and future trends in teaching clinical skills

through web-based learning environments. Journal of Social Work Education, 44(2):95-115.

ROHLEDER, P., BOZALEK, V., CAROLISSEN, R., LEIBOWITZ, B., NICHOLLS, L. &

SWARTZ, L. 2008. Students’ evaluations of the use of e-learning in a collaborative project

between two South African universities. Higher Education, 56(1):95-107.

SACCO, T.M. 2004. A competency-based, critically reflective approach to social work field

instruction. Social Work Practitioner-Researcher, 16(2):170-180.

SALEEBEY, D. (ed) 2008. The strengths perspective in social work practice (5th ed).

Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

SALTIEL, I.M. 1998. Adult students as partners in formal study. New Directions for Adult &

Continuing Education, 79:13-22.

SAQA. 2001. Criteria and guidelines for assessment of NQF registered unit standards and

qualifications. Pretoria, RSA: South African Qualifications Authority.

SAQA. 2004. The National Qualifications Framework: an overview. Pretoria, RSA: South

African Qualifications Authority.

SCHENCK, C.J. 2008. Should being a South African make social work training different?

Towards giving new meaning to concept “student-centredness”. Inaugural lecture. UNISA,

Pretoria, South Africa.

SCHENCK, C.J. 2009. The socio-economic realities of the social work students of the

University of South Africa. Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 45(3):299-313.

SCOTT, I. 2008. First-year experience as terrain of failure or platform for future

development? Critical choices for higher education. Paper presented at the 1st Southern

African Conference on the First-year Experience. Stellenbosch, South Africa.

SCOTT, I., YELD, N. & HENDRY, J. 2007. A case of improving teaching and learning in

South African higher education. Higher Education Monitor no. 6. Pretoria: Council on

Higher Education. [Online] Available: http:/www.che.ac.za/documents/d00155/ [Accessed:

/09/2009]

SUTHERLAND, P. 1998. Experiential learning and constructivism: potential for a mutually

beneficial synthesis. In: SUTHERLAND, P. (ed) Adult learning: a reader. London: Kogan

Page.

TSHIWULA, L. 2007. Resilience in a higher education institution. Inaugural lecture.

University of the Western Cape, South Africa.

VAN BREDA, A. D. & NEFDT, B. 2009. A critical evaluation of the use of Blackboard to

facilitate the development of academic competencies among first-year students. Paper

presented at the Blackboard Africa User Conference. Bloemfontein, South Africa.

WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY. (n.d.). Basic academic competencies. [Online] Available:

http://advising.witchita.edu/lasac/pubs/aah/basicomp.htm. [Accessed: 07/04/2009]

WOLPE, H., BADAT, S. & BARENDS, Z. 1993. The post-secondary education system:

beyond the equality vs. development impasse and towards policy formulation for equality and

development. Cape Town: Education Policy Unit, University of the Western Cape.

Downloads

Published

2014-06-17

How to Cite

Collins, K., & van Breda, A. (2014). ACADEMIC SUPPORT FOR FIRST-YEAR SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS IN SOUTH AFRICA. Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 46(1). https://doi.org/10.15270/46-1-179

Issue

Section

Articles