Abstract
Field instruction programmes lie at the heart of the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) training programme. This is where social work students get an opportunity to put into practice what they have learned in their classrooms. However, this opportunity to practice is not possible without a trained field supervisor's guidance to mentor the student during their field instruction placement. Students practice in schools, hospitals, welfare organisations and government departments, and other placement opportunities. Each student is allocated a field supervisor who provides structured supervision and mentorship. Understandably then, field supervisors should receive quality training in order to provide quality supervision to the students. Previous research into social work education at higher education institutions reveal that universities do not adequately mentor field supervisors prior to supervising social work students, thus impacting the quality of the supervision administered. Research into field instruction has not been conducted in the BSW field instruction programme at the University of Johannesburg. This ground-breaking research provides insight into the experiences and training needs of field supervisors. This study was conducted using a qualitative approach, and this provided the researcher with in-depth descriptions and narratives about the training needs and support experiences of BSW field supervisors. The study population comprised seven BSW field supervisors, two from the second-year, two from the third-year, and three from the fourth-year study levels. Individual interviews and focus group discussions were used as methods of collecting data. The data revealed that whilst the training of field supervisors at this research site was not compulsory, there was a need for time, obligation and commitment from supervisors to participate in training, despite their own work schedules. The study revealed that field supervisors were mostly in full-time employment and had little time to attend training. However, most participants revealed a need for regular workshops and frequent meetings with the module lecturers, sharing experiences with peers, peer support, lack of amenities for supervision and safety issues in accessing students at placement agencies. Lastly, this report will provide conclusions and recommendations to enhance the social work field supervisor's ability to function effectively as an adept academic partner.
M.A. (Clinical Social Work)