Abstract
Given the managerial and austerity crisis in field practice education in South Africa and
internationally, the study explored the perceptions of student social workers regarding
their experiences of field practice supervision. A questionnaire-based survey was administered
to third-year undergraduate social work students attending a South African
university. While most students enjoyed positive supervision experiences a small proportion
felt that their supervision was inadequate. Challenges included having supervisors
not placed at field instruction agencies; differences between agency supervisors’
expectations and those of the university; and poor quality supervision. Findings highlight
the responsibility of universities for the screening, training and support of supervisors,
and for university personnel to deal timeously with supervisor-supervisee issues.