Issues and challenges in social work field education in Nigeria

Abstract

The place of social work in enhancing societal welfare cannot be separated from the role of field education, which is a vital part of social work training. Field practicum offers students with information and opportunities to tackling and resolving issues in practice. Given that it is an essential element in the social work curriculum, field education is crucial in education outcomes. This paper aimed to explore the structure of the social work field experience via the lens of students and the need to seriously look into the practice methods, in order to promote the worth of field experience. Using a qualitative research design, one focus group interview was conducted and transcribed following the permission of the research participants. With the aid of the thematic analysis, data was analysed, by recognizing, exploring, establishing, reporting themes and capturing imperative ideas in view of the research questions. Findings show that social work field education is fraught with irregularities arising from insufficient field agencies to the engagement of students in activities not related to their field experience. Although involving participants from one major university, this study therefore concludes that core stakeholders/departmental administrators should liaise with other social service organizations to create a platform for training and re-training of key staff to ensure effective practical experiences for students. This study might have crucial implications for departmental administrators to improve the quality of field practice training.