Social workers internalize their professional identity primarily through school education. Especially, through experience in practice education, they could understand, accept, and develop the professionalism in social work. Despite practice is one of ...
Social workers internalize their professional identity primarily through school education. Especially, through experience in practice education, they could understand, accept, and develop the professionalism in social work. Despite practice is one of the important factors in attaining professional identity of social welfare, there are very few researches to reveal the relationship between the two. Even if this type of research exists, only part of variables in practice was included in order to reveal the relation between practice and the development of professional identity. Thus, this study was attempted to disclose crucial factors that should be addressed in practice education, by exploring the relations between the achievement of professional identity and factors of supervision, practice institution, individual factor of supervisee, and school. Furthermore, this study was to investigate how practice experience affected student?fs professional identity. Main study questions were as follows. First, what is the level of social work professional identity of students who have practice experience? Second, what is the relation between practice factors and students?f social work professional identity? Third, what is main practice factor significantly influencing on students?f social work professional identity?
The subjects of this study were randomly selected 222 undergraduate students attending a 4?]year university located in Seoul and kyeonggi?]do and they completed their practice course. The method used was a self?]reported questionnaire survey and data obtained from 136 students were statistically analyzed. The results of this study were as follows.
First, the level of social work professional identity of students who have practice experience was found to be low. In the results of practice factors, students, in general, were seen to experience moderate level of satisfaction with practice, in all factors including the relationship with supervisee, supervision, satisfaction with practice institution, and satisfaction with school practice course.
Second, student?fs attitude in practice, satisfaction level of students and parents with their major was seen to have a positive correlation with social work professional identity. In addition, the level of supervision from supervisee of institution practice, the relation between supervisor and trainee, satisfaction with practice institution, and satisfaction with school practice course were seen to have a positive correlation with social work professional identity at the moderate level.
Third, of factors relating practice, factors influencing significantly on students?f social work professional identity were found to be period of practice, parent?f satisfaction level with major, along with faithfulness to practice assignment, the degree of supervision form supervisee, and regularity of supervision.
Practical implications in this study were as follow.
First, this study revealed that there was a relation between students?f social work professional identity confusion and negative practice experiences.
Second, in order to minimize students?f social work professional identity confusion, it is required to present alternative measures to overcome it, as well as to improve their practice settings.
Third, it pointed out that systems for students to select capable institution for practice by themselves and contracts of practice to set supervision time, instruction, and assignment are required.
Fourth, it pointed out that roles of institution and school, as well as a role of supervisor in practice education are important.
Fifth, it presented that school needs to provide students with consultation and education addressing student?f preparedness for practice before participating in practice.