A social work field practicum is a professional training course that helps to establish a professional social work identity and teach the quality and executive competence which are required in the practical field for students who study social work as ...
A social work field practicum is a professional training course that helps to establish a professional social work identity and teach the quality and executive competence which are required in the practical field for students who study social work as a major. A professional social work identity helps students build their sense of value and improve the capability of performance. Ultimately students will be able to provide their clients more effective and efficient service. At the same time, it also helps students grow as social workers who have professional ability and quality.
Based on these facts, social work literature suggests that a social work field practicum is an important factor affecting the building of a professional social work identity.
A social work field practicum, however, the only chance for a field experience among social work subjects, is too short for training in the field. On top of this, due to a lack of a well-organized education system, there are limitations in building a professional social work identity through a field practicum. Thus, students need to determine those potential factors which can positively affect professional identity-building through a field practicum.
This study assumed that empowerment through a field practicum should be the potential factor effecting student identity formation positively. The aim of this study is to practically determine what effects a social work field practicum and empowerment can give students when they build a professional identity. To establish the goal, the kinds of direct effects to which a social work field practicum can lead on professional identity-buildingwere determined. Also, the indirect effects of student empowerment were determined to provide a field instructor effective instruction techniques as well as to help students build their identity.
This study conducted a survey questionnaire of429 students who completed their social work field practicum at community welfare centers in Seoul, Kyung Ki and Incheon. The results were analyzed using SPSS 17 and AMOS 7.0 Version.
The results of this study are summarized as follows.
First, based on a leading research analysis, this study suggested a model which contains the variables ? a social work field practicum, student empowerment, social work professional identity. An empirical path of antecedents effecting the social work field practicum and empowerment of social work students' professional identity-building was found through analyzing the model.
Second, the study provided a theoretical foundation that can be applied to the field practicum. Historically, the effects of empowerment factors on student identity-building has not been dealt with to any great extent. Thus this study verified the parameters of student empowerment on a professional social work identity.
Third, the study made a significant foundation for a social work field practicum by suggesting standards that can be used for much research targeting social work students. The standards for a social work field practicum, empowerment, and a professional identity in social work were established by verifying their reliability and validity.
The results of this study have the following practical meanings.
First, this study found that the social work field practicum did not directly affect student professional identity while students were directly affected by empowerment.
Second, among practicum factors, it was verified that both institutional and school factors played an important role in a professional identity through empowerment.
In sum, this study outlines the effect of empowerment on social work student professional identity-building by determining its parameter effects. To create a better practicum education field, instructors should pay more attention to an effective field practicum as wellas strengthen student abilities. Schools and training institutions are important factors that affect student empowerment. Therefore, a cooperative working relationship and efforts between the two organizations are strongly suggested to improve student abilities.