Collaborative experiential learning in social work practice placements

Social work students on practice learning placement undertake a range of learning activities and are expected to reflect independently on their strengths and areas for development within an intervention to develop their knowledge and skills. This is often supplemented by reflective discussion in social work student supervision. Nevertheless, supervision is undertaken in a private space, so has rarely been subject to scrutiny. The uniqueness of this study is founded in two core differences. This is one of the first research studies to include both supervision participants’ perspectives and one of the first that observed social work student supervision, giving it a unique data perspective that enriched the significance of the findings. The methodology for this thesis was firmly rooted in a Narrative Inquiry, which enabled the use of a range of data collection methods which were thematically analysed to identify two core themes of diligence and collaboration. A model is presented that develops the principle of experiential learning (Kolb, 1984), applying the importance of diligent preparation for and collaborative participation within social work student supervision by both practice educator and student to enhance the development of students’ knowledge and skills.