Starting the Journey: From Novice to Expert Social Worker Through Cognitive Apprenticeship

<p>The field/practicum/internship experience is social work education's signature pedagogy (Council on Social Work Education, 2008). This study contributes to the body of field education knowledge by exploring how field instructors used cognitive apprenticeship to improve the learning experience and learning outcomes of social work students. Thirteen field instructors and their seventeen MSW students were taught the cognitive apprenticeship strategies and asked to use them to guide learning during student internships. Field instructors and students were interviewed during the course of student placements. Using action research and grounded theory, the participants and the lead researcher worked to understand how cognitive apprenticeship functioned as a pedagogical model in social work field placements. This study describes the ways in which field instructors used cognitive apprenticeship, its benefits, and barriers that interfered with its use. Implications for social work education and practice are discussed along with recommendations for further research.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Campus Access Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

College of Social Work

Year

2010

Author dc:creator

• Palmer, Robert Jay

Contributors dc:contributor

• Terry A Wolfer

• Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Social Work
• Cognitive Apprenticeship
• Field Education
• Social Work Education

Statement dc:rights

• © 2010, Robert Jay Palmer

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/1910

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarcommons.sc.edu:etd-2911