Trying to fit things together

Linked to the notion of students feeling they had to navigate their placement in order to gain the most learning, a process of trying to fit aspects of learning together was also described by them. One student remarked that in order to start to fit things together, she needed to know where she was going for her placement, and found it difficult in the fa e of a dela . “al a o e ted I do t feel % su e a out he e I am going to be placed so more nervous and anxious of not knowing where my placement would be.

Trying to fit things together often referred to attempts by the students to apply theory whilst on placement. They expressed that understanding theory might be important, but knowing how to fit it into their placement experience in a meaningful way appeared problematic for the students.

Sarah described difficulties i fitti g thi gs togethe I was very excited to come to u i e sit ut e ous too…. But as I ent to lectures and learn what is expected from students (PCF) and the values, oppression and personal practices all the theories erm, ut hat I ould t get head a ou d as ho does that all fit i the eal o ld…. It is not something like butter that you spread on bread. I think I got myself in knots about that and I wished that I'd done more reading in the first year before I went on placement one. “he o ti ued I did t u de sta d hat is ea t ith iti al reflection. My practice educator used critical tools during supervision to help me reflect o p a ti e. I did t u de sta d a d that eall f ighte ed e that I as ot a le to link or see the theory. (Sarah)

The mandatory skills days were introduced into the social work curriculum to support students being able to make the most of the learning opportunities provided through

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their placements. However, there were mixed feelings about the importance of the 15 social work skills days prior to the first learning experience. They were intended to be beneficial through shaping the directio of stude ts lea i g a d linking theory to practice.

Asking participants to reflect on the social work skills days brought varied responses regarding how well they enabled the students to make these anticipated links between theory a d p a ti e. Hele o e ted I know that some of the skills days were long and they needed some tweaking, but in all honesty they are a good thing definitely, and I think you have to go through the stages where you think, what is going on, why are we learning this, and then you realise once you start placement that everything is o i g togethe a d fo e, afte pla e e t that s he it st u k ho e to e, hat e e thi g s sta ti g to ea . (Helen)

Fo Mi hael learning about empathy during the skills days was very important as I always knew about being empathic but not as deep was what it's been learnt at university, and how important good listening skills are for a social worker. I do have a map, I do refer back to the PCF domains as they proved guidance if I am ready or not for practice Mi hael s d a i g also reflected this stated view).

These two students saw value in their skills days. However, there was still a struggle sometimes in how students conceptualised theo a d p a ti e a d as Watso et al.

(2002) stated, they should be intertwined and mutually constitutive. From the interviews it became clear the students were talking about theories in different ways.

The issue of hat a ou do ith the theo ?" came from the majority of the students. All the participants had uncertainties what theory is, and/or what to do with it, and some ambivalence about theory in social work education was demonstrated.

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Some of the participants understood the potential and importance in the application of theory

We attended the psycho-social module and it helped me to understand the people we o k ith ette … I ha e a tool-bag and it is up to me to learn more about the subject as part of my professional development and lea i g. (Sarah)

For some students, theo ies e e see less lea l I do t thi k that theo ea s a lot as it gi es e so e o epts ut I do t fi d it useful i p a ti e a d it's o fusi g.

(Michael)

Looking more closely at how the students discussed what theory underpins practice, many of the responses of the students refer to skills and/or interventions that guide their work with service users/carers. There was little difference in what was taught, and how it was perceived by the students across both sites. There was a strong case made so e stude ts o the useful ess of E ologi al “ ste s Theo i helpi g them to understand the world of the service user/carer. Attachment theory and Solution Focussed interventions were the mostly frequently identified theories of explanation and of intervention that the majority of the students would drew on in their practice. However, the eight participants stumbled to identify social work theory in ge e al a d Mi hael o e ted It is stuff you just do and ou do t ha e to go to your manager and say I have used this theory or that theory; it is all a very natural process. (Michael)

There were somewhat contradictory responses regarding the value of linking theory to practice, or how difficult it was to list which specific theories to use. Rosie commented efo e placement I liked to read up on the theories I may use but I am worried that I

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would not be able to recognise the theory or know how to apply it in my practice.

(Rosie)

Responses varied as to who was responsible for putting theory into practice. For the majority of the participants, it was firmly located within the placement realm but for some students there was an expectation that this was the responsibility of the course curriculum. It was impo ta t fo the so ial o k stude ts to see how social work education programmes provides clarity when linking skills days learning with modules and bridging the gap with practice.