The University of Northampton

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The University of Northampton

• Transforming Lives, inspiring change

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JSWEC 10TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE

• Experiencing
• social work
• education in
• England

An African student perspective

• Angie Bartoli
• Sue Kennedy
• Prospera Tedam

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Aims and objectives

• Develop understanding of African student
  perspectives
• - graduate programme
• - practice learning
• - post qualifying learning
• Share findings of study
• Identify support and development initiatives

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Background

• Our experience
• Growing number of students (nationally and
  locally)
• Lack of specific literature
• Which students?

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• Workshop style
• Share our experience
• Reflective questions

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Our Students
Ghana
Nigeria
Cameroon
Zimbabwe
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Study Methodology

• Quantitative Data
• Available data (student population, grades)
• Qualitative Data
• Focus group
• Control group
• Questionnaires

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Findings Qualifying programme

• Level One
• Unprepared for pace and depth of study
• Challenge of first assignment
• 5-day shadow placement adding anxiety
• lagging behind
• Additional commitments

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• Level Two
• Demands to become more analytical, critical and
  independent thinkers
• steep learning curve
• playing catch up
• Research Methods module most challenging
• Direct Work with Service Users module most
  enjoyable

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• Level Three
• Pressure of workload

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Learning strategies

• Familiar with a traditional teaching style where
  the teacher knows best
• at home we are not taught to argue or share our
  views with our teachers
• Familiar with tests/exam situations

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What the study revealed academic work

• Despite finding the IT Module most difficult, the
  outcomes do not reflect the struggles connected
  with the data
• 86 of African students failed at least one piece
  of assessed work (control group 14)
• 21 (almost one quarter) African Students has
  failed one of more piece of assessment (control
  group none failed more than one)

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Teaching strategies and support

• Range of assessment and teaching strategies
• Individual tutorial support
• Signposted to additional support for academic
  writing, referencing and library tours
• Development of culturally familiar case studies
• Students should be encouraged to examine and
  apply the concepts, theories, models and
  strategies in the societal context of their home
  country. (Rai, 200026)

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Reflective question What is your experience of
social work (academic) education from an African
student perspective?
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Practice Learning the other world

• Another world
• Of the failed placements, 50 of these students
  are African (misrepresentation)
• All women

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Emerging themes

• Gender
• Finances
• Health
• Homesickness
• Lack of practice experience
• Cultural diversity culturally taboo for me to
  interrogate someone about their family
• Motivation to study social work
• Racism and nipped wings

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Reflective question Practice Learning Who is
failing to adapt?
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PQ Social Work Education African Ideas

• Challenges
• Reasoning my culture out of me
• Written expression and skills
• Analytical thinking based on belief of colonial
  cultural superiority
• Lack of recognition of life experience
• reducing and undermining self esteem and
  confidence
• Assessing practice standards in the modernising
  agenda

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PQ Social Work Education African Ideas

• What worked
• Context setting
• Challenging critical thinking about consent
• Understanding the child in their environment
• Phenomenology Creativity, Imagination and Art

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How do we support the importance of international
life experiences within the curriculum
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Support and development initiatives

• Mentoring Scheme
• shadow experience
• Padare group
• Practice learning opportunities with African
  community groups and organisations
• National Conference to disseminate good practice
• Incorporate international perspectives into
  social work education modules
• Review assessment strategies
• Build a library of relevant African authors
• Training and support for Practice
  Teachers/Assessors

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Final reflection . . . . Mgeni njoo, mwenyeji
apone. Let the guest come so that the host or
hostess may benefit Swahili
(Eastern and Central Africa) Proverb