adapting professional education reflections on the help age international northern iraq programme...

Adapting Professional Education

Reflections on the Help Age International Northern Iraq Programme

Dept. Social Work, Community & Mental HealthCanterbury Christ Church University

The Programme

• Certificate in Social Work Practice

• Commissioned by Help Age International

• Delivered as 4 taught modules taken from the post graduate and under graduate degree programmes

Programme Objectives

• to increase capacity at a local level for social workers and social work practice

• to modernise existing social care

• Bring participants up to date with UK/EU models

Social Work Education in Iraq

• No specialist social work education

• Medical or social psychology professionals or NGO workers

• Social work has always been present– within family support– through delivery of humanitarian aid

• Education approach top-down

Modules

Module 1- Introduction to Social Work Practice – UK practice and policy context, principles and methods.

Module 2 –Good Practice: Children and Families and Mental Health:

• psychological distress • concepts underpinning community- based

alternatives to hospitals/ the patient and user movement

Modules

Module 3- Good Practice: Adults and Older People• methods of assessment and intervention • understanding situations of risk, vulnerability, choice

and capacityModule 4 - Working with Individuals, Families

Groups & Communities • emphasis on change promoting, inclusive and

collaborative practice• includes systemic perspectives, mediation , network

analysis, use of genograms, cognitive-behavioural methods, crisis intervention and brief therapy

Aim of Programme

• “Whilst the programme will be taught from the perspective of British traditions in social work, this cultural context will be restricted to the minimum considered necessary to enable understanding of the origins of practice in a generic context. At all times you will be encouraged to relate this to the cultural context of your own areas of practice in Iraq. This will ensure a richer and more skills-based learning experience throughout the taught part of the programme and enable you to apply these upon your return to Iraq.”

(Certificate in Social Work Practice handbook, Canterbury Christ Church University 2006:12).

Curriculum design :key influences

• reflective practitioner paradigm (Papell and Skolnik, 1992) & adult learning theories which emphasise reflective and experiential learning (Kolb, 1984; Schön, 1987; Race, 2005) and;

• professional learning and development theory (Eraut, 1994) ) ‘expert professional ‘(Fook, 2004) multiple viewpoints , complexities and flexibility

Key influences 2

• Expert professionals: “ There is an emphasis on the creative use of knowledge and the ability to transfer knowledge from a specific context to other contexts” (Fook et al, 2000:97 )

• observational learning (Trowell & Miles, 1991; Tanner & Le Riche, 1998)

• “ The integration of theory and practice, the individual and social , art and science , field and classroom. “ (Gibbons & Gray,2002:539)

Key influences 3

Toohey’s discussion (2002) of the ‘graduate profile’ & 3 main ‘graduate outcomes’;

• the ability to apply knowledge and skills • interactional abilities • personal attributes ( critical evaluation,

application of ethical/ legal principles )• critical thinking & dialogue • knowledge created in the context of

application (Gibbons et al (1994).

Teaching methods

• student-centred group methods -discussion and debate - to facilitate group learning( Jarvis, 1993)

• the ‘process curriculum’ as identified by Coulshed, (1988)- small groups work –foster trust , cohesion working across gender

• critical dialogic framework for reflection & enquiry –based learning (Phillips et al,1994)

Teaching methods 2

• learning from secondary experience –how meaning is communicated- description ,truth, validity, (Jarvis,1993) & working with learners’ biographies

• observational learning and ‘witnessing social work in action’ ( O’Connor, Cecil & Boudini, 2008) –video critique of interaction & communication (micro skills)

• professional codes of conduct & values-based practice

Teaching Methods: Problem Solving Approach

• dual perspective to share UK models and their limitations & encourage students to engage in “the search from within” (Ling (2004) -mediation session & community based approach

• Exploration of values-based, anti-oppressive practice and social inequality in terms of age and gender as experienced in Iraq’s Kurdish region

The use of critical dialogue

• “Especially impressive was the lecturers’ attitude which allowed us to question, argue, discuss & express our own opinions” and;

• Lectures – We don’t have any point about that. Really the teachers are giving excellent lectures, they try to involve us in the issues not just telling us and going but really we are involved in the discussion.

Reflecting on teaching methods

• Practical knowledge-purpose to at appropriately & ethically in the world ( Usher ,1989)

• emotional literacy (Mayer & Salovey 1993, Morrison,

2007)

• Le Riche (2006) – the pedagogical value of a work shadowing experience allowing access to the subtleties of communication, culture & anti-oppressive practice

Reflecting 2

• Brearley (2007:94)- the need to refine one’s observation skills in understanding ‘the complex medium which constitutes the workplace’

• practice learning to “conceive of the curriculum as a jigsaw, where a sense of order and place is apparent, but where it is possible to begin and build in many different ways

(Shardlow and Doel, 1996:88)

Key challenges….

• lecturers’ trans-cultural competence

• how to ensure the relevance of each module for those planning to work in contemporary society in Northern Iraq

• how to teach about experiences such as collective trauma

Challenges cont.

• contextualizing value-based teaching and practice (such as respect for the individual and self determination)

• would ‘Western’ models based on western research rationale and methodologies be applicable?

Evaluation – Student Focus groups

• Student expectations, motivations

• Teaching and Learning experience

• Cross-Cultural learning

• Teaching and learning

Enquiry-based learning

“Especially impressive was the lecturers’ attitude which allowed us to question, argue, discuss & express our own opinions”.

• Promoted critical thinking• Finding common core values in social

work practice

Observational Learning

• Conceiving alternative models of social care

“For some time we have heard in Iraq about European systems and particularly how good the British system of social care is and of the changes from institutional based care to community care, we hear this is very strong in England. For a long time, since 1989 I have heard about adoption here but I couldn’t understand what it is…”

“We want to see Nurseries for example, and how they take care of little children, what equipment they have, the teaching methods…”

Observational learning

• The architecture of social work: visualizing social care

“For so long Iraq has been closed…”

“We had an idea for a day centre for elderly people. For me the chance to see 2 centres in Kent I think it has let me imagine how to set this up; for example, the building I did not know how it could be, how to get the people inside and involve them in activities”

Small group work

• Promoted cohesion in the group

• Created a network of professionals

“We will try to identify the newly acquired skills and knowledge relevant to the local working practice and environment of work each in his/her specific field of work. Certainly, creative approaches in the application of newly acquired skills are anticipated”.

Conclusions

• Critical dialogic framework facilitates • cross-cultural learning• avoided prescribed ideals but offered

alternatives

• Observational learning • meets the aims of building local capacity • facilitated knowledge transfer

• Group work• created partnerships in N.Iraq

Adapting Professional Education

Bob Cecil

Professional Lead & Senior Lecturer in Social

Work

bob.cecil@canterbury.ac.uk

Holly Harris

Lecturer in Social Work

h.harris@canterbury.ac.uk

Janet Wiseman

Senior Lecturer

janet.wiseman@canterbury.ac.uk