Studying For Your Social Work Degree

This fully-revised new edition looks at how students can make the most from their time studying on the social work degree. Focusing on each of the three years of study, the author skilfully unpicks the critical thinking, reflection and study skills essential for the completion of the degree. There are sections on autonomous learning, writing academically, communication skills and developing critical analysis and argument. This second edition has more information on how students learn, what makes for excellence in social work research, and how students can successfully integrate their skills with their practice.

Studying for your Social Work Degree is PERFECT for anyone wanting to train to become a social worker. After reading this fully comprehensive guide you will understand: the structure and culture of HE, and how social work fits into it what to expect, and what will be expected of you, as a university student teaching and assessment methods within social work, so that you can perform to the best of your ability in an academic environment how to manage your social work studies in an effective way and make the most of the resources available to you. The books in our Critical Study Skills series will help you gain the knowledge, skills and strategies you need to achieve your goals. They provide support in all areas important for university study, including institutional and disciplinary policy and practice, self-management, and research and communication. Packed with tasks and activities to help you improve your learning, including learner autonomy and critical thinking, and to guide you towards reflective practice in your study and work life. Uniquely, this book is written by an experienced social work lecturer and an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) lecturer.

′The book is completely student focused. I envisage students having the text on their desks when they attempt their written work, and this is very much how a study guide should be used′ - Professor Keith Popple, London South Bank University Study Skills for Social Workers offers an accessible insight into the practical use of skills for study in a professional social work context. Engaging with students on their journey through the undergraduate or postgraduate qualifying course, it uses relevant case material from academic and social work perspectives to demonstrate the connection between study and practice. The book is comprehensive in its coverage of the core study skills, including guidance on: Effective writing Successful communication Reflective study E-learning Learning in the workplace Understanding feedback. Written in a student-friendly style, Study Skills for Social Workers is interspersed with activities and exercises to enable students to practice and improve their skills as they move through the text. Also included is a glossary, and model answers to sample questions. SAGE Study Skills are essential study guides for students of all levels. From how to write great essays and succeeding at university, to writing your undergraduate dissertation and doing postgraduate research, SAGE Study Skills help you get the best from your time at university. Visit the SAGE Study Skills hub for tips, quizzes and videos on study success!

Developed specifically for the social work degree apprenticeship, this book guides apprentices through the unique requirements of this new qualifying route. With contributions from academics, employers and students, it provides a broad and inclusive perspective to build effective working relationships. The social work degree apprenticeship is unlike any other qualifying route to become a professional social worker. Apprentices have to juggling a number of competing demands, balancing their work and learning commitments, the expectations of their employer and those of their university. It can be intense, high-paced and stressful, and very often apprentices are mature students who may not have been in formal learning environment for many years. This book has been written specifically with apprentices in mind and by a range of stakeholders, not just academics, who draw upon their experience and expertise to help apprentices successfully navigate this qualification. Key theoretical concepts are introduced throughout, practical advice given and learning features encourage reflection and application, making this a go-to textbook, whether it’s your first time taking a degree or you’re a mature student returning to study - this is an essential companion to your learning journey, helping you manage your relationship with your university and employer.

This essential guide to study skills takes social work students through every step of their degree journey, providing them with the academic tools they will need to thrive along the way. Inventively informed by the insights and reflections of qualifying students, the book offers effective guidance that is grounded in real experience of the social work degree. It is particularly suited to those in their early years of study and supports students as ′social workers in the making′. The book covers a comprehensive range of the core study skills, including: -Time management -Literature searches -Engaging with research -Responding to new styles of social work learning and teaching -Critical thinking -Academic writing and -Presentations With reflective questions, handy practical tips and links to helpful websites, this accessible handbook is the perfect study companion for every student on the path to professional qualification.

Help your students make the best starts in their careers as a Social Worker. Covering everything they need to know in their first year and beyond, this very practical book will guide them through their degree and into practice. Packed full of case studies, activities and tools for real-life practice, it will: Help students get to grips with and build the essential knowledge and skills base Support them to develop a range of tools for practice with different service user groups Develop their critical thinking and help them to apply their learning in practice Provide them with a springboard for further learning and development.

If social work students are to flourish in their careers, and go beyond a basic sense of ‘competence’ in practice, it is essential to develop a sense of Professional Self. This book will help students develop critical understanding of their own social work practice, and the tools and skills required to become a professional social worker. It includes: Chapters on practising Reflexivity and the importance of Relationships in social work Contributions from leading social work academics A focus on building a professional identity through learning and practice The emphasis is on developing your professionalism, and how that journey translates into everyday practice. To help this growth there are further chapters on getting the best from continuing professional development, challenging poor practice and professionalism and ethics. Professor Jonathan Parker is Deputy Dean for Research and Enterprise and Director of the Centre for Social Work and Social Policy at Bournemouth University. He is currently conducting cross cultural research on learning and practice with colleagues in Southeast Asia. Professor Mark Doel is Professort Emeritus in the Centre for Health and Social Care Research at Sheffiled Hallam University, and a registered social worker. Mark′s research experience is in the fields of practice education, social work practice methods, and service user involvement.