Integration of the Disaster Component into Social Work Curriculum

Teaching Undergraduate Social Work Research Methods Course during Covid-19

Bibliographic Data

ID10896205
AuthorsHaorui Wu (0000-0002-6314-0452, Dalhousie University, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume51
Issue5
Pages1799-1819
Publication date2021-07-28
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe British Journal of Social Work (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0045-3102 • E-ISSN: 1468-263X
PublisherOxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1093/bjsw/bcab110
OpenAlexW3186668401
LanguageEN
Citations received13
References cited50

This article aims to develop community-contextualised pedagogical innovations to embed disaster components into core social work curriculum through a research methods course. Professional social work education continues to lack a community-contextualised curriculum and professional training that reflects the complexities of extreme events associated with community and human service. This absence jeopardises the advancement of social work engagement in better providing humanitarian support for individuals, families and communities affected by extreme events. Through an undergraduate social work research methods course, this case study qualitatively analysed the instructor’s teaching experience, self-reflection and in-class observation. The study presents three major community-contextualised pedagogical innovations of integrating disaster components into the research methods course: public media critique, amidst-disaster community-based participation and observation and practice situation discussion. These pedagogical efforts support the students’ exploration and development of various research paradigms and strengthen their ability to connect research with practice, thus addressing the community-driven, short-term necessities and long-term development requirements. This contextualising process, which forms a community-based living laboratory, inspires instructors to integrate community-driven characteristics into their pedagogical instruments. The process illustrates a potential pedagogical framework for research methods courses, in particular, and for social work curriculum, in general

Class (philosophy) · Community engagement · Curriculum · Engineering ethics · Pedagogy · Political science · Process (computing) · Professional development · Public relations · Sociology · Work (physics) · Computer Science · Disaster Management and Resilience · Disaster Response and Management · Engineering · Social Work Education and Practice · Social Work

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