Practice education in social work
A scoping review of existing research
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 14661990 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Mark Gregory (0000-0002-7428-9447, University of East Anglia, corresponding author), Laura Cook (0000-0002-4459-2592, University of East Anglia), Tom Butt (University of East Anglia), Joanna Shakespeare (University of East Anglia) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 44 |
| Issue | 8 |
| Pages | 1908-1925 |
| Publication date | 2025-11-17 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Work Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0261-5479 • E-ISSN: 1470-1227 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/02615479.2024.2448478 |
| OpenAlex | W4406465889 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 48 |
Practice learning is central to the pedagogy of social work education; it enables students to link theory and practice, and supports them to develop the knowledge, skills, and behaviors required to enter the profession. In England, practice educators—experienced qualified social workers who have undertaken relevant training—are responsible for providing learning opportunities and assessing students’ practice learning. This article outlines a scoping review of research on practice education in the United Kingdom (UK). Thirty-seven empirical studies based in the UK were identified, covering four aspects of practice education: working with students, relationships and emotional labor, the practice education system, and the wider context of practice education. This review highlights that practice educators manage a complex array of relationships and demands placed upon them, whilst working at the interface of competing conceptions of social work. Research indicates there is often limited recognition and support for practice educators, and this lack of attention is reflected in relatively scant research on the experiences of practice educators and the skills required for the role. Greater recognition and support are needed to sustain the practice educator workforce, and more research is required to better understand the needs and experiences of practice educators
Engineering ethics · Medical education · Pedagogy · Political science · Sociology · Engineering · Interprofessional Education and Collaboration · Medicine · Mental Health and Patient Involvement · Psychology · Social Work Education and Practice · Social Work
‘An altruistic act to give back’—the social work practice educator role in Ireland
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – the experiences of social work practice educators in three organisations in England
Adaptation and validation of the Suitability Scale for Social Work Practice (SSSWP) in a sample of Chilean field supervisors
The practice educator’s gaze and Black international students’ shoulders caught in complex and controversial social work placement contexts
Steps for Conducting a Scoping Review
Enhancing the scoping study methodology
Social Work Education and Practice Learning at a Crossroads
The Importance of Agency Culture and Support in Recruiting and Retaining Social Workers to Supervise Students on Placement
Critical incident analyses
Narrative Practice and Social Work Education
From Practitioner to Practice Educator
Consideration of Practice Education within a Regional Teaching Partnership Employing a Communities of Practice Lens
Using Visual Methodology
The best and the brightest’
Supervision as a Dispersed Practice
How Power Dynamics and Relationships Interact with Assessment of Competence
An Active Conversation Each Week in Supervision’
Towards an International Consensus on a Research Agenda for Social Work Supervision
The Impact of Social Work Student Failure upon Practice Educators
Evaluating Fast Track Social Work-Qualifying Programmes
Gender at Work
Emotional Labour in Social Workers’ Encounters with Children and Their Families
Getting to Know the Context
The Dilemmas of Contemporary Social Work
Contrasts and reflections
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 4 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |