How Social Work Education Fosters Professional Resilience
Student and Newly Qualified Practitioner Perspectives
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6416255 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Clarissa Hitchcock (0000-0002-4213-9751, Southern Cross University, corresponding author), Mark Hughes (0000-0002-1158-5214, Southern Cross University), Lynne Mcpherson (0000-0002-3356-2216, Southern Cross University), Louise Whitaker (0000-0002-2317-4981, Southern Cross University) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 78 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 328-340 |
| Publication date | 2024-07-31 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Australian Social Work (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0312-407X • E-ISSN: 1447-0748 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/0312407x.2024.2374755 |
| OpenAlex | W4401230580 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 32 |
Navigating complex and evolving practice environments requires resilient social workers. However, education's contribution to professional resilience development is underinvestigated. As part of a longitudinal, qualitative study, this article reports the findings on how social workers as students and then newly qualified practitioners perceived how their education fostered professional resilience. In stage one, interviews were conducted with 23 social work students from eight Australian universities in the final 12 months of their Master of Social Work (Qualifying) degree. In stage two, the sample was reduced to 19, with interviews occurring after approximately six months of practice. Framed by critical theory and social constructionism, narrative inquiry guided the analysis of participants' perceptions. The results revealed professional resilience is relational and developed through curricula and pedagogy facilitating connection, building knowledge through critical reflection, and preparing students for the realities and complexities of practice. The study extends evidence that transitioning from student to practitioner is a crucial time in social workers' careers. The findings identify that professional resilience can be fostered by responsive external resources and evidence-based programs offered by universities, practice organisations, and professional bodies
Engineering ethics · Medical education · Pedagogy · Political science · Professional development · Psychological resilience · Public relations · Resilience (materials science · Sociology · Work (physics · Medicine · Occupational Therapy Practice and Research · Psychology · Resilience and Mental Health · Social Psychology · Social Work Education and Practice · Social Work
Reflective-Thinking and Resilience as Predictors of Professionalism in Master of Social Work Students
Social work students’ understanding of professional resilience
Social work students’ perceptions of their readiness for practice and to practise
Self-Compassion in Irish Social Work Students
The Role of Education in Developing Students’ Professional Resilience for Social Work Practice
Bouncing Back?’ Personal Representations of Resilience of Student and Experienced Social Workers
Developing and integrating professional resilience
Perhaps I should be working with potted plants or standing at the fish counter instead?’
Developing Social Work Professional Identity Resilience
Student Constructions of Resilience
Forging an Identity as a Newly Qualified Worker in the Non-government Community Services Sector
Exploring Stress Resilience in Trainee Social Workers
Questioning Tales of ‘Ordinary Magic’
Mapping Social Work Field Education in the 21st Century
Experiencing Resilience through the Eyes of Early Career Social Workers
Developing the Confidence and Competence of Newly Qualified Child and Family Social Workers in England
Towards Agility
Building Resilience in Early-Career Social Workers
Social Work
The Role of Social Work Education in Relation to Empathy and Self-Reported Resilience
Sustaining professional identity during the initial post-qualification period
Do stress and coping influence resilience in social work students? A longitudinal and comparative study from India
Global social work working conditions and wellbeing
The social construction of reality
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 4 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |