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Role-Playing: A Strategy for Practicum Preparation for Foundation Year MSW Students

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Title: Role-Playing: A Strategy for Practicum Preparation for Foundation Year MSW Students
Language: English
Authors: Fulton, A. E., Dimitropoulos, G., Ayala, J., McLaughlin, A. M., Baynton, M., Blaug, C., Collins, T., Elliott, G., Judge-Stasiak, A., Letkemann, L., Ragan, E.
Source: Journal of Teaching in Social Work. 2019 39(2):163-180.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 18
Publication Date: 2019
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Practicums, Field Experience Programs, Social Work, Masters Programs, Graduate Students, Role Playing, Learning Activities, Foreign Countries, Student Attitudes, Skill Development, Empathy, Problem Solving, Instructional Effectiveness, Educational Environment
Geographic Terms: Canada
DOI: 10.1080/08841233.2019.1576573
ISSN: 0884-1233
Abstract: Field practicum plays a central role in social work education by socializing social work students to the profession and facilitating the integration of theoretical knowledge with skill development. Students can be apprehensive about beginning practicum and often lack adequate formal preparation for the practicum experience. This study evaluates role-playing as a prepracticum preparatory activity for foundation year MSW [Master of Social Work] students. Focus groups were conducted with student role-play participants to assess the perceived quality and effectiveness of a role-play activity designed to support practicum preparation. The article concludes with a discussion of pedagogical implications and recommendations for further research.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2019
Accession Number: EJ1211117
Database: ERIC
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  Value: <anid>AN0135800449;8am01apr.19;2019Apr10.07:01;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0135800449-1">Role-Playing: A Strategy for Practicum Preparation for Foundation Year MSW Students </title> <p>Field practicum plays a central role in social work education by socializing social work students to the profession and facilitating the integration of theoretical knowledge with skill development. Students can be apprehensive about beginning practicum and often lack adequate formal preparation for the practicum experience. This study evaluates role-playing as a prepracticum preparatory activity for foundation year MSW students. Focus groups were conducted with student role-play participants to assess the perceived quality and effectiveness of a role-play activity designed to support practicum preparation. The article concludes with a discussion of pedagogical implications and recommendations for further research.</p> <p>Keywords: field education; practicum; role-play; master of social work; foundation year</p> <p>Practicum plays a pivotal role in socializing social work students to the profession and facilitating the integration of theoretical knowledge with skill development (Canadian Council of Social Work Regulators, [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref1">8</reflink>]; Katz, Tufford, Bogo, & Regehr, [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref2">26</reflink>]). In acknowledgment of the critical role that practicum plays in social work education, it is often referred to as social work's "signature pedagogy" (Bogo, [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref3">7</reflink>]; Katz et al., [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref4">26</reflink>]; Wayne, Bogo, & Raskin, [<reflink idref="bib50" id="ref5">50</reflink>]). Foundation year MSW (FY-MSW) students typically are those with a non–social work undergraduate degree who specialize in social work during their graduate studies. As such, FY-MSW students are novices in the implementation of social work theory and skills within professional social work practice contexts.</p> <p>In North America, the typical length of a MSW program for students without an undergraduate degree in social work is approximately two years, with the 1st year dedicated to building generalist social work knowledge and skills and the 2nd year focused on specialization in a specific area of practice (Colby, [<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref6">10</reflink>]). The sequencing of the foundational practicum component varies among social work education programs. The variability in sequencing means that students may have differing levels of coursework preparation prior to engaging in supervised real-world practice in practicum, depending on the structure of the curriculum in their MSW program (Royse, Dhooper, & Badger, [<reflink idref="bib44" id="ref7">44</reflink>]). Although practicum is integral to social work education, formal prepracticum preparation for FY-MSW students has received limited attention in the social work literature.</p> <p>In social work education, practicum takes place in a range of practice settings "under the tutelage of an experienced social worker" (Bogo, [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref8">6</reflink>], p. 13). These experienced social workers who instruct students within practice settings are referred to as "field instructors." In the practicum context, the quality of the student–field instructor relationship is critical to students' participation in learning and therefore to the success of the practicum overall (Bogo, [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref9">6</reflink>]). Research demonstrates that students' emotional states can interfere with learning in practicum settings (Katz et al., [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref10">26</reflink>]). A small number of studies have examined social work students' prepracticum emotional states, and these studies have largely focused on the experience of prepracticum anxiety (Gelman, [<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref11">16</reflink>]; Gelman & Baum, [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref12">17</reflink>]; Gelman & Lloyd, [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref13">18</reflink>]; Katz et al., [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref14">26</reflink>]; Sun, [<reflink idref="bib48" id="ref15">48</reflink>]). Findings suggest that the majority of social work students, including FY-MSW students, approach practicum with apprehension (Gelman & Baum, [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref16">17</reflink>]; Kanno & Koeske, [<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref17">25</reflink>]; Sun, [<reflink idref="bib48" id="ref18">48</reflink>]). This may manifest in practicum as worry and stress, low self-confidence, and challenges with emotion regulation (Baird, [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref19">3</reflink>]). However, FY-MSW students are a heterogeneous group and their levels of prepracticum anxiety vary according to factors such as amount of classroom preparation prior to beginning practicum and previous professional and volunteer experiences (Gelman, [<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref20">16</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0135800449-2">Prepracticum preparation of social work students</hd> <p>Social work students generally benefit from formalized prepracticum preparation (Kanno & Koeske, [<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref21">25</reflink>]; Katz et al., [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref22">26</reflink>]; Rompf, Royse, & Dhooper, [<reflink idref="bib43" id="ref23">43</reflink>]). This preparation, focused on skill development, may enhance students' levels of self-efficacy, reduce burnout, and contribute to greater student satisfaction with the practicum experience (Gelman, [<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref24">16</reflink>]; Kanno & Koeske, [<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref25">25</reflink>]). Responsibility for adequately preparing students for practicum rests primarily with the students' university social work program (Maidment, [<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref26">30</reflink>]). These programs can support preparation for practicum by designing relevant curriculum content and delivering it to students preplacement (Maidment, [<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref27">30</reflink>]). The use of "simulated experience," such as role-playing, has been recommended as a strategy for social work student prepracticum preparation (Katz et al., [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref28">26</reflink>]).</p> <p>Role-playing is widely recognized as an important experiential teaching method in higher education across a range of disciplines (Hubbard, [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref29">22</reflink>]; Nestel & Tierney, [<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref30">36</reflink>]; Rao & Stupans, [<reflink idref="bib42" id="ref31">42</reflink>]; Smith, [<reflink idref="bib45" id="ref32">45</reflink>]). Role-playing encourages active skill, knowledge and attitude development through experimentation and rehearsal (Musselman, [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref33">35</reflink>]). In role-plays participants simulate or "act out" specific case scenarios with the goal of learning how to effectively manage the simulated situation in a real-life context (Hunter & Shaw, [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref34">23</reflink>]; Rao & Stupans, [<reflink idref="bib42" id="ref35">42</reflink>]). Role-playing also facilitates the demonstration of students' developing understanding and competencies to their peers and instructors (Cansever, Avsar, & Tastan, [<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref36">9</reflink>]; Katz et al., [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref37">26</reflink>]; Wheeler & McNelis, [<reflink idref="bib51" id="ref38">51</reflink>]). A unique aspect of role-playing is that it is an active form of learning, simultaneously encompassing the three domains of educational activities described in Bloom's taxonomy (Anderson et al., [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref39">2</reflink>]), namely, the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (attitude) domains (Rao & Stupans, [<reflink idref="bib42" id="ref40">42</reflink>]). Similarly, Kolb's ([<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref41">27</reflink>]) work on experiential learning provides support for role-playing because of its active and applied nature that adds lifelike integration and realism to the learning experience (Hargreaves & Hadlow, [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref42">21</reflink>]; Moss, [<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref43">34</reflink>]).</p> <p>There is a significant body of research regarding the pedagogical application of role-playing in a variety of professional disciplines, including nursing (Billings, [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref44">5</reflink>]), counseling (Rabinowitz, [<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref45">40</reflink>]), clinical psychology (Lane, [<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref46">28</reflink>]; Pomerantz, [<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref47">39</reflink>]), pharmacy (Adrian, Zeszotarski, & Ma, [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref48">1</reflink>]), veterinary medicine (Hunter & Shaw, [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref49">23</reflink>]) and medicine (Cansever et al., [<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref50">9</reflink>]; Nestel & Tierney, [<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref51">36</reflink>]). Research examining the effectiveness of role-playing has demonstrated its superiority to didactic instructional methods, such as lecturing (Barney & Shea, [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref52">4</reflink>]; Jeffries, [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref53">24</reflink>]) and instructor skill modeling (Gockel & Burton, [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref54">19</reflink>]). Role-playing has been shown to be an effective strategy for facilitating skill development in a wide array of areas such as communication, active listening, problem solving, collaboration, and self-regulation, as well as a variety of discipline-specific technical skills (Rao & Stupans, [<reflink idref="bib42" id="ref55">42</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0135800449-3">The study</hd> <p>Although role-playing has been implemented as a pedagogical strategy in social work education for decades (Duckham, Huang, & Tunney, [<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref56">13</reflink>]; Hargreaves & Hadlow, [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref57">21</reflink>]; Miller, [<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref58">32</reflink>]; Mooradian, [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref59">33</reflink>]; Moss, [<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref60">34</reflink>]; Osborne, Benner, Sprague, & Cleveland, [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref61">37</reflink>]; Petracchi, [<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref62">38</reflink>]), the use of role-play simulations for the specific purpose of preparing FY-MSW students for practicum has not been thoroughly investigated (Gockel & Burton, [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref63">19</reflink>]). Building on a recommendation from Katz et al. ([<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref64">26</reflink>]), the present study makes a unique contribution by evaluating role-playing as a prepracticum preparation strategy for FY-MSW students. Of particular concern for student satisfaction and overall success of learning outcomes in practicum is the student–field instructor relationship (Miehls, Everett, Segal, & du Bois, [<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref65">31</reflink>]; Sun, [<reflink idref="bib48" id="ref66">48</reflink>]). Therefore, the role-play activity in this study was targeted toward addressing this specific aspect of the practicum experience.</p> <hd id="AN0135800449-4">Methodology</hd> <p>A convenience sample of 31 FY-MSW students from two major cities in Alberta, Canada (where the University of Calgary Faculty of Social Work offers MSW degree programs) participated in the role-plays and subsequent focus groups. Role-play activities were scheduled a few weeks prior to the start of the practicum.</p> <p>Members of the research team used a number of recruitment procedures to inform students about the study, including brief presentations made during classes and e-mail announcements. Students were informed that their participation in the study was voluntary and that it would consist primarily of attending an hour-long focus group immediately after the role-play activity.</p> <hd id="AN0135800449-5">Role-play activity design and administration</hd> <p>A comprehensive literature search on common challenges that may arise for social work students prior to commencing their first placement informed the development of the role-plays. Guided by the literature, and extensive consultations with experienced field instructors and field education directors and coordinators, a list of issues that are well known to cause concern for FY-MSW students was established as the basis for the role-plays.</p> <p>The research team created five distinct scenarios in collaboration with field instructors and field education coordinators and directors. The first scenario consists of a student experiencing apprehension about starting practicum placement; specifically, the student has a concern that the field instructor may perceive him or her as being incompetent. The student does not think that he or she has sufficient exposure to the organization's mandate or clarity about the student's role to meet with a client and/or community group, as expected of that student. This first scenario was role-played by a member of the research team and a field instructor in a "fishbowl" format to demonstrate the expectations and format of the role-play activity to students. Following the demonstration role-play, the research team member and the field instructor reflected on their experiences of playing the role of a student and/or field instructor. The students also provided their feedback based on their observations of the role-play.</p> <p>In the second scenario, the student and field instructor are experiencing disagreements around developing the content of the student's learning agreement, such as deciding on the learning activities and time lines for completion of tasks. In the third scenario, the student overhears staff discussing private client (or community group) issues in the hallway of the office close to the waiting area. The student is concerned that a client/community group's privacy has been violated. In the fourth scenario, the student receives feedback from the field instructor that the student interprets as negative and overly critical. In the final scenario, the student feels stressed by the volume of work assigned by the field instructor. Despite engaging self-care strategies, the student feels overwhelmed. In all of the preceding scripts, students are encouraged to role-play how they would raise the concerns/issues with the field instructor and a how a field instructor might reasonably respond to the messages being conveyed.</p> <p>On the day of the role-play activity, volunteer field instructors, all experienced in supervising FY-MSW students, were invited to assist the research team to facilitate the role-plays. A comprehensive overview of the purpose and process of the role-plays was provided to the students and the field instructors. The demonstration role-play and discussion are presented and then students were divided into groups of three, provided with three written role-play scenarios, and advised to take turns playing the roles of observer, student and field instructor for the remaining role-plays. A facilitator, who was either a member of the research team or a volunteer field instructor, joined each student triad. Each triad then role-played three case scenarios while being observed by a research team member or volunteer field instructor. Students were encouraged to tailor the role-play scenarios to make them relevant to their practicum contexts (e.g., inpatient hospital setting, nonprofit counseling agency, community development site, etc.). Following each scenario, the facilitator guided the students through a short debriefing of what occurred, provided feedback and answered emerging questions. Student peers also were encouraged to reflect on the activity from the perspective of the particular role they played and to provide feedback to one another. Each role-play took approximately 10 minutes, followed by 15 minutes for debriefing in the small groups.</p> <p>Following the role-plays, students provided their informed consent to participate in three focus groups. The project was approved by the Conjoint Faculties Research Ethics Board at the University of Calgary. Students were informed that their involvement in the focus groups had no influence on their grades, academic status, or practicum placement assignment. Each of the focus groups was cofacilitated by two members of the research team. Using a standardized interview guide, the research team inquired about the overall impressions of students regarding the role-plays, including the content and process, and their input on recommendations for future modifications to the role-play activity, as well as further ideas for supporting student practicum preparation. As an incentive for participation, students were offered a hot lunch and refreshments. The focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim with all identifying information removed.</p> <hd id="AN0135800449-6">Data analysis</hd> <p>Framework analysis, a derivative of thematic analysis (Gale, Heath, Cameron, Rashid, & Redwood, [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref67">15</reflink>]), was employed to analyze the focus group data. Framework analysis is a rigorous and structured yet flexible approach to qualitative data analysis consisting of five steps: familiarizing, identifying the framework, indexing, charting, and interpreting (Smith & Firth, [<reflink idref="bib46" id="ref68">46</reflink>]; Ward, Furber, Tierney, & Swallow, [<reflink idref="bib49" id="ref69">49</reflink>]).</p> <p>The data analysis was led by two researchers who had been involved in conducting the focus groups. Independently, the analysts each coded the three transcripts using a coding matrix to track and ask questions of the data and to identify initial codes and categories. Next, the analysts met with the research team to reflect and review the emerging framework. The framework was refined through reflection, mapping of themes, and follow-up discussions and then was applied back to the data for further analysis and indexing. This process was repeated to allow for additional refinement.</p> <hd id="AN0135800449-7">Findings</hd> <p>The following overarching themes emerged from the framework analysis: personal reflections, exercise reflections, and context reflections. Each theme is explained next.</p> <hd id="AN0135800449-8">Personal reflections</hd> <p>Students reflected on their personal experiences of participating in the role-play activity. Many indicated an increased level of self-awareness regarding the skills required to negotiate and advocate more effectively for themselves in the context of a practicum placement and the student–field instructor relationship. This was accomplished, for some, by testing boundaries in different situations, as this student describes:</p> <p>We just are testing the boundaries right, like "how much can we push forward and when to know that, ok, now you are hitting it and I should kind of move back cause it's not going to be beneficial at this point," so gauge that.</p> <p>The role-plays gave participants insight into the importance of affective and relational issues during practicum. There was a realization for some that they would be required to do personal work to build and maintain a relationship with their field instructor, as this student observed: "actually discussing feelings that you're having in practicum and naming those feelings for your supervisor and how that could potentially help the relationship."</p> <p>Participants also indicated an increase in empathy or understanding for others, particularly their field instructor. By taking on the role and perspective of the field instructor, some students experienced a shift from seeing the field instructor in terms of an authority figure to that of a supportive supervisor: "being in that set of shoes ... 'what does this person actually need and how do I support them?' Imagine yourself in that role and how would you like to be spoken to or how would you like them to bring that up to you?" Students appreciated that field instructors actually "chose to have a student, they generally want to invest in the future of the profession and ... they're really wanting to help us be successful...so that was helpful to me."</p> <p>Students perceived that the role-plays had a positive influence on their communication skills, particularly their ability to self-advocate and to negotiate: "We have to advocate for ourselves, and we have to take the most out of our practicum." They indicated that the role-plays actually "increase the ability to ... have a conversation with a supervisor in a way that's productive but in a way that I can advocate for myself."</p> <p>Effective communication skills and the confidence to express concerns also was noted:</p> <p>The key thing I learned from this entire exercise was to clarify things, which we don't do, because we get intimidated, or we think, "maybe it's just me. I should not talk about it and just see how it goes," but that ends up building into much more. So, I think what's important is to just clarify any misconceptions or any communication errors that might be there with your supervisor.</p> <p>Several students expressed that they felt increased confidence to begin their practicum. Working through potential conflict situations, troubleshooting, and vocalizing their concerns increased their confidence. One student reflecting on the process said, "It's like going for an interview, a job interview. The more you practice the more confident you become at your initial job interview."</p> <hd id="AN0135800449-9">Reflections on the role-plays</hd> <p>Students shared their reflections on the content and process of the role-plays. In terms of content, participants indicated that the role-play scenarios "felt grounded in reality," meaning that they were authentic, that they illustrated situations that students believed they would be likely to encounter. For some students, issues or questions that they had not previously anticipated were raised as a result of participating in the role-playing activity. A participant stated,</p> <p>You're able to learn from everybody and it was realistic so it really got me thinking about stuff I haven't really been thinking about with the practicum so I actually wrote some stuff down to reflect on over the break and maybe look at introducing and talking to my supervisor about.</p> <p>Some participants described the content of the role-plays as unique, although realistic. One commented, "I don't know what it was but it was different than our regular role-plays in class. Something was different and made it feel more real."</p> <p>Regarding the process, students were comfortable with the role-play structure, as this participant indicates: "We were all fairly comfortable in the position of interviewee and interviewer so we could get over that hurdle of potential awkwardness and just roll in to try to take some lessons away." One outcome of engaging in the role-plays was to normalize the practicum, allowing students to share their apprehensions and fears and realize they are not alone. One notes, "I think it normalizes the practicum. ... These are typical things to express concerns and questions with your supervisor or whoever your working with, it actually is a positive thing to improve your practicum." Observing classmates during the role-plays was also beneficial. One student shared her anxiety: "I am actually feeling really nervous even just watching them try to broach the subject and I found it made it much more real."</p> <hd id="AN0135800449-10">Field instructor inclusion</hd> <p>The inclusion of the field instructors contributed to the authenticity and realism of the role-play content. Having field instructors as a part of the role-plays enabled students to get a sense of how to approach their field instructors, as well as to refine expectations about these encounters. As one student observed, "I really liked having the outside facilitator [field instructor] come in. For one of [the scenarios] she gave us ideas about how the supervisor might feel if we said certain things and that was really helpful to know." Participating with the field instructors helped to lower anxiety for some students: "I saw that the field instructor was being supportive and kind and I was like oh, ok." The feedback provided by the field instructors was especially important for the students because it was from real supervisors speaking from their actual experience supervising students.</p> <hd id="AN0135800449-11">Debriefing process</hd> <p>One valued aspect of the role-play exercise was the opportunity for students to process their learning through debriefing. Students had the opportunity to discuss the role-plays both in their triads and in the larger focus groups. This provided opportunities to hear how other participants were thinking about and approaching different scenarios, as this student explains: "Being with people who might approach the situation differently than you and then thinking about like 'oh! if that works for them how can I make this work for me.'" One of the students articulated the value of the dialogue: "That dialogue was super helpful to think about so without that I don't think I would have gotten as much. ... The debriefing after each scenario was great." The debriefing process allowed robust discussions with field instructors to emerge in the role-plays. One student put it this way:</p> <p>I actually took the most from this experience probably from the conversation we had. I did take away from the scenarios as well but I think it was really valuable to be able to put them in context and sort of ask questions and make suggestions and have space for that.</p> <p>The group discussions were flexible, responsive to students' questions and experiences, and thus perceived as being highly relevant. For many participants it was the freedom to have an open dialogue about issues raised by the scenarios that facilitated the learning.</p> <hd id="AN0135800449-12">Reflection on learning context</hd> <p>The final thematic category encompassed reflections that participants had on issues beyond the specifics of the role-plays. These included issues such as grappling with the logistics and other practicalities of practicum, understanding the learning agreement, and having thoughts about the safety of the classroom. Practically speaking, participants had an opportunity to gain clarity about day-to-day expectations and roles. They also began to understand their own agency as responsible adult learners. Regarding the student–field instructor relationship, for example, a student stated, "At first I thought the power only is with the instructor. In talking I can see that I also have some power too, to negotiate, and [it's] based on the contract [learning] agreement." Finally, many students appeared to gain a greater understanding and appreciation for the practicum learning agreement and how it could help navigate challenges that students might encounter, facilitate accountability, and provide an opportunity to equalize power between student and field instructor. As one student indicated, "I didn't really know what a learning agreement was like in a concrete term. I kind of knew what it was abstractly but I didn't know what it looked like really." Another summarized her new perspective: "[The] learning agreement is so important because it's not only for us to know what we are doing but if things are off track you can bring accountability to it."</p> <hd id="AN0135800449-13">Safety</hd> <p>Some participants found that working together as a group to problem solve and brainstorm was useful and provided a safe environment, as this student indicates:</p> <p>I just like that it was a safe place to say things that you may not have been able to. So, to experiment in that ... you know usually I am quite direct so knowing that I can be quite direct in this safer environment and see kind of temporarily how it will pan out.</p> <p>This gave participants the opportunity to try new ways of behaving without fear of judgment, and they approached the exercise like team members: "How can we work together so that we can all address the concerns?" This safe environment appeared to be important for some students as they expressed that they had intense emotional feelings heading into their practicum.</p> <p>We have a lot of questions and we are processing a lot of the feelings that surround our practicum that everyone has had and some pretty intense ones so ... to have the space to not necessarily have to follow the strict schedule of the role-plays was helpful because it was nice to be able to process some of the things that came up.</p> <hd id="AN0135800449-14">Discussion</hd> <p>The evaluation of role-playing as a strategy for practicum preparation of FY-MSW students suggests that role-playing is a promising strategy for social work education programs to prepare students for practicum, particularly for engaging in important conversations with their field instructor and developing the supervisory relationship. The findings of this study contribute to the literature because, although role-playing has been suggested as a possible strategy for formal prepracticum preparation (Rompf et al., [<reflink idref="bib43" id="ref70">43</reflink>]), existing evidence regarding the utility and effectiveness of role-playing for practicum preparation is minimal (Gockel & Burton, [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref71">19</reflink>]).</p> <p>Consistent with the existing literature, the role-play activity was beneficial to student learning and reflected each of the three domains of learning described in Bloom's taxonomy (Anderson et al., [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref72">2</reflink>]): the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (attitude) domains (Rao & Stupans, [<reflink idref="bib42" id="ref73">42</reflink>]). It also built on the knowledge, values, skills, behaviors, and cognitive/affective components of four Council on Social Work Education ([<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref74">11</reflink>]) generalist practice competencies, specifically the following:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities;</item> <p></p> <item> Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities;</item> <p></p> <item> Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities; and</item> <p></p> <item> Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities.</item> </ulist> <p>Table 1 summarizes the key learning outcomes identified under each domain of learning from Bloom's taxonomy and the relevant CSWE competencies. Linking together the role-play activity learning outcomes, learning domains, and competencies illustrates the alignment of the process and outcomes involved in the role-play activity that support assessment of foundation or generalist-level practice readiness.</p> <p>TABLE 1. Learning Outcomes of Prepracticum Role-Playing in Relation to Domains of Learning</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead><tr><td>Domain of learning</td><td>Role-play learning outcome</td><td>CSWE competency descriptors</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Cognitive (acquiring new knowledge)</td><td><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>Increased self-awareness of skills, such as negotiation and self-advocacy</p></list-item><list-item><p>Identification of potential situations that may arise in the context of practicum</p></list-item><list-item><p>Adjusted expectations about practicum</p></list-item><list-item><p>Challenged assumptions about what practicum would be like in comparison with other educational and lived experiences (i.e., a practicum is different from employment)</p></list-item><list-item><p>Highlighted the importance of relational issues during practicum (i.e., student–field instructor relationship)</p></list-item><list-item><p>Heightened appreciation of the need to actively contribute to the development and implementation of the learning agreement</p></list-item></list></td><td>Social workers <list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>understand strategies to engage diverse clients and constituencies to advance practice effectiveness<sup>a</sup></p></list-item><list-item><p>understand that evaluation is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice<sup>b</sup></p></list-item><list-item><p>recognize the importance of evaluating</p></list-item></list> processes and outcomes to advance practice, policy, and service delivery effectiveness<sup>c</sup><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>understand theories of human</p></list-item></list> behavior and the social environment, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge to effectively intervene<sup>d</sup> and evaluate outcomes<sup>c</sup><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>understand qualitative and quantitative methods for evaluating outcomes and practice effectiveness<sup>c</sup></p></list-item></list></td></tr><tr><td>Psychomotor (developing skills)</td><td><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>Practiced establishing appropriate boundaries</p></list-item><list-item><p>Developed communication skills, particularly the ability to self-advocate and to negotiate regarding learning goals and needs</p></list-item></list></td><td>Social workers <list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>understand theories of human behavior and the social environment, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge<sup>d</sup></p></list-item></list></td></tr><tr><td>Affective (self-regulating emotions)</td><td><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>Demonstrated increased empathy for others (i.e., relating to the emotions of other students regarding beginning practicum)</p></list-item><list-item><p>Enhanced self-confidence regarding beginning practicum</p></list-item><list-item><p>Normalization of their feelings</p></list-item></list></td><td>Social workers <list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>value the importance of ... teamwork and communication<sup>d</sup></p></list-item><list-item><p>value the importance of human relationships<sup>a</sup></p></list-item><list-item><p>understand how their</p></list-item></list> personal experiences and affective reactions may affect their assessment and decision-making<sup>b</sup>, and impact their ability to effectively engage with others<sup>a</sup><list list-type="Bullet"><list-item><p>use empathy, reflection, and interpersonal skills to effectively engage diverse clients and constituencies<sup>a</sup></p></list-item></list></td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <ulist> <item>5 <sups>a</sups>Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities</item> <item>6 <sups>b</sups>Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities</item> <item>7 <sups>c</sups>Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities</item> <item>8 <sups>d</sups>Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0135800449-15">Perceived effectiveness of the role-plays</hd> <p>Katz et al. ([<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref75">26</reflink>]) stated that the majority of social work students approach practicum with anxiety levels significantly elevated enough to interfere with their learning processes. The findings of our study indicate that perceived levels of anxiety, specifically related to field instructor interactions, had been reduced for some students following participation in the role-play activity. However, role-playing potentially tense or uncomfortable conversations with field instructors also caused some students to self-identify underlying anxiety about their upcoming practicum of which they were not previously conscious. A similar phenomenon has been identified in past investigations of social work student role-play experiences (Duckham et al., [<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref76">13</reflink>]; Gockel et al., [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref77">20</reflink>]). Other students reported that they had identified "a lot of feelings" about practicum prior to engaging in the role-play activity and that the activity helped them with "processing" some of those feelings.</p> <hd id="AN0135800449-16">Perceived quality of the role-plays</hd> <p>The quality of role-play activities is a factor in determining their perceived pedagogical effectiveness (Larson et al., [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref78">29</reflink>]). Perceptions regarding the effectiveness of role-plays in aiding skill development appears to be connected to the perceived strength of learning outcomes. Careful advanced planning and preparation of numerous elements associated with design and implementation are vital to maximize the quality of role-plays (Billings, [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref79">5</reflink>]; Moss, [<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref80">34</reflink>]; Nestel & Tierney, [<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref81">36</reflink>]; Rao & Stupans, [<reflink idref="bib42" id="ref82">42</reflink>]; Stobbs, [<reflink idref="bib47" id="ref83">47</reflink>]). These elements can be divided into the following categories: environment, structure and content, and process.</p> <hd id="AN0135800449-17">Environment</hd> <p>The literature emphasizes the importance of conducting role-play activities within a safe and supportive environment (Hunter & Shaw, [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref84">23</reflink>]; Stobbs, [<reflink idref="bib47" id="ref85">47</reflink>]). In the present study, the participants attributed feeling safe to their familiarity with one another as classmates. Based on extensive use of role-playing as a pedagogical strategy in their classes, the students had established rapport and already were socialized to approach role-playing from a stance of openness, curiosity, inclusiveness, and mutual respect. This prior experience likely influenced their approach to engagement with their peers and the facilitators during these role-plays (Duckham et al., [<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref86">13</reflink>]; Hargreaves & Hadlow, [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref87">21</reflink>]; Nestel & Tierney, [<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref88">36</reflink>]). No students reported feeling upset or distressed due to their participation in the role-play activity (Stobbs, [<reflink idref="bib47" id="ref89">47</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0135800449-18">Structure and content</hd> <p>According to the participants, inclusion of volunteer field instructors as facilitators who brought real-life practice experience to the activity generated a sense of authenticity that was valued. The students stated that although the role-play case scenarios were realistic, the overall authenticity of the experience could have been strengthened. Some suggested that providing more challenging case scenarios might have maximized their learning. Students also recommended the inclusion of additional volunteer field instructors as facilitators in future iterations.</p> <hd id="AN0135800449-19">Process</hd> <p>Three stages of a role-playing activity have been identified: briefing, running, and debriefing (Billings, [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref90">5</reflink>]; Hubbard, [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref91">22</reflink>]). An important finding that emerged is that the students expressed that they would have benefitted from more detailed briefing, particularly information about the various roles prescribed for the role-plays and the content and format of the practicum learning agreement. Students reported that they valued the opportunities to debrief as an important occasion to reflect and ask additional questions about the content they had encountered in the role-play scenarios. We interpret that both small-group and large-group debriefing were vital to the facilitation of an open, reflective, and responsive learning process.</p> <p>Completion of the role-plays in vivo is also an important consideration. In vivo role-plays are different from the implementation of virtual simulations that are being developed in other social work education programs around the globe (Dodds, Heslop, & Meredith, [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref92">12</reflink>]). A critical difference is that the role-play activity presented here involves engaging field instructors directly in a classroom-based teaching-learning encounter rather than in a simulated virtual context. Direct engagement of field instructors and students together in the classroom aided students in making connections between their classroom learning and the field through direct in-person engagement and communication.</p> <p>Bringing field instructors into the classroom deepens the integrative relationship between the classroom and field practice elements of social work education by modeling the "relational connectedness" of the two both for students and for social work practitioners (Earls Larrison & Korr, [<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref93">14</reflink>], p. 201). In the role-play activity, this relational connectedness was facilitated by field instructors serving as reflective listeners and facilitators providing reflective supervision during the debriefings. During the debriefings, field instructors provided feedback and insights to the students, giving them the opportunity to experience what engaging in reflective supervision with their actual field instructor could be like once they begin their practicum placement. The focus of reflective supervision is on constructing knowledge through human interaction, critical thinking, transparency, and exploration of multiple perspectives and positionings, resulting in identity development and the formation of shared understandings that can then be "transported into practice" and result in "transformative action" (Rankine, [<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref94">41</reflink>], p. 67). Reflective supervision is a critical component of experiential learning because it guides students toward "transformational changes in thinking and behavior ... both personally and professionally" (Rankine, [<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref95">41</reflink>], p. 68).</p> <hd id="AN0135800449-20">Limitations</hd> <p>This study has several limitations. Whereas student-to-student role-playing can be time and cost-effective (Billings, [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref96">5</reflink>]; Hargreaves & Hadlow, [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref97">21</reflink>]; Hunter & Shaw, [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref98">23</reflink>]), its quality can be affected by the participants feeling uncomfortable about giving feedback to their peers (Katz et al., [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref99">26</reflink>]). This reality can result in comments and feedback that lack depth, or inaccurately align with the intended learning objectives (Duckham et al., [<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref100">13</reflink>]). Having field instructors and research team members serve as facilitators (who were present with each student triad throughout the role-play activity) helped to address this issue. Two recommendations emerge from this experience: (a) The use of standardized clients may strengthen the quality of the role-plays in future iterations, and (b) having more field instructor facilitators would ensure active and responsive engagement of all students.</p> <p>Because the entire cohort of FY-MSW students was invited to participate in the role-plays and focus groups, there was no control group against which to measure concrete results such as the reduction of prepracticum anxiety. Similarly, no standardized measures, such as pre-post test anxiety levels, were used. Finally, no demographic information about the participants was collected, limiting our ability to describe the participants' characteristics and assess whether the findings are influenced by variables such as participant age, ethnicity, gender, or years of work experience.</p> <p>All of the participants in the study had completed one semester of graduate social work education prior to engaging in the role-play activity; however, graduate social work education programs may sequence the practicum at different times within their curricula. Timing and sequencing of the practicum within the degree program may be a factor in prepracticum preparedness that the present study did not account for. This factor could be assessed in future investigations of practicum preparation strategies.</p> <p>Finally, because field instructors volunteered to participate in the activity, we engaged a convenience sample of practicum instructors who were likely highly process-orientated individuals with a strong sense of commitment, interest in engaging with students in a group format, and eager to reflectively share their practice wisdom and expertise. Not all field instructors may be interested or well equipped to participate in such a teaching and learning encounter. For example, this type of activity may not appeal to field instructors who are more task (rather than process) oriented. Indeed, students may encounter field instructors with a variety of different styles, skills, and interests once they begin their practicum placements. A recommendation for future iterations of this role-play activity is to provide students with information on various supervisory styles as part of their briefing and then include a scenario that requires students to engage in a discussion around identifying the field instructor's supervision style and approach and how it fits with the student's learning style and needs.</p> <hd id="AN0135800449-21">Implications</hd> <p>The findings hold some implications for social work education. First, the role-play activity affirmed the importance of providing prepracticum preparation for FY-MSW students. Role-playing, held within a safe learning environment, was demonstrated to be an effective method to address students' prepracticum anxiety and contributed to a normalization of students' apprehensions about practicum. The role-plays also facilitated open discussion about the power dynamics in the student–field instructor relationship and the importance of communication between students and their supervisors. As well, incorporating the role-playing activity as part of prepracticum orientation for FY-MSW students facilitated communication among students and field education faculty and staff regarding roles, responsibilities, terminology, expectations, accountability, ethics, and the learning agreement. Social work education programs of course can tailor the content of role-plays to their unique contexts, circumstances, and student needs. Additional research is required to further develop, refine, and evaluate role-playing as a strategy for social work practicum preparation for FY-MSW students. This research could also expand to evaluate implementation with undergraduate social work students. 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  Group: Ti
  Data: Role-Playing: A Strategy for Practicum Preparation for Foundation Year MSW Students
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  Data: English
– Name: Author
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Fulton%2C+A%2E+E%2E%22">Fulton, A. E.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Dimitropoulos%2C+G%2E%22">Dimitropoulos, G.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ayala%2C+J%2E%22">Ayala, J.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22McLaughlin%2C+A%2E+M%2E%22">McLaughlin, A. M.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Baynton%2C+M%2E%22">Baynton, M.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Blaug%2C+C%2E%22">Blaug, C.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Collins%2C+T%2E%22">Collins, T.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Elliott%2C+G%2E%22">Elliott, G.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Judge-Stasiak%2C+A%2E%22">Judge-Stasiak, A.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Letkemann%2C+L%2E%22">Letkemann, L.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ragan%2C+E%2E%22">Ragan, E.</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Teaching+in+Social+Work%22"><i>Journal of Teaching in Social Work</i></searchLink>. 2019 39(2):163-180.
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  Data: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 18
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2019
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Practicums%22">Practicums</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Field+Experience+Programs%22">Field Experience Programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Work%22">Social Work</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Masters+Programs%22">Masters Programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Graduate+Students%22">Graduate Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Role+Playing%22">Role Playing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Learning+Activities%22">Learning Activities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Attitudes%22">Student Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Skill+Development%22">Skill Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Empathy%22">Empathy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Problem+Solving%22">Problem Solving</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Instructional+Effectiveness%22">Instructional Effectiveness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Environment%22">Educational Environment</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Canada%22">Canada</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1080/08841233.2019.1576573
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0884-1233
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Field practicum plays a central role in social work education by socializing social work students to the profession and facilitating the integration of theoretical knowledge with skill development. Students can be apprehensive about beginning practicum and often lack adequate formal preparation for the practicum experience. This study evaluates role-playing as a prepracticum preparatory activity for foundation year MSW [Master of Social Work] students. Focus groups were conducted with student role-play participants to assess the perceived quality and effectiveness of a role-play activity designed to support practicum preparation. The article concludes with a discussion of pedagogical implications and recommendations for further research.
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  Data: 2019
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  Data: EJ1211117
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        Value: 10.1080/08841233.2019.1576573
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      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 18
        StartPage: 163
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      – SubjectFull: Practicums
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      – TitleFull: Role-Playing: A Strategy for Practicum Preparation for Foundation Year MSW Students
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