Fieldwork Guidelines for Social Work Students during COVID-19: The Experience of a University in Meghalaya

Abstract

COVID-19 affected social work education, particularly fieldwork, leaving the curriculum incomplete. The article focuses on the scope of expanding the fieldwork practicum post-COVID-19 through the development of fieldwork guidelines by the School of Social Work, Martin Luther Christian University, Meghalaya. A mixed method approach was adopted to conduct the study. The sample comprised 85 undergraduate and post-graduate social work students studying in the institute. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the fieldwork guidelines in fostering creativity, flexibility, autonomy, leadership roles, cultural competency, analytical and problem-solving abilities among students, thereby reflecting the scope of fieldwork in communities post-pandemic.

Keywords: social work education, fieldwork practicum, COVID-19, lockdown, social work students, fieldwork guidelines

DOI: 10.32444/IJSW.2024.85.1.31-50