ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about unprecedented challenges for social work education in South African institutions of higher learning. Fieldwork practice, also known as practicum, is a critical component of social work education that affords students an opportunity to integrate theory with practice by applying all methods of intervention using the values, complex practices, and skills of the social work profession. It not only exposes students to various social environments, but also prepares them for the reality in which they will practice. Many universities have adopted, since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, hybrid forms of teaching, but fieldwork practice is difficult to implement in hybrid form. Thus, fieldwork practice is experiencing multi-layered challenges that are hindering the life-changing experiences for students. Whilst COVID-19 imposes challenges on social work education, it also creates opportunities to review the curriculum and create innovative ways of delivering fieldwork practice. The chapter examines the need for a shift in the delivery of fieldwork practice to accommodate current and future changes that affect the traditional delivery. It acknowledges the importance of adopting a pedagogy that embraces technology while suggesting consideration of other ways of delivery where the use of technology is not possible.
Ubhubhane iCovid-19 uze nemingeni engumnqa kwimfundo yezentlalontle kumaziko anemfundo enomsila kwilizwe loMzantsi Afrika. Umsebenzi ogxile kuqhelaniso, nowaziwa ngokuba licandelo lokuziqhelisa kwizifundo, lelona candelo lingundoqo kwizifundo zobuntlalontle, nelinika abafundi ithuba lokudibanisa ingcingane (ithiyori) nemeko yokuziqhelanisa ngokomsebenzi, ngokubandakanya zonke iindlela zongenelelo kusetyenziswa iinqobo zemilinganiselo, iimeko zokuziqhelanisa ezixananazileyo, kuquka nezakhono zomsebenzi wobuntlalontle. Oku akubakrobisi nje kuphela abafundi kwimimandla eyahlukileyo yentlalo, koko kubalungiselela nenkqu yemeko abaza kusebenza kuyo. Ukusukela mhla kwagqabhuka ubhubhane weCovid-19, uninzi lweeyunivesithi zamkela iindlela ezintlandlu-mbini zokufundisa, kodwa kwaphawuleka ukuba olu hlobo lwemfundo entlandlu-mbini lunzima xa kufikelela ekufundisweni kwemisebenzi yokuziqhelanisa. Ngenxa yoku ke, umsebenzi wokuziqhelanisa uye ujongane nemingeni eyahlukeneyo, mingeni leyo ikhangeleka isisithintelo ekubeni abafundi bazuze amava anokuza notshintsho kubomi babo. Nangona iCovid-19 isiza nemingeni kwimfundo yezentlalontle, ikwadala namathuba okuhlaziywa kwekharityhulam kwanokuyilwa kweendlela eziphuhlileyo zokunikezelwa kwemfundo yokuziqhelanisa. Esi sahluko sihlola sikwacubungula isidingo sotshintsho kwindlela ekunikezelwa okanye ekufundiswa ngayo imfundo yokuziqhelanisa, oku kusenziwa ngeenjongo zokulungiselela utshintsho olugqubayo nolwexesha elizayo oluchaphazela iindlela zantlandlolo zokufundisa. Olu phando luyakwamkela ukubaluleka kokusetyenziswa kwendlela yokufundisa engabuchasiyo ubuchwepheshe bale mihla, kodwa ikwanika neengcebiso malunga nokwamkelwa nokusetyenziswa kwezinye iindlela zokufundisa eziveza kunzima okanye kungelula ncam ukusetyenziswa kobuchwepheshe okanye iteknoloji.
