ERIC Number: EJ1113279
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0884-1233
EISSN: N/A
Continuing Education for the Emerging Social Work Profession in China: The Experiment in Shenzhen
Lam, Ching Man; Yan, Miu Chung; Liang, Yan
Journal of Teaching in Social Work, v36 n4 p390-406 2016
In-service training as a form of continuing professional education (CPE) is important for social work professionals to maintain their skills and enhance their knowledge for publicly accountable practice. These goals are concerns in Mainland China, which has experienced rapid development in social work since economic reforms started in the early 1980s. This article reports the findings of a qualitative study that explored the in-service training experience of 36 social workers in the major city of Shenzhen, an "important role model" for social work development in China. The findings reveal that participants expect in-service training to be practical and applicable, and their narrative accounts reveal first a disconnect between their needs and the in-service training provided, and second their quest for value-based training to sustain their commitment to the social work profession. To strengthen CPE for social workers in China, a more consultative, flexible, and customized approach, as well as an experiential learning model, are needed. In light of these findings, the authors discuss the role and functions of CPE in a China-specific context and reflect on how CPE can be better delivered to meet the needs of current social workers in China.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Social Work, Professional Continuing Education, Experimental Programs, Inservice Education, Qualitative Research, Interviews, Counselor Attitudes, Caseworkers, Educational Practices, Educational Objectives, Educational Needs, Alignment (Education), Values
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: China
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A