Prof. Davis Launches Study on COVID-19 Impact on Social Work Field Education

Professor Ashley Davis and colleague Rebecca Mirick (SSW’02), assistant professor at Salem State University, launched a mixed methods survey to social work students at CSWE-accredited schools nationwide to learn how social work students have experienced the abrupt changes to their field education due to the COVID-19 crisis.

While advising MSW students as the global pandemic caused the end of traditional field placements, Davis realized there was a story to tell on how students were learning about social work practice in an unexpected environment. When the national emergency was declared on March 13th, schools of social work responded with changes to what students could do at their field placements, many creating alternative, remote work plans.

The survey explores the following:

• Directives students were given from their schools and placements agencies
• Student experiences with unexpected terminations and remote service delivery
• Students’ descriptions of what they are learning about social work practice from the pandemic
• How social work students have been personally affected, as many are experiencing the same psychosocial stressors as their clients

The researchers have a sample of 1,504 students from 39 states across the country, including 881 MSW and 623 BSW students. An initial summary will be shared on the Council on Social Work Education’s Spark! forum in late April.