SO-601 Reflective Processes in Professional Practice

The course is connected to the following study programs

• PhD Programme in Social Sciences

Teaching language

English

Recommended prerequisites

The students must satisfy the admissions requirements of the PhD programme specialisation in Social Work and Sociology.

Course contents

Social work develops within local, national and global contexts. Reflectivity is to see and understand oneself within a context. Through this course students will reflect and theorize the social worker’s understanding of her/himself and their practices. Students will reveal their subjectivity related to background, professional position and current PhD project. Reflectivity in professional practice will be emphasized through discursive, ethical, narrative and critical processes. The aim of the course is to enable participants to strengthen their critical reflections and to increase understanding of situational and contextual practices. To enhance reflective processes the course will provide knowledge about ethical dimensions in social work, professional discretion, different discourses and narrative approaches.

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, the students should have

• Knowledge at the most advanced frontier of the discursive, ethical, narrative and critical processes in professional practice.

• Acquired skills through reflective processes contributing to the identification and to analysing challenges in professional practice

• The competence to demonstrate substantial scholarly and professional integrity and sustained commitment to the development of new ideas or processes at the forefront of social work research.

Examination requirements

Students need to attend a one week on-campus programme. Presence is mandatory (MP). Mandatory requirements: 75% presence. If students do not fulfil the MP requirement, students will have to pass an assignment given by the course coordinators in order to take the course exam.

Teaching methods

Lectures, seminars, group work and individual work – adapted to different modes of study. Throughout the course, there will be sessions where students will be given tasks related to the final individual exam. Students will receive feedback on their work from other students and from the course leaders.

Evaluation

The study programme manager, in consultation with the student representative, decides the method of evaluation and whether the courses will have a midterm- or end of term evaluation, see also the Quality System, section 4.1. Information about evaluation method for the course will be posted on Canvas.

Offered as Single Standing Module

Yes. Subject to availability or capacity.

Assessment methods and criteria

Course paper approximately 5000 words. The paper will be assessed as a pass/fail. A pass is equivalent to the grade B or better.