Methodology of Progressive Social Work Education

Murli Desai, pp. 192, Rs. 475, Rawat Publications

As a direct outcome of undertaking the University Grants Commission-sponsored curriculum development project (1986 to 1990) and conducting refresher courses for teachers (since 1989) for social work education, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) felt a need for a continued process for curriculum planning and teacher development for social work education. A Social Work Education and Practice Cell was, therefore, set up at the Institute in January 1992. The purpose of the Cell is training, research and resource development on methodology of social work education, through the following functions, at the local, national and international levels: 

• Training of social work educators, at various levels and through various modes;
• Curriculum and resource development on social work education and its methodology for institutions, educators and students;
• Consultation, capacity building and collaboration with institutions for social work education, professional associations and councils, and relevant government, voluntary and international organisations;
• Research on social work education and practice; and
• Development and dissemination of a data bank and a documentation centre on social work education, practice, professional associations and councils and literature on methodology of social work education.

The Cell has initiated to develop and disseminate a sourcebook series for education in social work and allied disciplines such as home science and development studies. These source books will be useful for the following groups:

• Academic institutions: to revise their curriculum in order to make it more relevant to meet the contemporary needs in the historical context and also local and national needs in the international context.
• Teachers: to plan and teach their subjects.
• Students: as learning handbooks.
• Practitioners: to update their knowledge, attitude and skills in the field.
• Academic staff colleges, teacher trainers and continuing education departments of these institutions: for conducting refresher training programmes for teachers, field supervisors and practitioners.
• Researchers: to identify the key concepts, theories and Issues.

The series will be particularly useful for institutions where libraries are non-existent or have meagre resources. It will also benefit institutions in other countries that would like the inter-national or cross-cultural orientation in their teaching, training and research pursuits.

Writing for this sourcebook on Methodology of Progressive Social Work Education has been a fascinating journey of reading, reflections and implementation and interactions with colleagues within and outside the TISS and students through different phases of my career as a social work educator.

• The chapter on 'Methodology of Progressive Social Work Knowledge Development' has its source in my work with a research unit in the Institute - the Unit for Family Studies - which was then linked to the Social Work Department of Family and Child Welfare. Besides carrying out social work research and publishing articles on it, I conducted workshops with students on how social work research has to apply social research methodology to improve social work practice. I also published a special issue of The Indian Journal of Social Work (IJSW) on 'Social Work Literature'.
• The chapter on 'Methodology of Progressive Social Work Knowledge Dissemination and Retrieval' emerged during my tenure as the Associate Editor of IJSW. My work in this position culminated in preparation of a Handbook of Management of IJSW and organising a National Workshop on Knowledge Development and Dissemination of Social Work Knowledge, on the 60th anniversary of the journal. A special issue of IJSW on this theme is in press.
• The chapters, relating to methodologies of building a perspective, curriculum development and teaching-learning and evaluation for progressive social work education, had their beginning in the form of handouts prepared for participants of Refresher Courses for Social Work Educators, conducted by the Cell. The chapter on 'Methodology of Building a Perspective for Progressive Social Work Education' is adapted from a paper that I presented at the National Seminar on Standards for Assessment of Quality in Social Work Education.
• The chapter on 'Methodology of Progressive Training Programmes' has its source in conducting refresher courses as well as the training programme I organised with other colleagues on Life Enrichment Programme and preparation of sourcebooks for the same.

The draft sourcebook on Methodology of Social Work Education formed an important reference document for planning the National Seminar on Standards for Assessment of Quality in Social Work Education, organised by the TISS in November 2003, as well as the preparation of the Manual on Assessment and Accreditation of Social Work Education Programme, on invitation by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council. The sourcebook will further facilitate quality upgrading and maintenance of social work education.
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The encouragement and support that I received from Prof. R.R. Singh, Director of the Institute, while preparing this sourcebook is gratefully acknowledged. I am also thankful to him for honouring the sourcebook by writing the Foreword for the same. Lastly, but most importantly, this endeavour would have not been possible without feedback from colleagues within and outside the Institute and students.
 
Murli Desai
Author of the Sourcebook
Chief Editor of the Sourcebook Series on Social Work Education
Professor and Head, Social Work Education and Practice Cell
Tata Institute of Social Sciences