The journal of Social Work Education provides an international platform for debate on the most important issues in social work education, training and development. The challenging and contested nature of professional judgement and decision-making (JDM) requires developments in the field to be informed by critical thinking and constructive debate. A special issue on this topic will create a valuable opportunity to draw on a diverse and international group of contributors and further the knowledge base in this crucial domain of practice.
JDM in the context of social work has received increased attention in recent years (see for example two special editions of the Journal of Social Work Practice (Taylor and Whittaker, 2018, Whittaker and Taylor, 2018) and the forthcoming SAGE Handbook of Decision Making, Assessment and Risk in Social Work. However, despite a continued growth in research interest about JDM, there has been relatively little exploration of how associated skills and knowledge are developed. This special edition seeks to add to the knowledge base around teaching and learning about this area with a particular focus on social work practice. It will address both pre- and post- qualifying education and training, and the guest editors would particularly welcome contributions from a diverse range of contexts and settings.
Topics for papers that would be welcome include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Pedagogical approaches to teaching and learning about JDM
- Innovative approaches to teaching and learning about JDM
- Evaluation of teaching and learning about JDM, including both qualitative and quantitative approaches
- Reflection on learning and teaching from both educators and learners
- The incorporation of structural issues into teaching and learning about JDM
If you have an idea for a paper, please feel free to contact one of the guest editors for an informal discussion.
Guest Editors
Dr Duncan Helm is a Senior Lecturer and Head of Social Work at the University of Stirling, Scotland. He is a registered social worker and academic with doctoral supervision, teaching and research interests including child and family social work, assessment and analysis, the ecology of judgement and decision-making and sense-making. His email address is [email protected]
Dr David Wilkins is a Reader in Social Work at Cardiff University and Assistant Director of the Children’s Social Care Research and Development Centre (CASCADE). His recent research has focused on professional supervision in child and family social work, on how judgement and decision-making can be supported via supervision, and on the evaluation of social work judgement in relation to accuracy. His email address is [email protected]
Dr Laura L. Cook is a Lecturer in Social Work at the University of East Anglia. She teaches across the qualifying and post-qualifying social work programmes. She is a member of the Centre for Research and Families (CRCF) and her research interests include professional identity, judgement and practice in social work. Her email address is [email protected]
Dr Martin Kettle is a Senior Lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian University. A registered social worker, he is the Programme Lead for the Postgraduate Diploma Chief Social Work Officer. His teaching and research interests include professional identity, child protection practice, self-directed support and the role of emotions in social work practice. His email address is [email protected]
