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WORKING WITH STUDENTS WHO ARE STRUGGLING OR FAILING IN PRACTICE LEARNING SETTINGS: PRACTICE EDUCATORS’ PERSPECTIVES

UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX, WORKSHOP FOR PRACTICE EDUCATORS TUESDAY 14TH JANUARY 2015 Dr Jo Finch – University of East London [email protected]

CONTENTS  Brief

Introduction  Getting in touch with “Feelings about Failing”  Introduction to the research undertaken  Literature Review - Why practice educators find it difficult to fail students)  Findings  Possible ways forward?  Concluding Comments  Discussion/comments/questions

INTRODUCTION  Senior

Lecturer in Social Work and programme leader of the MA Social Work and Step-Up.  Deputy Director – Centre for Social Work Research  Course Tutor – Tavistock Clinic – Professional Doctorate in Emotional Well Being & Social Work/Social Care.  Long standing research interest in the issues raised by struggling or failing students in practice learning settings.  Former children and families social worker, play therapist and practice educator.

INTRODUCTION  Senior

Lecturer in Social Work and programme leader of the MA Social Work and Step-Up.  Deputy Director – Centre for Social Work Research  Course Tutor – Tavistock Clinic – Professional So why am I Doctorate in Emotional Well Being & Social interested in Work/Social Care.  Long standing research interest in the issues raised failing by struggling or failing students in practice learning students? settings.  Former children and families social worker, play therapist and practice educator.

1st experience of managing student failing in placement as a new tutor (2002/3) – oppressive PE.

“The

straw that broke the camel’s back” – SSD assessment 2001

“Horrible” experience assessing a practice teacher (2002/2003)

“Who let that one through?”

FEELINGS ABOUT FAILING On piece of paper, write down: 1) Something you have failed at in the past (i.e. O’level maths, driving test, relationship) 2) How did it make you feel at the time? 3) Pass paper to me (will come back to later)

RESEARCH UNDERTAKEN 1) Qualitative study of

practice educators experiences of working with failing students and why difficult to fail (Finch, 2010; Finch and Taylor, 2013).

2) Qualitative

study of tutors experiences of working with struggling or failing students in placement (Finch, 2014)

3) Mixed method study of practice assessment panels, including an ethnographic exploration of PAPs, looking at decision making around failing students (Finch, 2013)

RESEARCH UNDERTAKEN 1) Qualitative study of

practice educators Discussion of anxiety experiences of and defences against working anxiety inwith socialfailing work more generally (Finch students and why and Schaub, 2014) difficult to fail (Finch, 2010; Finch and Taylor, 2013).

2) Qualitative Comparative

study of tutors study – UK experiences of and Italian working with practice struggling or educators failing students inexperiences placement (Finch2014) and (Finch, Poletti, 2013)

3) Mixed method study of practice Exploration of how far the concept of projective assessment panels, including an identification may help us to understand the ethnographic exploration of PAPs, difficulties in failing social work students in looking at decision making around placement. (Finch, Schaub and Dalrymple, 2013) failing students (Finch, 2013)

RESEARCH UNDERTAKEN 1) Qualitative study of

practice educators experiences of working with failing students and why difficult to fail (Finch, 2010; Finch and Taylor, 2013).

2) Qualitative

study of tutors experiences of working with struggling or failing students in placement (Finch, 2014)

3) Mixed method study of practice assessment panels, including an ethnographic exploration of PAPs, looking at decision making around failing students (Finch, 2013)

RESEARCH UNDERTAKEN 1) Qualitative study of

practice educators experiences of working with failing students and why difficult to fail (Finch, 2010; Finch and Taylor, 2013).

WHY IS IT DIFFICULT TO FAIL STUDENTS PLACEMENTS? (LITERATURE REVIEW)

IN

 PEs

not using competency model of assessment appropriately (Kemshall, 1993;

Eraut, 1994; Shardow and Doel; 1996, Furness and Gilligan, 2004; Shapton, 2006)

 Procedures

for dealing with placement issues, not being followed properly (Illot and

Murphey, 1999; Burgess et al, 1998a, 1998b; Duffy, 2004; Vacha-Haase et al, 2004; Kaslow et al 2007)

 PEs

not adequately supported by agency and/or HEI (Sharp and Danbury, 1999; Finch, 2004b; Vacha-Haase et al, 2004)

 Role

strain or confusion (Fisher, 1990: Proctor, 1993;Owens,

1995; Cowburn et al, 2000, Duffy, 2004)

 Fear

of litigation (Duffy, 2004; Cole, 1991; Cole and Lewis, 2003; Royse, 2000; Raymond, 2000; Vacha-Haase et al, 2004)  Rule of Optimism (Vacha-Haase, et al 2004; Finch, 2005)  Hope that things “sort themselves out” without intervention (Good et al, 1995; Hoffman et al. 2004)

LIMITED (BUT GROWING INTERNATIONAL

AND

MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH BASE ABOUT THE EMOTIONAL IMPACT Bogo at al (2007) – failing students causes value conflicts for practice educators.  Gizara and Forest (2004) – ““I think that it’s an extremely emotional, gut-wrenching kind of experience…I don’t think it feels good on any level.”  Basnett and Sheffield (2010) – experience of failing student a negative one  Schaub and Dalrymple (2013) practice educators reported feeling stressed, isolated and did not feel supported.  Finch (2010) found the experience caused a range of challenging emotions 

“THE FAILING TO FAIL NARRATIVE” Emerged strongly from similar studies in Nursing (for e.g. Duffy, 2004; Rutowski, 2007; Lawson, 2010)  Narrative also emerges in social work (i.e., Shapton, 2006; Finch and Taylor, 2013; Finch et al, 2013)  Suggest Practice Educators are NOT failing students when they ought to.  Based on perception of low failure rates  Some self reports in some qualitative studies  But no empirical evidence to support this (Jo’s next research article?)  Some exploration as to the reasons (as seen previously)  But phenomena much more complex (as following shows) 

RESEARCH UNDERTAKEN 1) Qualitative study of

practice educators experiences of working with failing students and why difficult to fail (Finch, 2010; Finch and Taylor, 2013).

RESEARCH UNDERTAKEN 1) Qualitative study of

practice educators experiences of working with failing students and why difficult to fail (Finch, 2010; Finch and Taylor, 2013).

THE ANGRY THE STORIES – FORMS BASIS OF MY FINDINGS STORY CHAPTER

The Idealised Learner Story

The What is My Role/Assessment Story

The Guilty Story The Lack of Reflection Story

The Dramatic Event Story

The Internalising Failure so I Couldn’t Always Failure them Story

THE STORIES – FORMS BASIS OF MY FINDINGS CHAPTER

The Dramatic Event Story

…what I was going to do was to ask for THE STORIES – FORMS BASIS OF MY FINDINGS her placement to be extended a bit but CHAPTER when I tried to discuss it with her, she threw a hysterical fit…which I sorted with the ambulance being called…if it had been one of my clients I would have recommended a psychiatric assessment…she was hyperventilating and throwing herself on the floor…she was kicking the locker… The Dramatic Event Story

THE ANGRY THE STORIES – FORMS BASIS OF MY FINDINGS STORY CHAPTER

The Idealised Learner Story

The What is My Role/Assessment Story

The Guilty Story The Lack of Reflection Story

The Dramatic Event Story

The Internalising Failure so I Couldn’t Always Failure them Story

THE ANGRY THE STORIES – FORMS BASIS OF MY FINDINGS STORY CHAPTER

“I was really pissed off with him….I felt angry”. “I was just very angry at times….I was angry with the student.” (Jenny)

(Claire) “…and I did actually think the next time you shout at me, I might actually shout back at you because who the fuck do you think you are…” (Daisy)

THE ANGRY THE STORIES – FORMS BASIS OF MY FINDINGS STORY CHAPTER

“I was really pissed off with him….I felt angry”. “I just thought…I thought, ‘Fuck You’! are not going to apologise for your “I wasYou just very (Claire) behaviour with a period. Every angry fucking at fucking times….I was woman in the world gets a angry period, with the yes some haveI did difficulties, “…and actually some think the student.” get (Jenny) emotional,next yourtime deafness didn’tat me, I you shout wash, so nowmight you’veactually like resorted shouttoback at like, fucking bottom of the barrel…” you because who the fuck do (Daisy) you think you are…” (Daisy)

THE STORIES – FORMS BASIS OF MY FINDINGS CHAPTER

The Guilty Story

“…and then the guilt really set in….the THE STORIES – FORMS BASIS OF MY FINDINGS sacrifices she’s made…this is her CHAPTER livelihood, her career and its all my fault…I felt like I am a rotten shit.” (Daisy The Guilty Story

“it was the first fail, I felt terribly guilty, I felt really…I had sleepless nights, felt quite sick, I felt incredibly guilty….” (Claire)

THE ANGRY THE STORIES – FORMS BASIS OF MY FINDINGS STORY CHAPTER

The Idealised Learner Story

The What is My Role/Assessment Story

The Guilty Story The Lack of Reflection Story

The Dramatic Event Story

The Internalising Failure so I Couldn’t Always Failure them Story

Ignored initial misgivings or gut THE STORIES – FORMS BASIS OF MY FINDINGS feelings “I actually felt it was my failing

CHAPTER

because I wasn’t getting it [evidence] out of her….” (Martha) “I would say probably 90% of the time, if a student fails, there’s something wrong with the practice teacher”. (Terry) That was the issue I was struggling with through this whole thing. How much of her failure was my fault? (Terry)

Discourse of “we” and “our work” emerges

The Internalising Failure so I Couldn’t Always Failure them Story

Ignored initial misgivings or gut T“…I HE still STORIES – FORMS MY FINDINGS feel that I mustBASIS haveOF done feelings “I actually felt it was my failing

CHAPTER something

wrong with that one because I because I wasn’t getting it couldn’t enable him or work with him to see [evidence] out of her….” (Martha) Discourse why his way of thinking was inappropriate inof “we” and “our work” emerges social work, never mind in society”. (Lily) “I would say probably 90% of the time, if a student fails, there’s something wrong with “..I theteacher”. team just felt the think practice (Terry)

helpless in a way. They felt…they couldn’t see That was the issue I was what theywith could do tothis struggling through turn it thing. around.” ) of her whole How(Tim much failure was my fault? (Terry)

The Internalising Failure so I Couldn’t Always Failure them Story

THE ANGRY THE STORIES – FORMS BASIS OF MY FINDINGS STORY CHAPTER

The Idealised Learner Story

The What is My Role/Assessment Story

The Guilty Story The Lack of Reflection Story

The Dramatic Event Story

The Internalising Failure so I Couldn’t Always Failure them Story

“Learned Helplessness” THE STORIES – FORMS BASIS OF MY FINDINGS CHAPTER

Concern about “passive” learners

Fantasy of student not realised Good Learners and Bad Learners

The Idealised Learner Story “I was thinking that…I am going to have a student who will take responsibility…that was my fantasy that I was going to have somebody that would just…kind of gel, adapt to the team…come with a variety of knowledge…up to date…” (Ola)

THE ANGRY THE STORIES – FORMS BASIS OF MY FINDINGS STORY CHAPTER

The Idealised Learner Story

The What is My Role/Assessment Story

The Guilty Story The Lack of Reflection Story

The Dramatic Event Story

The Internalising Failure so I Couldn’t Always Failure them Story

THE STORIES – FORMS BASIS OF MY FINDINGS Mirroring Transference/Counter CHAPTER Projective transference Identification

Parallel processes

“…out of my depth…I felt really out of my depth…I was completely out of my depth at that point” (Lily) The Lack of Reflection Story

Lack of containment

“A nameless dread”

THE ANGRY THE STORIES – FORMS BASIS OF MY FINDINGS STORY CHAPTER

The Idealised Learner Story

The What is My Role/Assessment Story

The Guilty Story The Lack of Reflection Story

The Dramatic Event Story

The Internalising Failure so I Couldn’t Always Failure them Story

PES WHO APPEARED TO FIND PROCESS OF FAILING STUDENTS EASIER THUS: 5/20 • • • • • •



Explicitly or inexplicitly acknowledged gate keeping role and implications. Acknowledged potential for role confusion, yet had brought “split” together. Clarity around boundaries and role of PA Clear expectations of student as an “adult learner” Clear differentiation between your work and my work Reflective approach – lack of drama – saw experience as a learning opportunity 4 of 5 were/had been ASWs/AMHPs

On piece of paper, write down: 1) Something you have failed at in the past (i.e. O’level maths, driving test, relationship) 2) How did it make you feel at the time? 3) Pass paper to me (will come back to later)

SOME STRATEGIES When there are difficulties avoid both over-reacting and do not ignore situation/your feelings/intuition. Ensure conditions for learning are being met – you will need to change your approach. Try to eliminate blocks to learning – i.e. explore issues with student, negotiate a different teaching style/approach. Be clear about the difference between a “normal”, short term learning block and something more serious. Do not take the decision to fail in isolation (seek support)

Keep the student informed at all times – let student know as soon as possible that there are concerns about their practice/conduct/behaviour etc.  Follow the university procedure  Evidence and Documentation,  Mantra - Student failure is not your failure  You have a moral and professional gate keeping duty.  No-one has the right to become a social worker no matter how “nice” and hardworking they are 

POSSIBLE WAYS FORWARD FOR ALL STAKEHOLDERS Acknowledge and reflect on the difficult and painful emotional feelings that can emerge when working with a struggling or failing student (may include, anger, guilt, rage, shame, frustration…)  These feelings may well tell you something about the student’s state of mind  And if not acknowledged, could impact adversely on the assessment process.  Need for support (line manager, tutor, colleagues, friends).  Remind ourselves of our gate keeping responsibilities.  Remember the issue of very complex – easy to blame and be angry at others. 

POSSIBLE WAYS FORWARD FOR ALL Transference?

Projective Identification? STAKEHOLDERS Acknowledge and reflect on the difficult and painful emotional feelings that can emerge when working with a struggling or failing student (may include, anger, guilt, rage, shame, frustration…)  These feelings may well tell you something about the student’s state of mind  And if not acknowledged, could impact adversely on the assessment process.  Need for support (line manager, tutor, colleagues, Try and see as a form of communication friends).  rather Remind than ourselves of our gate keeping attack responsibilities.  Remember the issue of very complex – easy to blame Student tryin to communicate and be angry at others. 

unconsciously something very painful

CWorking ONCLUDING COMMENTS with failing or struggling 

students can cause unpleasant, difficult and confusing emotions.  Students (or supervisees) will be projecting difficult and challenging feelings onto you.  Can remind us of our own previous experiences of failure  Important for practice educators, tutors and PAP members to reflect upon these difficult feelings…  ..and use them to aid the student in their development and learning...  But I would encourage you to be reflective and consider these feelings as a form of communication  …but be able to fail the student if necessary, in a reflective and “calm” way, ensuring due process has occurred.

CWorking ONCLUDING COMMENTS with failing or struggling 

students can cause unpleasant, difficult and confusing emotions.  Student will be projecting difficult and challenging feelings onto you.  Can remindThank us of our own previous you for experiences of failure listening.  Important for practice educators, tutors and PAP members to reflect upon these difficult feelings…  ..and use them to aid the student in their development and learning... Any questions  But I would encourage you to be reflective and consider these as a form of orfeelings comments? communication  …but be able to fail the student if necessary, in a reflective and “calm” way, ensuring due process has occurred.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Finch, J & Schaub, J. (2014) Projective Identification as an Unconscious Defence: the Example of Social Work Practice Education in Armstrong, D. & Rustin, M.(eds) Social Defences against Anxiety: Explorations in the Paradigm, Karnac, London Finch, J. (2014) “Running with the Fox and Hunting with the Hounds:” Social Work ‘Tutors’ Experiences of Managing Students Failing in Practice Learning Settings, British Journal of Social Work, (advanced access) doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcu085 Finch, J. (2014) A Critical Exploration of Practice Assessment Panels: Participation, power, emotional and decision making in relation to failing social work students, York, Higher Education Academy, http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/disciplines/hsc/SocialWork-and-Social-Policy/A_critical_exploration_of_PAP_Finch Finch, J., Schaub, J. & Dalrymple, R. (2013) Projective Identification and the Fear of Failing: Making Sense of Practice Educators’ Emotional Experiences of Failing Social Work Students in Practice Learning Settings, Journal of Social Work Practice, Finch, J and Parker, J (2013) Editorial, Special Edition – Failing Students, Journal of Practice Teaching and Learning, Vol. 11 (3) p3-6 Finch, J. and Poletti, I. (2013) ‘It’s been hell.’ Italian and British Practice Educators’ Narratives of Working with Struggling or Failing Social Work Students in Practice Learning Settings, European Journal of Social Work, DOI:10.1080/13691457.2013.800026 Finch, J. and Taylor, I. (2013) The Emotional Experience of Assessing a Struggling or Failing Social Work Student in Practice Learning Settings, Special Edition – Field Education, Social Work Education, 32 (2) pp:244-258 DOI: 10.1080/02615479.2012.720250 Finch, J (2010) Finch) Can't fail, won't fail - why practice assessors find it difficult to fail social work students: a qualitative study of practice assessors' experiences of assessing marginal or failing social work students. Doctoral thesis, University of Sussex. Available free: http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/2370/

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