The education and the change the effects of the professional licentiate education

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The education and the change the effects of the
professional licentiate education

• Nordic Sociological Conference
• Turku 18 20.8.2006
• Doctoral student Maria Tapola-Haapala
• Department of Social Policy Studies
• University of Helsinki
• http//www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/mtapola/esityksia

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The professional licentiate education in social
work

• For experienced, qualified (having masters
  degree) social workers
• University degree
• Four specialized areas
• Is planned to be completed in four years while
  working gt the close relationship between work
  and education

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The research

• Focuses on the pilot group of the education
• Spezialized area of social work with children and
  young people
• The students have been interviewed at the
  different phases of the education

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This presentation

• The changes the time at the education has brought
  along according to the students in relation to
• themselves
• clients
• other professionals
• the wider society

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Expertise in social work

• The actual discussions on the social work
  expertise postmodern expertise, reflective
  professionality, constructionism, evidence
  based practice, competence based social work
  education
• Critical realism?

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The relationship to themselves

• The students have became stronger in their trust
  on themselves as professional actors
• Reflective practice

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The relationship to clients

• The thinking of the students has become clearly
  more child-centred

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The relationship to other professions

• More eager to work with other professions and
  hear their viewpoints
• More courage to bring out own knowledge and
  viewpoints

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The relationship to the wider society

• Some students tell they are now more courageous
  to perform also in the bigger arenas
• The effect of the education on the role of social
  workers as social reformers has, however, been
  weaker than on the other themes examined