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Learning contracts in the classroom: Tools for empowerment and accountability
Social Work Education
Abstract
This paper describes the results of a study investigating learning contracts as tools for empowerment and accountability. Students ( N = 100) enrolled in five, graduate-level courses completed a brief instrument measuring key concepts of empowerment. In each class students' mean, final scores, based on first and final drafts of assignments were compared. Students felt they had decision-making power, and reported a sense of personal responsibility for their learning experience. They also demonstrated significant improvements in performance ( p < 0.0001) after revising their assignments. The findings suggest that learning contracts are an effective tool for responsibly sharing power and promoting better performance outcomes.
... Instructor commitment can reinforce student commitment (Firestone & Rosenblum, 1988), which in turn will further enhance the positive motivational potential. For example, social work education students indicated they "felt bound and obligated by the mutual expectations," and the learning contract motivated them to complete readings on time (Lemieux, 2001). Ultimately, however, we (instructors in general) hope that students choose to engage in behaviors that enhance learning, not because of a sense of obligation, but because they have internalized the benefits and have become self-directed learners. ...
... For example, the content of learning contracts varies widely (e.g. Barlow, 1974;Huff & Johnson, 1998;Williams & Williams, 1999;Chan & Wai-tong, 2000;Lemieux, 2001;Chyung, 2007;Litchfield et al., 2007;O'Halloran & Delaney, 2011), where students might chose a specific topic to explore, commit to a certain number of assignments and their due dates, or agree to an evaluation procedure and grading rubric. In our case, the topics and quantity of assignments were fixed by the instructor based on course requirements; instead, individualized choice within our contracts focused on the type, timing and frequency of learning behaviors. ...
... There are many examples of learning contract implementation where all students were required to sign a contract (e.g. Barlow, 1974;Huff & Johnson, 1998;Williams & Williams, 1999;Chan & Wai-tong, 2000;Lemieux 2001;Chyung, 2007;Litchfield et al., 2007), but because our study focused on learning behaviors, not course components or topics, we only targeted those students who performed poorly during the first part of the semester. Our decision to only target the lower performing students was supported by prior research (Dougherty, 1997 Lewis, 2004). ...
This project studied the effect of individualized, voluntary learning contracts for 18 students who performed poorly in the first part of the semester. Contracts were hypothesized to increase commitment and motivation, and lead to changes in behaviors and course performance. Self-reported prioritization and learning-related behaviors (completion of homework and course readings), recorded office hour attendance, and exam performance were compared with low-performing students who had declined the contract offer, low-performing
students in a control group, and high-performing students. Students who had signed contracts attended more office hours, were more likely to prioritize homework and reading, and showed a trend for more improvement on exam performance. Ultimately, learning contracts can be a low cost, low effort tool to increase student commitment, boost academic performance, and encourage self-direction.
... Även Chen framhåller att frågan om hur betyg sätts och hur bedömningar görs är en viktig del av kontrakten. Lemieux (2001) beskriver hur inlämningsuppgifterna bedöms utifrån de mål och kriterier som finns i kontrakten. Det yttrar sig så att läraren gör sin bedömning och hänvisar till hur och i vilken grad studenten uppnått målen och studenten får sedan möjlighet att ha synpunkter på bedömningen, målet är konsensus. ...
... Ett litet kort inlägg i enlighet med kontraktet om orsaken kunde räcka för att lätta på spänningen. Lemieux (2001) menar att sådant beteende ger kontinuitet i lärandeprocessen. Förhållandet mellan student och lärare blir då hela tiden klart och det blir tydliggjort vem om tar ansvar för vad och även att man inte kan lägga över allt ansvar på läraren. ...
... Det förekommer att studenter inte ser någon fördel med pedagogiska lärandekontrakt utan menar att det är slöseri med tid att hålla på med sådant. I flera studier som berör denna problematik menar att det inte kan uteslutas att denna upplevelse kan hänga samman med att det var en ny upplevelse att läsa online (Boyer, 2003;Lemieux, 2001;Murphy et al., 2000). En allt för begränsad tid för skrivandeprocessen upplevs också som problematisk (Chan, 2000). ...
... The need for feedback and structured scaffolding support in SRL models foregrounds the individual needs of the learners. Individualization of instruction aims to develop self-directed, empowered, agentive, and responsible learners (Chastain, 1976;Dörnyei & Ryan, 2015;Knowles, 1975;Larsen-Freeman, 2019;Lemieux, 2001;Parkhurst, 1922). Notably, "students' own active and creative participation in the learning process through the application of individualized learning techniques" can have a determining role in fostering language attainment (Dörnyei & Ryan, 2015, p.5). ...
... Making learners responsible for their learning process while recognizing their individual cognitive and emotional needs can form the basis of a learning contract between the teacher and learner. The contract takes into account the learner's goal, teacher's roles, learner's roles, the objectives of the course, teaching methods, study plans, instruction, and assessment criteria (Boone et al., 1979;Knowles, 1975;Lan et al., 2020;Lemieux, 2001) and creates a roadmap where the responsibilities of the teacher and the learner are made explicit. It acknowledges that learners have diverse needs that cannot be addressed by a one-size-fits-all type of instruction (Boone et al., 1979;Gilbert, 1976). ...
As students’ achievement is correlated with self-regulation, finding interventions promoting self-regulated learning (SRL) in online courses is a current focus of research. However, few studies have explored the potential of contract learning in scaffolding and developing SRL in non-traditional learners who have work and family and are at risk of dropout. Here, we investigate the utility of contract learning using a qualitative approach. Using a qualitative approach, we collected data from the experience of one teacher and seven non-traditional learners in an online English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course. The data were collected from teacher logs over eight months and semi-structured interviews with the students. The results of deductive thematic analysis of the data indicate that contract learning positively affected the forethought, performance, and self-reflection phases. Further, despite the cognitive, emotional, external, motivational, and behavioral challenges aggravated by the pandemic, the teacher’s efforts to implement contract learning affected the persistence and effort, goal setting, strategic planning, and time management of most learners (N = 4). Possible reasons for the learners’ success and failure and the implications for developing SRL skills in students at risk of dropout in online English courses are discussed.
... Well-constructed learning contracts help meet the needs of students while reducing the burden of faculty to manage student learning (Rubaii-Barrett, 2006). Lemieux (2001) wrote, �students felt they had decision-making power, and reported a sense of personal responsibility for their learning experience. They also demonstrated significant improvements in performance�Learning contracts are an effective tool for responsibly sharing power and promoting better performance outcomes� (p. ...
... Chiang (1998) found that learning contracts could be used to enhance one�s metacognition and achievement. Further, learning contracts can be used to empower students and build accountability (Lemieux, 2001). The learning contract provides a scaffold for learning to allow a student to develop research skills and self-regulation abilities over time (Bone, 2014). ...
This quantitative study provides evidence of the benefits of learning contracts in online higher education. In this study, data were gathered from doctoral students who had completed all course work and comprehensive exams, but failed to make expected progress on dissertation. The students were given the opportunity to participate in a voluntary program requiring the execution of a learning contract. This program allowed students to work directly with a dissertation chair for four hours per week over the duration of a year. Students were expected to complete their dissertation within that year or risk dismissal. The purpose of this study was to evaluate rates of milestone completion, rates of student program completion, and student perceptions of the learning contract as a factor influencing their success. Results show on average, students completed the dissertation in 316 days and at the time of publication, 62% of participants had graduated from their doctoral program. Further, students believed learning contracts were helpful to their overall success in their doctoral program. These results are encouraging for institutions wishing to increase graduation rates, improve time to completion, and provide students with strategies for doctoral program success. Recommendations for further study include an exploration of learning contracts in traditional university settings to determine if findings are generalizable.
... Bandura & Locke, 2003). Findings that are more recent suggest that self-efficacy is influenced by direct service learning activities (Lemieux, 2001). However, academia has been slow to accept this learning technique (Kielsmeier, 2011). ...
... An indirect SL experience is described as a student impacting an agency/school or community through non-face-to-face activities (Lemieux & Allen, 2007). Examples of indirect SL experiences might be a student spending time reviewing files, filing, and/or writing a report (Lemieux, 2001). ...
Undergraduate students (N=40) responded positively to a semantic differential scale after experiencing a 'direct practice' service learning group work course. Qualitative data documented student's perceptions of increased skill levels relating to self-efficacy-understood as positively influencing mastery of skills and performance outcomes – a pedagogical model to consider for competency based curriculums.
... The students become responsible for their learning process because they are directly enforcing their contract (Freedberg, 1989;Anderson et al., 1994;Cross, 1996). In addition, Lemieux (2001) states that through this contract, the students are able to decide personally, and therefore, are responsible for their learning experience. The students also choose activities or projects according to their interest and convenience (Knowles, 1986;Stewart-David, 1993). ...
... According to McAllister (1996), the learning contract helps in the self-study process, which is specific to the needs of the students. Lemieux (2001) finds that the learning contract can effectively enhance the sense of responsibility and academic performance. Kuh et al. (2006), Jamaluddin et al. (2009), and Mulder (2009 claim the success of students in the university depends on their participation in academic and social activities. ...
Research from different parts of the world recognizes the effectiveness of a learning contract course in improving the personal skills of students. Therefore, UKM has chosen this approach to improve the personal soft skills of its students. The university has carried out this approach by making HHHC9118-Soft Skills as a compulsory course for all students. This course requires the students to implement a project or activity in accordance with a written contract that they plan together with their instructors. Moreover, the students are awarded with eight credit hours after taking up this course. This research evaluated the effectiveness of the learning contract course in developing the soft skills of the 2,378 participants, who had already finished the course. A literature review and a survey were conducted to obtain the data. The questionnaire contained 10 statements, which were either positive or negative, that asked about the self-esteem levels of the respondents. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software. The results showed the respondents positively interpreted all the statements in the questionnaire, which proved that a learning contract successfully improved the soft skills and self-esteem of UKM students. Therefore, this approach effectively improved the soft skills of the students.
... This makes intuitive sense, given that social work curricula are rooted in the parlance of client empowerment, which espouses principles such as capacity building, social support, strengths perspective, self-help, and anti-oppressive practice. From a conceptual standpoint, experiential, community-based learning is consistent with social work education approaches that model and teach empowerment-oriented practice, such as student-centered instruction (see, e.g.. Congress, 1993;Huff & Johnson, 1998;Lemieux, 2001) and feminist-based learning (see, e.g., Davis, 1993;Dore, 1994;Tice, 1990). Some social work scholars believe that social work education offers a prototype for service learning, and a number of these authors have made claims without accompanying credible evidence. ...
... Whereas students in the field typically are separated from one another and closely supervised, in all of the studies described in this article, the service-leaming experience afforded students a rare opportunity to collectively solve problems and engage in long-range planning within a leaming community. As with all novel and experiential forms of leaming, instmctors are encouraged to obtain students' consent to participate (Lemieux, 2001). A specialized learning contract that outlines the mutual expectations of the instructor, community partner, and students may be an effective tool for highlighting the issues that are unique to service learning in social work. ...
This article reviews research-based knowledge about service learning in social work education. Student learning outcomes common to both service learning and social work education are examined, and the research-based literature on service learning in social work is analyzed. Service-learning practice issues in social work education are described: creating learning activities distinct from those required in field practica, managing conflicts of interest among students employed in the field, minimizing professional ethics violations, and assisting students who observe unprofessional practice behaviors. Recommendations for planning, implementing, and evaluating service-learning projects in social work education are provided to strengthen scholarship in this area. Copyright © 2007, Council on Social Work Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
... • Leads to greater learner autonomy and clearer accountability. (Lemieux, 2001) Shifting Perspectives ...
An exploration of how examining Assumptions, Perceptions, and Expectations of students and educators enriches and enhances the educational experience.
... They promote the creation of a positive and inclusive culture that celebrates diversity and creates a safe space for all, where individuals feel heard, valued, and respected. Such contracting between educators and students creates an open and transparent environment that is more conducive to learning and establishes clear roles and responsibilities, leading to greater autonomy, and clearer accountability, and thus an empowering educational experience (Lemieux, 2001). ...
How can a coaching contract between students and educators enrich and enhance the educational experience? In the dynamic landscape of Higher Education, fostering meaningful connections between students and educators is essential for cultivating a thriving learning environment. The development and implementation of a coaching-style contract provides a structured framework to negotiate this relationship and the resulting learning environment and opportunity to re-imagine the partnership between students and educators, aiming to enrich and enhance the educational experience for both parties.
... • Leads to greater learner autonomy and clearer accountability. (Lemieux, 2001) Shifting Perspectives ...
How can a coaching contract between students and educators enrich and enhance the educational experience?
In the dynamic landscape of Higher Education, fostering meaningful connections between students and educators is essential for cultivating a thriving learning environment. This presentation advocates for the development and implementation of a coaching-style contract as a structured framework to negotiate this relationship and the resulting learning environment.
The literature surrounding student-educator relationships underscores the pivotal role they play in shaping the learning journey and student engagement (Thornberg et al, 2022). Traditionally, these relationships have been characterised by a unidirectional flow of information, with educators imparting knowledge and students receiving it. However, recent educational paradigms emphasise the importance of collaboration and active engagement, requiring a renegotiation of the student-educator contract. The coaching contract emerges as a promising tool to formalise this shift, empowering individuals to reach their full potential.
Positioning the educator as collaborator and coach, rather than teacher and expert, changes the expectation from teaching to learning, the approach from didactic to dialogic, and shifts responsibility from the educator to the learner to shape the curriculum to meet personal and professional learning outcomes. This approach seeks to challenge extant beliefs and assumptions made by students and educators alike, to redefine traditional classroom dynamics, and promote shared responsibility for learning.
As the educational landscape continues to evolve, contracting presents an opportunity for transforming student-educator relationships into partnerships that empower and inspire. This presentation will consider practical steps for implementing this approach alongside the challenges that this approach brings for educators and students.
... The study found that students' approach to assessment strategy influenced engagement with contract learning and identified three types of learners (happy, pragmatic and fearful) and reported that support, relevant skill, prior to experiential learning, and theoretical knowledge are some factors among others influencing successful completion of contract learning. Lemieux (2001) used contract learning as a tool for empowerment and accountability involving 100 students enrolled in the graduate-level courses. Participants of the study completed a brief instrument that measuring key concepts of empowerment. ...
The use of contract learning is essential to involve students actively in the classroom activities and to facilitate teachers’ control and flexibility in the teaching and learning process, while letting students to work on activities independently. Therefore, this research is aimed at 1) revealing out whether or not contract learning instruction has a significant difference in the students’ academic writing performance; 2) describing to what extent the contract learning promotes students’ learning and autonomy; and 3) elaborating how the students perceive the diagnostic and feedback phases of individualized strategy as embedded in the contract learning. This study is mixed method interventional research design because the data are obtained from quantitative and qualitative. The participants of the study was the year 3 students of English Department at Mandalika University of Education consisting of 21 students. The instruments used in collecting the data are diagnostic test of academic writing performance, contract form, and questionnaires. The quantitative data are analyzed through the inferential paired t-test. Meanwhile, the qualitative data of each individual’s response to each item on the questionnaire are broken down according to the responses to each question, and the responses are compared, contrasted, and explored to find patterns and themes. The results revealed that 1) contract learning has affected positively students’ learning and performance in academic writing, 2) contract learning brings positive improvement on academic writing performance and 3) positive perception towards the application of contract learning was shown by the students as it provided self-study materials and multiple types of feedback from the the lecturer. This implies that students may benefit from multiple types of feedback and that instructors’ expertise in effective feedback delivery is of paramount importance.
... They also requested advance notice of student learning goals, enabling them to negotiate a learning contract with the students. The role of learning contracts in encouraging students to take responsibility for their learning, resulting in enhanced learning outcomes, has been established (Lemieux, 2001), as well as their role in preparing students for the workplace (Grace & O'Neil, 2014). Mentors specified a need for earlier conversation and negotiation with students and teachers and setting clear expectations. ...
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, universities had to shift much of their teaching online. This presented a particular challenge for work placements, which are inherently practical. This qualitative case study presents the outcomes of an evaluation of student, teacher and placement provider experiences of a virtual placement in textile conservation. A model of self-regulated learning used in clinical education was used as a lens through which to make sense of stakeholder experiences, in terms of supporting preparation for the workplace and setting of learning goals, facilitation of appropriate learning strategies, feedback from different stakeholders, and the need to support reflection on learning. Lessons learned include the need for earlier conversations between stakeholders to clarify their roles and support the successful attainment of learning goals, provide critical as well as motivational feedback, facilitate opportunities for peer interactions, use of a limited set of learning technology platforms in consistent ways, and formalising a mid-point check in with all stakeholders. While higher education in the UK has largely reverted to face-to-face learning, the benefits of virtual placements are highlighted. In the ever-changing landscape of higher education, a framework for supporting virtual placements has been offered.
... Specifi cally, theoretical foundations lend authority to contract use in practice (Corden & Preston-Shoot, 1987;Maluccio & Marlow, 1974;Zwick & Attkisson, 1985) and empirical evidence supports the effi cacy of contracts in achieving practice goals (Aronson & Overall, 1966;Klier, Fein, and Genero, 1984;Rhodes, 1977;Smith & Corden, 1981;Wood, 1978). Lemieux's (2001) study suggests that learning contracts, used in a classroom, are effective instruments for conscientiously sharing power and encouraging a higher level of student performance outcomes. Learning contracts have been used in fi eld practicum for social work students and exist in current social work and human services literature as suggested practice in fi eld education (Baird, 2008, Royse, Dhooper, & Rompf, 2007Birkenmaier, & Berg-Weger, 2007, Bogo & Vayda, 1986Hamilton & Else, 1983;Parsons & Durst, 1992). ...
This article introduces a competency-based integrated learning contract and student assessment for social work field education. Historically, learning contracts and student assessments have often been two separate documents and could appear unconnected. In addition, individually developed student learning objectives could lack consistency across placement settings. The proposed learning contract seeks to remedy these limitations and was created based on field supervisors’, field students’, social work faculty feedback, and the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) 2008 competencies. This article describes how the instrument was developed, pilot-tested, and then fine-tuned. The contract provides significant direction for field student learning while still allowing for individual student created competencies. The learning contract and student assessment tool itself is provided for ease of implementing and adapting to other field programs.
... This literature is above all programmatic in nature, however there are also scientific studies that point towards positive aspects of participatory pedagogical practices (Carns & Carns, 1994;Dzierzbicka, 2006). An exploratory study with 100 students has shown, for example, "that learning contracts are an effective tool for responsibly sharing power and promoting better performance outcomes" (Lemieux, 2001). A qualitative case study has demonstrated behavioural improvements when behavioural contracts are used with male students with special needs (Hawkins et al., 2011); similar reports have been made of behavioural contracts in the context of 'time-out' policies (Vegas, 2007;Wolf et al., 2006). ...
• Pedagogical practices are based on establishing commitment.
• Contractual pedagogy corresponds to a contract-based social order.
• Contractual pedagogy aims at democratizing pedagogical relationships.
• Contractual pedagogy involves a pedagogic process of collective subjectivation.
• Contractual pedagogy does not represent the kind of pedagogical ‘counter-model’ familiar to progressive pedagogies that aspire towards democratic codetermination.
Purpose: This article investigates the establishment of commitment in pedagogical practices through what are known as ‘behavioural contracts’. Such contracts are seen as a participatory element of democratic pedagogy and are linked to the aim of strengthening students’ self-determination. The objective is to demonstrate that as a pedagogical phenomenon, contractual pedagogy is oriented towards a practice of self-control achieved through external control, assuming a basis of sovereignty and reason.
Methodology: The article provides an investigation of material from an ethnographic research project in Germany on social learning in school-based pedagogical contexts. The study is informed by practice theory, theory of school and theory of social pedagogics.
Findings: This article argues that contractual pedagogy as a subjectivising constellation is primarily directed towards re-establishing the pre-existing institutional order. It demonstrates that contractual pedagogy can neither be understood as a particularly participatory method of democratic pedagogy, nor as a governmental power strategy, but as a subjectivising exercise that introduces students to a central tenet in modern societies. Through this, connections are formed between specific forms of (collective) subjectivation.
Research implications: Further theoretical and empirical analyses are required, which make other pedagogical impulses, such as an ethics of care or the critique of the subject, fruitful for Democratic Pedagogy.
... Empirical results reveal not only the importance of self-organised learning (Mooij, 2009), but rather that both, computer systems and "learning contracts" (Dalton Plan assignments are contracts) are supporting self-organised learning (Lemieux, 2001). Eichelberger et al. (2008) discussed several progressive education approaches. ...
e-Learning systems increasingly support learning management and self-organized learning processes. Since the latter have been studied in the field of progressive education extensively, it is worthwhile to consider them for developing digital learning environments to support self-regulated learning processes. In this paper we aim at transforming one of the most prominent and sustainable approaches to self-organized learning, the "Dalton Plan" as proposed by Helen Parkhurst. Its assignment structure supports learners when managing their learning tasks, thus triggering self-organized acquisition of knowledge, and its feedback graphs enable transparent learning processes. Since e-learning environments have become common use, rather than creating another system, we propose a modular approach that can be used for extending existing e-learning environments. In order to design a respective component, we interviewed experts in self-organized e-learning. Their input facilitated integrating the Dalton Plan with existing features of e-learning environments. After representing each interview in concept maps, we were able to aggregate them for deriving e-learning requirements conform to the Dalton Plan instruments. In the course of implementing them, particular attention had to be paid to the asynchrony of interaction during runtime. Java Server Faces technology enable the Dalton Plan component to be migrated into existing web 2.0 e-learning platforms. The result was evaluated based on the acquired concept maps, as they also captured the transformation process of the Dalton Plan to e-learning features. The findings encourage embodying further progressive education approaches in this way, since the structured (concept) mapping of the Dalton Plan to e-learning features turned out to be accurate. The experts were able to recognize the potential of the approach both in terms of structuring the knowledge acquisition process, and in terms of developing progressive learning support features. © 2018 Hong Kong Bao Long Accounting And Secretarial Limited. All rights reserved.
... At the beginning of the tutors make a learning contract with students. The learning contract is used to clarify the same expectations, compose a learning experience, and articulate standard performance [22]. The learning contract method is a method that is developed by educators to identify various needs of learners in learning as well as the activities to be undertaken to meet the learners need. ...
... For this reason, a classroom learning environment needs to be positively empowering by fostering an atmosphere of respect, validation of ownership, and choice in the learning process. Choice is a key concept in motivational empowerment, and acceptance of responsibility for choices leads to endorsement of the curriculum by learners and, consequently, favourable academic outcomes ( Lemieux, 2001). Harrison (2000), too, observes that responsible learning takes place when learners understand their own learning needs and are encouraged to make informed decisions about such needs. ...
An investigation into a selected group of adolescent learners in a small-classroom inclusion programme at a private school following the Gauteng Department of Education curriculum indicated that these learners, who had special needs because of learning disabilities, exploited their awareness of their disabilities to avoid responsibility and accountability. Their attitudes and perceptions in an inclusive teaching and learning environment were explored through a qualitative, interpretive case study, with observations, semi-structured interviews, and questionnaires being used for data collection. The educational management and educators of the school were also involved in data gathering and provided rich inputs into arriving at useful insights into the learners' behaviour and possible solutions that could be considered. Although the learners professed to be mindful of their own responsibility in learning, their behaviour in real-life classroom context gave strong indications of a lack of self-knowledge, self-regulation, intrinsic motivation, and an internal locus of control. These deficiencies placed greater burdens on their educators, who advocated a need for stronger discipline in school environments. Attention was also given to similar responsibility problems in the general education landscape, with the Department of Basic Education's launch of a Bill of Responsibilities serving as an indicator of the need for promoting a well-grounded sense of accountability among South African learners if they are to become responsible citizens. The fostering of self-regulation appeared to be a serious need among learners, whereas educators could benefit from gaining self-knowledge to enable them to adapt successfully and efficiently to a rapidly changing education environment. In the conclusion to the study, main principles were outlined that should be contemplated to counter a culture of avoidance of responsibility not only in school but also general social context. Although the study may have limited application because of its restricted parameters, it may have value through tentative exploration of a field about which little research is available in the literature
... It served to empower the group and helped the students recognise their responsibility for their own learning and that of the whole group. (For a breakdown of data tracking the positive impact of the learning contract see Lemieux 2001.) I found as the weeks progressed that students embraced this interactive approach to learning and I needed to steer less and less. ...
How far can feminist pedagogy facilitate a positive learning experience for the student? I explore this question by offering a critical reflection of teaching a Gender Studies module to two cohorts of students: part-time mature and full-time ‘traditional’ learners. I offer a candid exploration of my personal journey, exposing the strengths and sometimes contradictions found in feminist pedagogic principles. By documenting feminist pedagogy in action I offer a pragmatic approach to its application and refined understanding of it as a method of teaching while attending to feminist pedagogy's core values. My approach empowers the learner, at the same time it enables the tutor to cover module learning outcomes without compromising a feminist agenda. This appropriation is informed by a project designed to put feminist pedagogy (as an approach) and gender studies (as a subject) under critical scrutiny with a view to the refinement of pedagogic practice.
... This approach is able to develop students' knowledge and skills (Horejsi & Garthwait, 2002). Besides, learning contract can increase the sense of responsibility among students (Lemieux, 2001) because they are directly enforcing their contract (Cross, 1996). ...
The importance of soft skills to the graduates to compete in the working world is undeniable. Soft skills are complementary to the academic qualifications held by students. Recognizing this, the University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) has established a new framework for Soft Skills courses to improve the existing framework of the course. The implementation of this course, which is started about 6 months or approximately 1 semester; is based on learning outcomes (LO) into 8 main goals. Each of these LO can be achieved by following all 8 Soft Skills courses that serve as a compulsory course in the university. These courses are conducted based on the concept of learning contracts involve an agreement between students and lecturers to determine the assignments/projects to be completed by students in a given period. Proof of learning outcomes should be uploaded by students to iFolio system that can be evaluated by evaluator (lecturers). The implementation of the new framework deals with various problems that pose challenges to both students and lecturers. There are 50 identified issues and challenges involving students, lecturers and the systems/operations. The main cause for the challenges is lack of understanding on the implementation of this course, since it is just running for its first semester. This results in a great deal of confusion which triggers the issues on the ground. However, every issue has a solution. Therefore, the management should take proactive steps as to properly deal with the issues and challenges.
... A learning contract is a written agreement between an instructor and student regarding the learning outcomes and assessment of a course (Boak, 1998). Lemieux (2001) defined a learning contract as "an agreement between the instructor and student that establishes the nature of the relationship, the objectives of the learning experience, the activities to accomplish the learning objectives, and the means by which the educational effort will be evaluated" (p. 265). ...
Adult students in counselor education programs bring diverse experiences to the classroom. In order to attract and retain students, institutions are exploring multiple delivery systems of instruction. The following study provides an overview of learning styles and characteristics of adult graduate students and explores the degree to which learning contracts may be a beneficial tool to positively impact student learning in the counselor education classroom. Surveys were administered pre-and post-participation in a master's level counselor education classroom regarding the use of a learning contract. Results indicated that participants found the learning contract to be useful and allowed the students to be more self-directed and connected with their work. Today's master's degree students in counseling programs represent a broad spectrum of individuals with diverse experiences. These students vary in terms of work and life experience, family and cultural differences, socio-economic status as well as time attendance status (e.g. full-time/part-time). In addition, students have a wide range of other commitments besides a graduate program such as career and/or family obligations. The adult students may also differ from younger, traditional students in their motivation, self-direction, intent and opinion of learning (Cranton, 2006). Such students may benefit from diverse forms of classroom instruction, especially techniques that involve more accountability and collaboration (D'Andrea & Gosling, 2005; Hoshmand, 2004). In order to attract and retain graduate students, some universities and instructors are embracing change in the methods of course delivery (Sarasin, 1999). One particular method is use of a learning contract, which is a written agreement between an instructor and student regarding the learning outcomes and assessment of a course (Boak, 1998). This mixed-method study explores the degree to which learning contracts may be a beneficial tool in the counselor education classroom to address the learning styles and characteristics of adult graduate students.
... Learning contracts used in many schools of social work include such negotiation of assignments (Fox & Zischka, 1989;Friedman & Neuman, 2001), often within an overall structure of competencies to be mastered. The process of negotiation also empowers students through mutual respect and accountability (Lemieux, 2001), which again increases intrinsic motivation. ...
Based on data from a survey of 121 baccalaureate and master of social work students at a western university, this study explores students' perspectives of "safe" and "unsafe" classroom environments. The majority reported that being in a safe classroom changed both what and how much they learned. Students offered a wide range of instructor, fellow student, personal, and classroom characteristics that contribute to the creation of safe and unsafe spaces. Responses about such characteristics were relatively consistent across genders, race (measured as being White or of color), and program level. Implications for social work education and research are offered.
... Learning contracts used in many schools of social work include such negotiation of assignments (Fox & Zischka, 1989;Friedman & Neuman, 2001), often within an overall structure of competencies to be mastered. The process of negotiation also empowers students through mutual respect and accountability (Lemieux, 2001), which again increases intrinsic motivation. ...
This exploratory qualitative study investigated the learning process in field education from the perspective of two major stakeholder groups. Field instructors (n=80) and students (n=100) participated in an experiential exercise (Jarvis, 1987) that used Kolb's Learning Cycle as a basis to explore and expand upon their perceptions of how this learning occurs. Data consisted of modifications participants made to Kolb's model. Findings suggest key elements of experiential learning operative in field education are missing from Kolb's model, in particular the role of relationship. Further research is needed to develop a model more reflective of the learning process in field education.
... Learning contracts used in many schools of social work include such negotiation of assignments (Fox & Zischka, 1989;Friedman & Neuman, 2001), often within an overall structure of competencies to be mastered. The process of negotiation also empowers students through mutual respect and accountability (Lemieux, 2001), which again increases intrinsic motivation. ...
This article responds to Fran Danis and Lettie Lockhart's editorial in the Summer 2003 Journal of Social Work Education (Vol. 29, No. 2), which questions the disconnect between the battered women's movement and the social work profession regarding knowledge and practices related to domestic violence. The author examines how two factors might influence responses to violence against women: the use of language in the social work discourse and the reluctance to use research to guide social work knowledge and practice. The ways in which these two factors guide social work's ideology about violence against women and, in turn, its focus on individual pathology and treatment and away from social context, social justice, and community organization are explored.
... Learning contracts used in many schools of social work include such negotiation of assignments (Fox & Zischka, 1989;Friedman & Neuman, 2001), often within an overall structure of competencies to be mastered. The process of negotiation also empowers students through mutual respect and accountability (Lemieux, 2001), which again increases intrinsic motivation. ...
This article examines the experiences of 19 women who self-identify as lesbian or bisexual as they pursue degrees in accredited master of social work educational programs located within the Southern United States. The pervasive discomfort and silence surrounding lesbian and bisexual issues, as well as the privileging of heterosexuality experienced by these women, are presented as being reflective of the contextual settings of these programs. Furthermore, factors including the location and structure of, and the presence of other gay, lesbian, or bisexually identified people within these programs, are discussed as mitigating the heteronormativity experienced by these women.
... Learning contracts used in many schools of social work include such negotiation of assignments (Fox & Zischka, 1989;Friedman & Neuman, 2001), often within an overall structure of competencies to be mastered. The process of negotiation also empowers students through mutual respect and accountability (Lemieux, 2001), which again increases intrinsic motivation. ...
For this study, 188 students from 4 social work programs completed a questionnaire about their motivation and performance in field practicum. Achievement motivation included task value, intrinsic motivation, perception of task difficulty, confidence, and self-efficacy. Students were more satisfied with field education and rated their social work skills higher if they valued what they learned in field (task value), took pleasure in field activities (intrinsic motivation) and had a greater sense of self-efficacy about field tasks. However, achievement motivation was unrelated to field instructor evaluation of student skills. Discussion includes suggestions for increasing student achievement motivation.
... Learning contracts used in many schools of social work include such negotiation of assignments (Fox & Zischka, 1989;Friedman & Neuman, 2001), often within an overall structure of competencies to be mastered. The process of negotiation also empowers students through mutual respect and accountability (Lemieux, 2001), which again increases intrinsic motivation. ...
This article reports on an exploratory research study that found that working a half-time job while pursuing a full-time course load is typical for most undergraduate social work students. Average number of hours worked and perceived work interference with studies were associated with lower overall grade point average.
... Learning contracts used in many schools of social work include such negotiation of assignments (Fox & Zischka, 1989;Friedman & Neuman, 2001), often within an overall structure of competencies to be mastered. The process of negotiation also empowers students through mutual respect and accountability (Lemieux, 2001), which again increases intrinsic motivation. ...
The purpose of this article is to report on findings from an exploratory study that examines the linkages among social work education programs, professional development, and school social workers' perceived level of cultural competence in urban public school systems that have a majority African American student enrollment. This study seeks to shed light on the need to engage in empirical investigations concerning cultural competence and school social work practice. Findings from this study highlight the need for both social work education programs and postgraduate professional development programs to monitor practitioners' preparation for culturally competent practice in urban public school systems.
... Responsibility is a reflection of duties and accountability (Kaler, 2002, see also Cranston 2002) which are part of a reliable business. Informative accountability (Spira, 2001;Swift, 2001;Lemieux, 2001) makes a business accountable. This includes also recruiting employees. ...
Present labor markets are in the wind of change. A widely made distinction between employees and individual contractors has been challenged. The study discusses ab- ductively, i.e. both conceptually and empirically, the nature of being a responsible employer. Consequently, the two central concepts are: a) responsibility and b) employment relationship. The empirical research task is: Why does disguised employ- ment exist? Question of the research is: What is disguised employment as forced entrepreneurship? The ap- proach is qualitative and abductive, which in this case means a two- way dialogue between the findings gained from literature and inter- views. For this exploration, twelve open and unstructured interviews were conducted, two authentic written descriptions of dispute cases were analyzed and three concluding theme-based interviews were made by phone to clarify some remaining open questions. Disguised employ- ment causes harm to employers and employees in the form of forced contracts, lack of experience in firms and unethical and irresponsible out- sourcing. Responsible employment is a balance between rights, obliga- tions, power and corporate social responsibility.
... The Journal of Educators Online, Volume 4, Number 1, January 2007 62). Several studies have revealed that contract learning is an effective instructional strategy to address various factors that potentially lead to improving motivation, such as confidence, valuerecognition , responsibility, empowerment and satisfaction (Bauer, 1985; Boyer, 2003; Chan & Wai-tong, 2000; Lemieux, 2001; Lewis, 2004; Williams & Williams, 1999). But, how does contract learning work in an asynchronous online learning environment? ...
In a face-to-face classroom, the instructor can easily diagnose students’ motivational status by observing their facial expressions and postures, but such cues are absent in an online classroom. Therefore, online instructors often estimate students’ motivational level based on their online behavior such as the number of messages they post, and look for effective strategies to help them actively participate in online dialogues. One such strategy is contract learning which facilitates self-directed behaviors through structuring an agreed learning process. This study reports a contract learning strategy in a graduate-level online class, examining whether a sample of 28 students’ motivation could indeed be predicted by their online behavior. Results from the study found that the students’ online behavior was not a predictor for their motivational status, though there were age and gender differences in their online behavior. The students felt more self-directed and motivated during contract learning, but what they really liked was being able to select assignments that were relevant to their interests and needs. This paper concludes by discussing practical implications of the findings at the end.The Journal of Educators Online, Volume 4, Number 1, January 2007 1
Acknowledgments Building Honors Contracts: Insights and Oversights, Kristine A. Miller Curriculum Gone Bad: The Case against Honors Contracts, Richard Badenhausen The Timeliness of Honors Contracts, Shirley Shultz Myers and Geoffrey Whitebread Honors Contracts: Empowering Students and Fostering Autonomy in Honors Education, Anne Dotter An Undeserved Reputation: How Contract Courses Can Work for a Small Honors Program , Jon Hageman One Hand Washes the Other: Designing Mutually Beneficial Honors Contracts, Antonina Bambina Honors Contracts: A Scaffolding to Independent Inquiry, Cindy S. Ticknor and Shamim Khan Enhancing the Structure and Impact of Honors by Contract Projects with Templates and Research Hubs, James G. Snyder and Melinda Weisberg Ensuring a Quality Honors Experience through Learning Contracts: Success beyond Our Wildest Dreams, Julia A. Haseleu and Laurie A. Taylor A High-Impact Strategy for Honors Contract Courses, Gary Wyatt Facilitating Feedback: The Benefits of Automation in Monitoring Completion of Honors Contracts, Erin E. Edgington Moving Honors Contracts into the Digital Age: Processes, Impacts, and Opinions , Ken D. Thomas and Suzanne P. Hunter Honors in Practice: Beyond the Classroom, Kristine A. Miller About the Authors About the NCHC Monograph Series
This article discusses about the implementation of service learning strategy as a means to produce graduates from vocational program, in specific from the Administration of Finance and Banking Study Program, Universitas Indonesia, who are ready to compete within labor markets. The aim of this study is to explain the process and stages of the implementation of service learning strategy on the learning activities at the study program. The data were derived from primary and secondary sources. Data and information from the primary sources were collected using interviews and observations. Interviews were conducted of the lecturers of the courses/subjects involved in the implementation of service learning method; and also of the students involved in the activities of learning that used learning service strategy. The collected data were analyzed through content analysis method. Results of the study describes three stages in the implementation of service learning, that is, the preparation stage (need assessment and planning), the implementation stage, and the evaluation or reflection phase. The core of service learning is the service activities that are based on the curriculum related to the society, by integrating and collaborating learning activities in the classroom with the activities of serving the community. By the implementation of this strategy, the graduates of Vocational Education Programs of Universitas Indonesia have practical experience of work skills, positive attitude and personal character, as well as practical knowledge. Keywords: curriculum, service learning, learning activities, work skills
Field work programs have a substantial responsibility for providing support and gatekeeping functions while ensuring an educational experience that allows students to master the nine holistic, multidimensional social work accreditation competencies. With additional emphasis on field as a “signature pedagogy,” field directors are tasked with finding placements that can support these explicit competencies. Through the utilization of a learning contract that combines the Council on Social Work Education Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards competencies (including component behaviors) students and supervisors can begin to discuss their joint progress on meeting each of these prior to the final evaluation. This process will ensure that students have demonstrated the necessary outcomes to become a generalist social work practitioner.
The author, an instructional development specialist and faculty member with 35+ years experience, has been attempting, throughout her career, to encourage students to be more self-directing about their learning and to move away from the phenomenon she calls "whadyaget" in which students are only concerned about the grade they receive on an assignment, rather than the accomplishment the assignment represents. One solution to this problem is the use of contracts, specifically with mature adult learners. In a contract learning setting, students choose a contract which includes the "body of work" for which they will be responsible. Once completed, students will receive the grade for which they contracted. The author will report anecdotal evidence collected from at least ten years of using this method and also will discuss pros and cons of contract learning/grading, suggestions for improved implementation of the contract process and future trends in contract learning as they relate to adult education and, most recently, distance learning.
In ESL teaching and learning context, there have been continuous efforts in utilizing several teaching approaches to develop autonomous, independent and active learners, especially in higher learning institutions in Malaysia. In view of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's initiative to adopt the learning contract approach for the teaching and learning of undergraduates, an action research was conducted to explore the feasibility of learning contract in a language course in UKM. The data comprises of self-reflections, focus group interviews, instructor feedback as well as a pre- and post-tests results. This study details the implementation process of the learning contract in a workplace communication class of 31 students and highlights student feedback on their reaction towards such an approach. Findings indicate the positive aspects of the learning approach from the students' perspectives despite some reservations from those who are less inclined towards this approach.
Co-curricular or extra-curricular activities are an integral part of knowledge in supporting students' generic skills development in order to become quality human capital. In general, the co-curricular activities in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Malaysia are of similar fields. However, the institutions have their own way to assess and evaluate the students' involvements in these activities. In relation to this, as of 2010/2011 academic session, the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) has implemented a more flexible approach whereby student are given more freedom at choosing, creating and carrying out the activities based on a learning contract which are drawn out and agreed upon by the students and supervisors prior to the implementation of the said activities. A survey was conducted in order to determine the level of knowledge and understanding among students in relation to the learning contract and their readiness to use the learning contract in their next co-curricular activities. A set of questionnaire was developed and used as a research tool for that purposes. A total of 51 respondents were selected from Training for Trainers (TOT) workshop to participate in this survey. The study found that the level of understanding (mean = 4.06-4.16) and acceptance (mean = 4.02-4.46) on co-curricular activities learning contract among students are excellent. It was also reported that 86% of the students have clear knowledge about the learning contract and its implementation for co-curricular activities. The majority of students stated that they had achieved all the learning contract principles (mean = 3.92-4.25) and learning outcomes (mean = 4.00-4.18) required. In general, this research showed positive results on the implementation of learning contract in co-curricular activities in the UKM. The new approach to implementing and assessing co-curricular activities has already been accepted by most UKM students. Nevertheless, in order to achieve the optimum results, continuous steps should be taken by the respective parties to ensure that the students are well informed about the status of the learning contract.
Following in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and conducted when Hurricanes Gustav and Ike struck the coast of Louisiana, a unique service-learning course stretched the boundaries of students and faculty in new ways. First, students and faculty from five distinctive disciplines designed the course collaboratively, infusing different perspectives into every aspect of planning and teaching. Second, the content area—human impacts of disasters and disease—required students (future leaders who will one day make critical decisions in the midst of uncertainty and conflict) to grapple with major human tragedies. Third, the course objective—to encourage critical analysis—required students to examine multifaceted and complex issues as they considered the environmental, political, and social effects of disaster and disease. Finally, this course used a qualitative research project as its service component, and the partner was our own university. The goal of the project was to offer information that would help the administration plan for future disasters. Students directly experienced disaster-related challenges through planned assignments requiring critical analysis and a ropes challenge experience simulating a crisis environment. In the first few weeks of class, proving that in education as in life timing is everything, Hurricane Gustav severely damaged the community and simulation became reality. While this course, entitled Honors 2000: Critical Analysis and Social Responsibility: The Human Response to Disaster and Disease, is not precisely replicable because of unique hurricane occurrences, any team of faculty can replicate the collaboration, flexibility, responsiveness, and authenticity that characterized the experience.
The traditional pedagogy of university courses encourages students to learn in ways that are unlike anything they will practice later during their career, within or especially outside academia. At that stage, most if not all of the learning is autonomous and self directed. In this context, this article presents a non traditional course format, meant to prepare students effectively for lifelong, self-directed learning, and consisting of individual tutorials, learning contracts and formal lectures serving as scaffolds. The background and structure of the course are presented in detail. Several challenges associated with the approach are also addressed.
The present work deals with the transformation of the progressive education approach "Dalton Plan" into e-learning. This work is the first researched, documented and implemented transfer of a progressive education into the web. Interviews with e-learning experts provide requirements for the use of the Dalton Plan in e-learning.
Individual views of the experts are documented using the Concept Mapping approach. The aggregation of these abstract individual views allows to derive requirements for the support of the Dalton Plan Instruments in e-learning. These requirements form the basis of conceptual user interfaces. Because of the transfer of the Dalton Plan approach into a (web-based) e-learning environment changes to the educational instruments are required. Attention has to be payed to the asynchrony of the interaction. Using Java Server Faces technology a Dalton Plan module is implemented for a web-based e-learning platform. This implementation is evaluated by the e-learning experts. The evaluation shows the usefulness of the implemented Dalton Plan instruments. Also the evaluation shows the potential of the approach to knowledge acquisition by means of self-organized learning. The consistent use of the Concept Mapping approach allows to document the transformation and evaluation process in a traceable manner
This article introduces a competency-based integrated learning contract and student assessment for social work field education. Historically, learning contracts and student assessments have often been two separate documents and could appear unconnected. In addition, individually developed student learning objectives could lack consistency across placement settings. The proposed learning contract seeks to remedy these limitations and was created based on field supervisors', field students', social work faculty feedback, and the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) 2008 competencies. This article describes how the instrument was developed, pilot-tested, and then fine-tuned. The contract provides significant direction for field student learning while still allowing for individual student created competencies. The learning contract and student assessment tool itself is provided for ease of implementing and adapting to other field programs.
Behavioral contracting has been used as a tool to modify behavior in a variety of settings, and the purpose of this study was to determine the impact of behavioral contracting on the acquisition of guitar performance skills in a college-level beginning guitar class. Music and nonmusic majors enrolled in 4 college-level beginning guitar classes participated in this study. Participants (N = 27) were divided into four groups, with Groups 1 and 2 serving as control (n = 5, n = 6) and Groups 3 and 4 serving as experimental (n = 7, n = 9). A Multiple baseline format was implemented that involved 3 testing conditions (T1, T2, T3). Participants played the same I-IV-V7-1 chord progression for all 3 testing conditions. Experimental Group 3 received a behavioral contract between T1 and T2, while experimental Group 4 received a contract between T2 and T3. Participants in the contracting groups were allowed to make structured choices about evaluation procedures and reward outcomes. Data on speed increase and accuracy were collected via videotaping and analyzed by an independent reviewer blind to condition. Two-way repeated measures ANOVAs were used to analyze differences in tempo and errors. A significant interaction was found for tempo and group and a significant difference in errors was found across treatment conditions. However, no significance was found between the groups for errors. Graphic analysis of tempo changes indicated that Group 1 improved tempo by a total of 41%, Group 2 by a total of 38%, Group 3 (contract) by a total of 76% and Group 4 (contract) by a total of 67%. Both contracting groups showed the biggest decrease in errors during the contracting condition, although errors actually increased slightly for Group 3 once the contracting condition was removed.
Learning contracts have been used in adult education to ensure a positive and successful learning process. By means of a learning contract, the instructor can support the learner in a manner that best suits the learner's individual requirements. Like the learning environment, the workplace finds individuals with varying skill sets, areas of interest, and degrees of motivation. Understanding and applying the skills of the worker to appropriate tasks and interests have important ramifications for how workers perceive their jobs and the ultimate effectiveness of the organization. Studies show that the quality of the work environment is critical for the job satisfaction and retention of employees in the public and private sector as well as for the dental academician. Recent literature on faculty development has focused on adapting business-based motivation, mentoring, and performance counseling strategies to the academic setting. By leading and managing faculty development through the use of such strategies, the quality of the work environment can be improved. This article briefly summarizes the commonality between retention strategies and learning contracts within a human resource context and provides a model document that can be used by chairs and program directors to organize and focus their faculty development efforts.
Examined the effects of a videotaped psychotherapy orientation on clients' response to therapy, knowledge about therapy, utilization of services, and satisfaction with services and on therapist ratings of client attractiveness. 62 psychotherapy clients (mean age 29 yrs) at an urban community mental health center were randomly assigned to an oriented group, which viewed a pretherapy orientation videotape at admission, or to a control group. 14 therapists participated. The 11-min videotape described the relationship between client and therapist, encouraged clients to attend appointments, and stated that, although progress is rarely immediate, most clients find that therapy can lead to a reduction in anxiety and depression. Clients and therapists completed questionnaire and rating scales at intake and at 1-mo follow-up. It was found that oriented clients were able to understand and recall the information in the videotape, and the oriented group showed a greater decrease in self-reported symptoms than the control group after 1 mo. Client feedback regarding the videotape was favorable. In general, the 2 groups did not differ in their satisfaction with services, service utilization, or therapist ratings of client symptoms and functioning. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This pilot study is a comparative investigation of the life histories of 94 persons seen as children at a guidance center, half of whom were hospitalized with schizophrenia as adults and half of whom remained in the community, having achieved some form of adjustment. The study attempts to identify the growth-producing ameliorative experiences and benign influences that may account for the difference in outcome.
This paper presents the concept of goal-oriented contract field instruction as a means for providing direction in and measurement of student learning in the field. After discussing the basic assumptions for contracting and the role of goals in learning, the paper presents an outline for the field instruction contract, with an illustrative example from both a clinical and an administrative setting. It concludes with an examination of the advantages and drawbacks of goal-oriented contracting in field instruction.
This paper offers a teaching and learning model for building practice knowledge through intensive case study and practitioner self-evaluation. This reflective model addresses the challenges of systematizing case sludy and of using multiple research methodologies within a social constructionist perspective. Examples of research projects conducted by second year master's social work students who participated in a seminar based on his model are discussed.
This article draws on feminist social work practice scholarship and on feminist pedagogy, primarily from the field of education, to identify and discuss the application of that literature to the practice classroom in schools of social work. The author describes epistemologies of adult learning, particularly those that identify the unique ways women organize and impart meaning to information; discusses their relevance for integrating feminist pedagogical principles in the practice classroom; and draws parallels between student learning in the feminist "liberatory" classroom and practice with clients.
Education for social work in a changing society demands teaching methods which engage students in confronting, analyzing, and restructuring current concepts so they can extrapolate from the known to the speculative. This paper describes one such method—an experience-based teaching/learning strategy for helping students to examine the structure of social situations as this structure underlies and affects human interaction in general and social work practice in particular. The work proceeds inductively, from action under various simulated conditions to conceptualizing generative principles for understanding the matrix of interrelated elements that defines a system of human association.
Liberation theory from a Third World adult educator is seen as consistent with social work ideals and an avenue for social work education to travel in developing better learning and more motivated, knowledgeable, critical, responsible, and autonomous learners. Conscious choice can free professional education from its pedagogical overtones, recast it in an androgogical perspective, and help it produce learners who are creative subjects rather than receiving objects.
This paper describes a new student/teacher evaluation system that helps students monitor and evaluate their progress in each course or unit of instruction. Because it produces a learning curve for each student and for the class as a whole, it is useful to both students and teachers in the assessment and evaluation of joint learning-teaching activities and achievements. Its major purpose is to help maximize learning gains.
The emergence of new models of casework treatment has given impetus to a renewed interest in contract negotiation. This study reports on research designed to examine contracting with respect to problem focus and expectations of client and worker roles among worker-client pairs in ongoing treatment cases. Questionnaires addressed to worker and client pairs and audiotape recordings of interviews were data-collecting instruments.
Interactions between 19 field instructors and 19 field students provided the exploratory context from which an operational definition of empowerment was derived. Empowerment emerged as an interactive process of trust between the field instructors and their students. Specified as belief in self and in the other, that relational stance was both product and process and represented the feminist reconceptual ization of power that integrates relationship with connectedness.
This paper explores the differences in assumptions about learning of pedagogy (the art and science of teaching children) and andragogy (the art and science of helping adults learn) and the implications of these differences for program planning, the designing of learning experiences, the selection of methods and techniques, and evaluation. The suggestion is made that social work education, which has traditionally been pedagogically oriented, is dealing with essentially mature students whose learning would be enhanced by the application of principles and techniques of andragogy.
Counselor educators, supervisors, and practitioners sometimes act in ways that contradict the most significant beliefs and values that they espouse. Despite communicating to students and trainees the importance of being caring, respectful, warm, flexible, honest, and personally competent, we are sometimes found to be operating quite differently. Issues related to the counselor educator, supervisor, and practitioner's narcissism, self-indulgence, abuses of power, illusions of omnipotence, prejudices, and unresolved issues are discussed. A case is strongly presented that we would all be a lot more effective if we worked to confront our hypocrisies and practice more what we preach.
A fundamental responsibility of social workers is to empower clients to participate in decisions that affect their lives. Social work educators can best teach this concept by empowering their students. This article describes the results of a quasi-experimental study that compared students' perceptions of empowerment in two sections of a graduate social work course at a large public university in Spring 1997. One section was taught through a traditional format of lectures, exams, and papers; the other through techniques intended to empower students: learning contracts, formative evaluations, and narrative evaluations. The authors conclude that student perception of empowerment is positively affected by these teaching techniques.
This paper examines the integration of theory and practice in relation to facilitating and hindering features of traditional and innovative patterns of class-field arrangements. It suggests that integration requires efforts to assist learners to relate both applied and academic aspects of their education to themselves as they become social workers. This conception led to the design of a learning environment containing both practice-relevant information and application experiences. The nature, processes, structure and specific tasks comprising the learning environment are described and the limitatives and advantages of this approach discussed.
Many social work educators have endorsed an andragogical appraoch to instruction as a means to reach the diverse student population of today's classroom, without recognizing the larger debate and concerns voiced by adult education detractors. Andrgogical methods provide practical experience-related learning opportunities where self-directed learning is emphasized. Although these methods are effective and have improved social work instruction over the past two decades, there is sufficient research to support the importance of and rationale for belnding pedagogical and andrgogical techniques. This paper will highlight innovative teaching strategies and evaluation components that were used in an advanced social work practice course that blended pedgogical and andrgogical teaching methods.
In this article, I explore the tensions between constructivism and feminism in teaching a course on social work practice with women. Drawing on modernist feminist theory, I examine the conflict between validating the stories that women construct for themselves, while raising women's awareness of the difficulties in constructing liberated stories in an oppressive society. I discuss strategies I have used in the classroom to address, albeit not resolve, these tensions.
Social Work's commitment to the principles of self-determination and empowerment has proven difficult to operationalize. When learning contracts in field education utilize both positivist and interactionist theoretical frameworks, they facilitate student participation and empowerment in a manner consistent with adult learning priciples. As a result, students are better able to apply the concept of self-determiniation for the empowerment of clients and the profession. This paper examines the implications of both frameworks for learning contracts. The positivist tradition prevails in learning contracts; yet the interactional process is crucial to their effective use. Consequently, learning contracts are misunderstood and underutilized.
Much of the literature available on the topic of practice teaching in social work has focussed upon student learning patterns, feelings, behaviour and problems. Traditionally, the functions of a practice teacher have been described as assessing, managing, teaching and enabling. Enabling is a vital function which previously has received only limited attention in the literature. This article examines the attitudes and behaviour of the practice teacher in enabling and facilitating learning. Some contributions from humanistic psychology are considered and, in particular, the work of Carl Rogers and his associates. It is suggested that the Rogerian ‘core conditions’ are significant elements in the behaviour of the practice teacher, while important elements from the student perspective are seen in the significance of experience, description and responsibility.