Sheltering in quiet waters: Nga roopu awhi for integration of social work learning

Abstract

Social work educators face significant challenges in creating for students learning opportunities that span multiple activities: the navigation of personal/professional boundaries; development of links between theory and practice; cultivation of mature relational and critical thinking skills; and cultural self-awareness. The successful acquisition of these skills requires a sustained focus on how they are actively integrated into student learning (Adamson, 2011; Boud, 2010; Gibbons & Gray, 2002; Marlowe, Appleton, Chinnery, & Van Stratum, 2014).This article describes Ngã Roopu Awhi, weekly creative tutorials designed to be the juncture at which all learning comes together, a key feature of a new four-year Bachelor of Social Work degree in Aotearoa New Zealand that incorporates the concept of integration at multiple levels.Research into the effectiveness of the tutorials is under way; this article serves as a preliminary practice exposition, providing a rationale for, and description of, Ngã Roopu Awhi for social work educators and students.

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