Application of Social Constructionist Principles in Field Practice Teaching in a Chinese Context

This paper describes a project in which social constructionist principles were applied to the fieldwork supervision of five students. The principles applied included cultivation of skeptical attitudes to knowledge, understanding of the assumptions of any form of understanding, strengthening of critical thinking power, understanding of the importance of reflexivity in human beings, cultivation of the awareness of value and historical and cultural relativity, appreciation of the collaborative venture between supervisor and supervisees, development of the awareness of the strengths of clients, and promotion of the tolerance of uncertainty and ambiguity in the learning process. Qualitative evaluation utilizing information collected via individual supervision, group supervision, in-depth interviews, and written materials (including pre- and post-placement journals, weekly diaries and letters) showed that the students showed positive changes with respect to the objectives of the fieldwork project. The study demonstrates the applicability of utilizing social constructionist principles in fieldwork supervision of Chinese social work students.