Promoting Critical Thinking in the Context of the Practice Teaching Process Presentation to Practice Teachers Tuesday, 9th September, 2014

LEARNING OBJECTIVES This seminar will focus upon: Components of social work supervision/practice teaching; Educational paradigm within the context of social work supervision; Linking evidence-informed practice with critical analysis and reflective practice, and; Role that learning culture plays in the context of supervision, evidence-informed thinking, and analysis.

GUIDEBOOK COMPONENTS Components of Supervision Critical-Thinking Skills Evidence-Informed Practice Creating and Sustaining an Organizational Learning Culture

FINDING SUPERVISORY BALANCE

CRITICAL THINKERS ARE ABLE TO… Use evidence skilfully and impartially. Identify and refute fallacies in logic. Suspend judgment in the absence of evidence to support a decision. Look for and consider alternative hypotheses. Question one’s own views. Look for unusual approaches to complex problems.

SUPERVISOR/PRACTICE TEACHER AS ADULT EDUCATOR Regularly scheduling individual and/or group supervision Developing student’s critical thinking skills Encouraging student’s to engage in self reflection to support learning, critical thinking and critical decision-making Collins-Camargo 2006a

ADULT EDUCATOR… Enhancing students’ ability to identify important casework questions at the heart of maltreatment Modeling EIP by looking to the research to inform interventions that are most effective for achieving client outcomes Contribute to an organizational learning culture Assessing students’ skills and abilities through various methods: discourse in supervision, self-reflection, understanding of broader systems and structures.

PROMOTING CRITICAL THINKING… Supporting students in making clinical decisions; Make judgments about individual students abilities and skills; Other times?

WHAT IS EVIDENCE-INFORMED PRACTICE? Tool K Video : Research and EIP

STEPS IN THE PROCESS OF EVIDENCE-INFORMED PRACTICE Be willing to say “I don’t know” Pose well formed answerable questions related to your practice Search effectively and efficiently for research findings Critically appraise research findings Use clinical expertise to integrate research findings with other sources Evaluate and learn from what happens

BUILDING A CULTURE OF CONTINUOUS LEARNING Organizations with a culture of learning are better suited to respond to pressure and achieve change when required. A culture of learning embraces three kinds of learning: Knowing how Knowing what Knowing why Video: Learning as a team Webinars Tool U

BARRIERS TO A LEARNING CULTURE It is not unusual for organizations to unintentionally develop barriers to learning: Attention is overly focused on programs and program development. Reflection is not valued as a learning tool. Fear of criticism causes defensiveness and protectionism. Errors, mistakes and tragedies are not reflectively engaged. Passive, directionless or reactionary decision-making is practiced. Resistance to change or risk-taking. Video: Learning as a team Webinars Tool U

Questions and thank you…

Contact Information Katharine Dill, QUB: k.dill@qub.ac.uk