1. Outcomes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment Law in Social WorkEducation

2. Background Findings of SCIE systematic review on teaching, learning and assessment of law in social work education  Limited empirical evidence on effectiveness of different approaches  Complex learning outcomes Review of the processes and outcomes of students’ law learning in placement  Law learning neglected in practice learning  Challenges of practice

3. Research project Funded by a National Teaching Fellowship award Three year cohort study from 2006/7 Seven participating Universities across England and Wales (n=223 (2006/7) and n=371 (2007/8) Undergraduate and postgraduate routes Comparative study of medical students in four participating Universities Systematic review of teaching, learning and assessment of law in medical education

4. Methodology Self audit questionnaire at beginning of each academic year  Images of law/lawyers, skills for practising social work law, knowledge of legal powers and duties Mind mapping (T1, T2, T3) Focus groups with students Interviews with staff teaching law Documentary analysis and curriculum mapping

5. Lived Experience of Research Multi-site Longitudinal Students over-researched Priorities – negotiating access Ethical approval Measuring learning and its transfer into practice Following newly qualified social workers into practice

6. Findings: Images of Law 90% of students think law can be used to achieve social change 80% think law is suitable for resolving welfare issues 70% think law endorses & supports social work values 65% report increased anxiety when using legal powers and duties 70% report anxiety about keeping up to date

7. Findings: Skills for Practising Social Work Law Skills relating to understanding and writing about the law seen as difficult Skills of applying law to social work practice seen as difficult Skills relating to using the law to challenge agencies seen as very difficult No decrease in perception of difficulty as students move from first to second year

8. Findings: Knowledge of Legal Powers and Duties Knowledge increases as students move into the second year Postgraduate students’ reported level of knowledge is consistently higher than that of undergraduate students Reported knowledge of child care law is higher than for other practice fields

9. Findings: Mind Maps Collated for content on Excel & coded using NVivo7 software by 3 independent raters Law seen in terms of: political structures, organisational context, principles & standards, specific acts, professional identity, controlling and empowering

10. Findings: Student Focus Groups Complexity – daunting, decaying learning Ambivalence – constrains and supports Reduces anxiety and increases understanding Practice learning key Separate law modules and integration elsewhere Case studies, debates, PBL to relate law to practice

11. Next Steps Complete social work data collection for 2008/9 Complete systematic review of teaching, learning and assessment of law in medical education Complete data collection with medical students Final analysis and dissemination

12. Research Team Professor Michael Preston-Shoot Judy McKimm Contact by email: michael.preston-shoot@beds.ac.uk