The power of the case study within practice, education and research

Monica Short, Heather Barton, Brian Cooper, Mark Woolven, Melissa Loos, Jan Devos

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

Abstract

The case study method is a popular pedagogical tool within social work education. It is, however, unclear if individual organisations, students, practitioners and academics have fully appraised the value and power of the case study beyond research activities. This article describes a critical reflection exercise into the functionality of the case study method. It presents the themes from a co-operative inquiry conducted by six professionals with experience in social work field education. This professional collaboration, informed by the authors’ practice knowledge, considers how the case study enhances practice, education, research and personal and professional development within an organisational context. Emerging key themes indicate that the case study method is not confined to research and that it can also be extensively applied within field education and industry. A case study can be a powerful learning tool sparking empathy, providing context to situations, allowing people to connect to social phenomena intellectually and emotionally, counterbalancing efficiency-driven environments and enabling ethical practice. The inquiry concludes that, when applying the case study, it is important to be reflexive and reflective in utilising the method, and to elicit the humanity of a situation respectfully.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)92-106
Number of pages15
JournalAdvances in Social Work and Welfare Education
Volume19
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - 2017

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Short, Monica ; Barton, Heather ; Cooper, Brian ; Woolven, Mark ; Loos, Melissa ; Devos, Jan . / The power of the case study within practice, education and research. In: Advances in Social Work and Welfare Education. 2017 ; Vol. 19, No. 1. pp. 92-106.
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Short, M, Barton, H, Cooper, B, Woolven, M, Loos, M & Devos, J 2017, 'The power of the case study within practice, education and research', Advances in Social Work and Welfare Education, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 92-106.

The power of the case study within practice, education and research. / Short, Monica; Barton, Heather; Cooper, Brian; Woolven, Mark; Loos, Melissa; Devos, Jan .

In: Advances in Social Work and Welfare Education, Vol. 19, No. 1, 2017, p. 92-106.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

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T1 - The power of the case study within practice, education and research

AU - Short, Monica

AU - Barton, Heather

AU - Cooper, Brian

AU - Woolven, Mark

AU - Loos, Melissa

AU - Devos, Jan

PY - 2017

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N2 - The case study method is a popular pedagogical tool within social work education. It is, however, unclear if individual organisations, students, practitioners and academics have fully appraised the value and power of the case study beyond research activities. This article describes a critical reflection exercise into the functionality of the case study method. It presents the themes from a co-operative inquiry conducted by six professionals with experience in social work field education. This professional collaboration, informed by the authors’ practice knowledge, considers how the case study enhances practice, education, research and personal and professional development within an organisational context. Emerging key themes indicate that the case study method is not confined to research and that it can also be extensively applied within field education and industry. A case study can be a powerful learning tool sparking empathy, providing context to situations, allowing people to connect to social phenomena intellectually and emotionally, counterbalancing efficiency-driven environments and enabling ethical practice. The inquiry concludes that, when applying the case study, it is important to be reflexive and reflective in utilising the method, and to elicit the humanity of a situation respectfully.

AB - The case study method is a popular pedagogical tool within social work education. It is, however, unclear if individual organisations, students, practitioners and academics have fully appraised the value and power of the case study beyond research activities. This article describes a critical reflection exercise into the functionality of the case study method. It presents the themes from a co-operative inquiry conducted by six professionals with experience in social work field education. This professional collaboration, informed by the authors’ practice knowledge, considers how the case study enhances practice, education, research and personal and professional development within an organisational context. Emerging key themes indicate that the case study method is not confined to research and that it can also be extensively applied within field education and industry. A case study can be a powerful learning tool sparking empathy, providing context to situations, allowing people to connect to social phenomena intellectually and emotionally, counterbalancing efficiency-driven environments and enabling ethical practice. The inquiry concludes that, when applying the case study, it is important to be reflexive and reflective in utilising the method, and to elicit the humanity of a situation respectfully.

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KW - Co-operative inquiry

KW - Reflixivity

KW - Reflective practice

KW - Field education

KW - Workplace learning

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JO - Advances in Social Work and Welfare Education

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Short M, Barton H, Cooper B, Woolven M, Loos M, Devos J. The power of the case study within practice, education and research. Advances in Social Work and Welfare Education. 2017;19(1):92-106.

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