TY - JOUR
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
N1 - Includes bibliographical references.
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
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.
KW - Case study
KW - Co-operative inquiry
KW - Reflixivity
KW - Reflective practice
KW - Field education
KW - Workplace learning
M3 - Article
VL - 19
SP - 92
EP - 106
JO - Advances in Social Work and Welfare Education
JF - Advances in Social Work and Welfare Education
SN - 1329-0584
IS - 1
ER -