Conference presentation
Experiences of School Social Work from across Australia and beyond: a Cooperative Inquiry Approach
ANZSWWER 2025 Symposium, 14th (Sydney, Australia, 20/11/2025–21/11/2025)
21/11/2025
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Abstract
Throughout 2025 the Australian Network of School Social Work met with the aim of examining the role of social work practice in schools across Australia and beyond. We
contrasted experiences across geographical and practice contexts, capitalising on practitioner and educator knowledges in supporting social work students in school
contexts. A Cooperative Inquiry process was utilised (Russ, et al. 2024). The research group articulated a principle of participation, stipulating commitment to engage
throughout the process, the confidential parameters of material produced in a collaborative environment, being ok with the collaborative nature of the work and being open and flexible with the interpretation and production of ideas. The process has resulted in an extensive body of work with aims of publication in 2026. The dialogic exchanges of the collaborative research group strengthened prior assertions of a need for profiling a school Social Work identity at the national level (ANZSWWER 2022). It is agreed that we as social workers and social work educators, need to be comfortable and confident in our own paradigm of school social work. In building and participating in this national collaborative research process, we have clarified what school social workers can do and emphasized the value of school social work practice within our Australian social work identity. The presentation shares preliminary research findings and reflects on the experience of collaborative research as a model for mobilising national voices in the Australian Network of School Social Work. Implications for education, research, policy and practice will be discussed.
Details
- Title
- Experiences of School Social Work from across Australia and beyond: a Cooperative Inquiry Approach
- Creators
- Danielle Kovac - The University of Western AustraliaDonna Teekens - Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (Australia, Melbourne)Erica Russ - Southern Cross UniversityNicole Tigges - Fachhochschule Dortmund (Germany)Susan Young - The University of Western AustraliaAinsley Doherty - Griffith University (Australia, Gold Coast)Anthea Hanley - Charles Darwin UniversityCarrie McClure - University of New EnglandDamian Mahoney
- Conference
- ANZSWWER 2025 Symposium, 14th (Sydney, Australia, 20/11/2025–21/11/2025)
- Identifiers
- 991013332828702368
- Academic Unit
- Social Work; Faculty of Health
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Conference presentation