Social Sciences· 2026Q2
Reimagining Community Development in Undergraduate Social Work Education: Student Perspectives from Northern Ireland
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- Q2SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
89% of social work students view community development as pertinent to practice, yet only 30% feel prepared for placement requirements, with lower confidence in community organization compared to casework or group work.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- 89% of social work students perceive community development as relevant to their practice.
- 70% of students feel confident defining community development.
- Only 30% of students feel prepared or very well prepared for community development placement requirements.
- Student confidence in community organization is lower than in casework or group work.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
This paper draws on survey data from 54 undergraduate social work students at Queen’s University Belfast to explore their perceptions of community development teaching within social work education and their preparedness for community development practice. It examines student views on curriculum provision and considers how learning could be reimagined to better prepare future practitioners for community development practice. The findings reveal that 89% of students see community development as pertinent to social work practice and that 70% reported confidence in defining it. In contrast, only 30% feel they are prepared or very well prepared for the placement requirement, with 48% feeling inadequately prepared. Their confidence is lower in community organisation than in casework or group work. The findings suggest that community development needs both a clearly identifiable place within the programme and greater visibility across the wider curriculum, alongside practical teaching and structured opportunities for students to apply their learning before and during placement.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Social Sciences, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Public Administration
Public AdministrationSocial Sciences