Indian Journal of Health Social Work
(UGC Care List Journal)
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NAVIGATING DISRUPTIONS: INDIAN SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS’
FIELDWORK EXPERIENCES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Vishal Mishra1, Saumya2, Rambabu Botcha3
1Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work, Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth
Development (RGNIYD), Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, Sriperumbudur,
Tamil Nadu, India. 2
Director and Associate Professor, School of Social Work (SOSW), Indira
Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi. 3Assistant Professor, Department of Social
Work, Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD), Ministry of Youth Affairs
and Sports, Government of India, Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, India.
Correspondence: Saumya, E-mail: saumya@ignou.ac.in
ABSTRACT
Background: This article discusses the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on fieldwork in social
work education in India. Through an online survey of social work students, the authors explore
key aspects such as modes of fieldwork, satisfaction levels, application of social work methods,
individual and group conferences, and challenges encountered. The study outlines how students
completed their fieldwork using online, offline, or blended formats, depending on the restrictions
imposed by the pandemic and their satisfaction with these modified fieldwork formats. Method:
The article attempts to assess how effectively students were able to apply social work theories
and methods in these adapted fieldwork environments and the adaptation of individual and group
conferences during the pandemic. Result: In addition to this, the article identifies specific
challenges faced by students, such as reduced face-to-face experience, limited community access,
and issues arising from the digital divide. It emphasizes the importance of innovative approaches
to fieldwork in social work education and offers valuable insights for educators, practitioners,
and researchers. Conclusion: The article recommends for a systematic and flexible approach to
fieldwork design, ensuring that students receive comprehensive, hands-on training even during
global crises.
Keywords: Covid-19, Fieldwork, India, Pandemic, Social Work, Students.
INTRODUCTION
In December 2019, highly contagious virus
identified as COVID-19, emerged and rapidly
spread to multiple countries, catching the
world unprepared. The World Health
Organization (WHO) declared it a pandemic,
urging nations to take immediate action. To
curb the spread of the virus, governments
implemented restrictions on movement,
including widespread lockdowns. The
pandemic and subsequent lockdowns
significantly impacted social work education
both in India and globally (Mishra et al., 2022;
Saumya & Singh, 2022). It reshaped both the
teaching and practice of social work, as
schools and colleges closed, suspended inperson classes, disrupting students’ education e field.
Fieldwork is a crucial aspect of social work
education, enabling students to acquire the
necessary skills and understanding to fulfill
their roles effectively. However, the COVID19 pandemic posed significant challenges,
leading to the suspension of fieldwork for
many students until the next academic term.
There was rapid digitalization of social work
during the pandemic and the growing need
for digital competencies in social work
education was felt. The shift to remote and
virtual modes of learning presented both
opportunities and obstacles for social work
students engaged in fieldwork. Heinsch et al.
(2023) highlighted an 8-week simulation
learning experience, “Social Work Virtual,”
developed to equip students with essential
digital skills, combining both online and faceto-face pedagogical approaches under expert
mentorship. While digital technologies
enabled continued engagement with clients
and agencies, the lack of in-person
interactions presented significant challenges
in developing essential hands-on skills and
establishing meaningful relationships with
communities.
Non-Government organizations (NGOs), which
play a critical role in helping those in need,
were also forced to close temporarily.
Kourgiantakis and Lee (2020) noted that this
disruption particularly affected those working
with vulnerable populations, as social workers,
educators, and students struggled to adapt
to new realities during lockdowns. The
disruption had significant mental distress
among students, including anxiety and ethical
dilemmas, emphasizing the need for improved
support systems during crises (Withrow et al,
2023). Many students reported feelings of
isolation and uncertainty about their future
careers as they were unable to engage
directly with clients (Kourgiantakis & Lee,
2020).
In this background, this article explores how
students updated their fieldwork to changing
circumstances and evaluates new teaching
methods. It aims to explore ways to continue
training students despite the pandemic. It also
deliberates on the challenges faced by social
work students and innovative ways to teach
and learn, in India.
Review of Literature
The fieldwork consists of orientation,
concurrent fieldwork, block placement, rural
camp, study tour and internship. It is the most
important part of social work education
(Botcha, 2012), offering students a chance to
learn from experienced instructors who guide
their practical training.
During the pandemic, educational institutions
in India and worldwide struggled to adapt to
the rapidly changing situation. They faced
unique challenges in ensuring continuity and
quality of fieldwork experiences for their
students. Fieldwork supervisors and students
had to quickly adapt to alternative approaches
for direct in-person fieldwork and supervision.
The sudden transition to virtual platforms
posed significant challenges, as it demanded
that supervisors modify learning plans, adapt
to remote learning activities, implement new
evaluation criteria, and shift to online
supervision. At the same time, students were
required to meet the expected standards of
fieldwork practice in this new format (Saumya
& Singh, 2022). Social work students adopted
innovative ways to complete fieldwork during
the pandemic when offline fieldwork was
impossible (Davis & Mirick, 2021; Morley &
Clarke, 2020). Virtual platforms were used to
facilitate remote client interactions, virtual
site tours, and online seminars with
practitioners. The various activities included
learning to develop proposals, improving
academic writing skills, training on publishing
research articles, conducting online research,
organizing online events and programmes,
raising resources for COVID-19 relief, and
creating online awareness about COVID-19
(Morley & Clarke, 2020; Davis & Mirick, 2021;
Pawar & Anscombe, 2015). It was witnessed
both in India and globally that social work
educators demonstrated resilience and
creativity in designing innovative fieldwork
experiences for their students across various
universities.
A study by Withrow, Holland & Simon (2023)
examines the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic on social work students’ field
placements during spring 2020. Through a
national survey, this study reveals varied
support levels from universities and agencies,
highlighting ethical dilemmas faced by
students. The findings inform policy
recommendations for improved crisis
response in social work education. It confirms
the disruptions in field placements, community
outreach, and direct client interactions
necessitating an immediate adaptation to
remote learning models and virtual
interactions (Withrow et al., 2023). Davis &
Mirick (2021) points out that many
organizations have had to stop in-person
services and close their offices, making it
difficult for students to gain experience.
Utilizing both qualitative and quantitative
methods, Apostol et al. (2023) highlight
student perspectives on the shift, emphasizing
challenges with practical activities and student
well-being. They recommend improving
feedback mechanisms, enriching curricula
with resilience programmes, and organizing
peer mentoring post-pandemic to better
prepare students for professional challenges
(Apostol et al., 2023).
The pandemic affected the mental health of
social work students with increased levels of
anxiety, depression, and stress, primarily due
to social isolation, uncertainty about the
future, and the disruption of practical learning
experiences (Hong, 2023). In India, the issue
of digital divide posed challenges with some
students not having access to smartphones
or computers due to financial constraints
(Pandey, 2020). Teachers were not trained or
certified to teach online, making them hesitant
to use technology. Slow internet connections
also made it hard for students and teachers
to attend online classes (Sharma & Singh,
2021). Teachers who were not digitally
qualified could not meet students’ learning
needs and expectations (Bhowmik, 2020).
The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
surveyed 197 deans and directors of social
work programmes and 235 field directors in
2020, right after the national emergency was
declared (CSWE, 2020). The survey found that
almost all student placements (97%) were
affected by the pandemic. Some students
(23.8%) had their placements cancelled,
while most students had to adjust their
placements and do alternative activities like
virtual meetings and projects from home
(CSWE, 2020). Another CSWE study found that
most social work students (61.1%) felt their
learning experience got worse after switching
to online learning, and 64.8% of students felt
they learned less. Most students (at least 4
out of 5) preferred in-person classes over
online classes, even after attending online
classes (CSWE, 2020).
In view of few studies on COVID-19 pandemic
and social work training in India, this study
aims to deliberate on the innovative strategies
to manage fieldwork effectively during future
pandemics like COVID-19.
Methods
This study seeks to understand how social
work schools adapted fieldwork during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Secondly, it aims to
explore the challenges and innovative
solutions that emerged for doing fieldwork
during the pandemic. The data was collected
from social work students in different schools
of social work across India. Only students who
completed their fieldwork during the COVID 19 pandemic in India were included. To collect
the data, an online questionnaire was
developed and shared through email lists and
social media platforms to reach social work
students in India. Secondary data was
collected through books, articles, and other
published sources. Participating in the study
did not pose any harm or risks, and the
authors obtained consent from the
participants. The authors made sure
participants understood their rights in the
study. The study was approved by the Rajiv
Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development
Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC/2022/08).
A total of 246 social work students from all
over India responded to the study. The data
was analysed using Microsoft Excel. However,
the authors faced a limitation in terms of the
sample size as a relatively small (n=246)
number of students responded out of the total
questionnaires sent.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and
subsequent lockdowns in India, social work
schools had to resort to online methods for
conducting fieldwork. Since students could not
practice social work methods, alternative
training methods were introduced. This led
to the emergence of online fieldwork and
various activities were included to complete
the fieldwork.
General Information about the Respondents
Table 1 presents data on the distribution of a
sample of 246 students concerning various
aspects of their fieldwork engagement during
the Covid-19 pandemic. The table shows the
different programmes undertaken by students,
with 212 students of MSW and 34 students of
BSW. Most of the students (n=230) completed
their fieldwork during the pandemic, while
only 16 did not. Of those who completed
fieldwork during the pandemic, 182 students
accomplished their fieldwork objectives, while
16 felt they did not. Additionally, 48 students were unsure if they had accomplished their
fieldwork objectives. Most (n=220) students
reported practising social work methods
during their fieldwork, while 26 did not.
Finally, most of the sample, 108 students,
reported engaging in fieldwork for two days
per week, 102 students reported engaging in
fieldwork for more than two days per week,
and 36 students reported engaging in
fieldwork for less than two days per week.
Table 3 represents the students’ level of
involvement in performing the activities as
part of their fieldwork during Covid-19.
According to the table, the capacity-building
activities carried out by the participants were
largely organising online events/programmes (49.59%) and online awareness related to
Covid-19 (51.21%). In contrast, training in
publishing articles (27.64%) and exposure to
academic writing (37.40%) were the least
carried out activities. Additionally, many
participants carried out skilling on online
research (41.46%) and resource mobilisation
for Covid-19 relief (45.53%). The table
suggests that social work students performed
activities directly related to the Covid-19
pandemic, such as online awareness and
resource mobilisation. This is in line with the
social work profession’s emphasis on
addressing social problems during times of
crisis (International Federation of Social
Workers, 2020).
The study shows that social casework was the
most commonly practised method, with
87.80% of the respondents reporting that they
applied it during fieldwork. Social group work
was also widely used, with 85.37% of the
respondents indicating that they practised
this method. Community organisation was the
third most used social work method, with
78.86% of the respondents indicating that they
applied it. Social work research was practised
by 65.85% of the respondents, while social
action was used by 58.54%. Finally, social
welfare administration was the least
commonly practised method, with only 48.78%
of the respondents indicating that they applied
it during their fieldwork. Some respondents did not apply any of the social work methods
included in the survey.
Innovative Ways Adopted to Complete Fieldwork
proposal
development, technical skills, analytical skills,
documentation, online research, etc. Other
innovations include being economical and
time-efficient, the opportunity to connect with
international platforms, and being equipped
with technical knowledge for online
engagement, exploring new societal issues,
and addressing people’s issues online. Other
innovations were adopting online modes of
social work practice, adopted by 80.48% of
the respondents, and providing online
voluntary services during pandemic situations.
Mode of Fieldwork Adopted to Complete the Fieldwork
The study’s findings reveal that many of the
students (n=108, 43.90%) completed their
fieldwork offline. Approximately one-third of
the students (n=82, 33.33%) reported using
an online mode to complete their fieldwork.
The remaining students (n=56, 22.76%)
completed their fieldwork using a blended
mode, considered the most suitable method
during the pandemic.
Figure 1: Mode of Fieldwork Adopted to
Complete the Fieldwork
Level of Satisfaction of Students in the Execution of Fieldwork
Social work students were asked about their
satisfaction with completing required
fieldwork tasks in accordance with their
school/department’s fieldwork manual. As
depicted in Figure 2, many students (n = 84)
expressed a high level of satisfaction, while
approximately 33% reported being somewhat
satisfied. A small percentage (6%) of
respondents expressed no satisfaction with
their fieldwork experiences during the COVID19 pandemic.
Figure 2: Level of Satisfaction of Students in the Execution of Fieldwork
Challenges Faced During Online Field Work
Table-5 represents the challenges faced by
social work students during online fieldwork.
The first challenge was applying classroom
knowledge into practice, which was
experienced by 72.36% of the respondents.
The second challenge was gaining hands-on
experience, reported by 75.61% of the
respondents. Another challenge was not
receiving proper supervision by the supervisor,
which was experienced by 73.17% of the
respondents. Report writing was a challenge
faced by 63.41% of the respondents. Ensuring
attendance at fieldwork conferences was also
one challenge experienced by 68.29% of the
respondents. The allotment of agencies based
on the student’s choice was reported by
66.67% of the respondents. Because of the
online learning mode, teamwork among
students was also a challenge experienced by
69.92% of the students. 76.42% of the
participants reported being unable to provide
voluntary services during the pandemic due
to government restrictions.
Table-5: Challenges Faced During Online Field Work
Online Fieldwork and Offline Fieldwork
When the respondents were asked about their
perception of whether online fieldwork could
be a viable alternative to traditional offline
fieldwork in social work, the findings indicate
that a significant portion of the respondents
(n=108, 44%) did not consider online fieldwork as a substitute for offline fieldwork.
The rationale behind this opinion was that
social work practicum required direct
interaction and engagement with individuals,
groups, communities, and organisations.
These aspects of social work fieldwork cannot
be replicated entirely in an online setting,
where there might be limitations to personal
interactions and on-site assessments. While
online fieldwork can offer new opportunities
for learning and innovative approaches to
social work, it cannot wholly replace the
essential elements of traditional fieldwork in
social work.
Rating on Overall Fieldwork Performance
When the survey among social work students
asked about their overall experience with
fieldwork during the COVID-19 pandemic,
respondents (n=114, 46%) expressed good
experience. This suggests that despite the
challenges posed by the pandemic, many
students successfully completed their
fieldwork requirements and gained valuable
experience in the fieldwork. However, many
respondents (n=44, 18%) did not like their
fieldwork experience. This could be due to
several reasons, such as difficulty adapting
to the online mode of fieldwork or
experiencing limitations in their ability to
directly engage with individuals, groups,
communities and organisations. It is crucial
to consider the perspectives and experiences
of these students to identify areas for
improvement and ensure that all students
have a positive and meaningful fieldwork
experience.
Frequencies of Individual Conferences, Group Conferences and Monitoring
When asked about individual and group
conferences, most social work students
(71.54%, n=176) reported attending fieldwork
conferences weekly, while 17% (n=42)
attended once every two weeks. Regarding group conferences, almost all students
(95.1%, n=234) attended them, with 73.2%
attending once a week and 13.8% attending
once every two weeks. Since face to face
supervision was not feasible, roughly 83% of
students reported that their supervisor used
video conferencing platforms like Zoom,
Google meet, and Webex for supervision,
while 10% were supervised by their agency
supervisor.
The Role of Social Work Profession During
Pandemic Situations like Covid-19
Social work utilises knowledge and principles
from human behaviour and social systems to
address social issues and assist those in need.
The social work profession has a significant
role in raising awareness, providing
psychosocial support, and promoting social
inclusion for populations that are most at risk
(Okafor, 2021). Upon asking, the majority of
social work students (65.9%, n=162) strongly
agreed, and 26% (n=64) agreed that the
social work profession has an important role
to play in addressing emergencies such as the
COVID-19 pandemic by raising awareness,
providing temporary relief, preventing the
spread of the virus, and educating people
about vaccination. However, the Indian
government restricted social workers during
the pandemic, only allowing those engaged
in essential services to leave their homes.
Social workers were not considered frontline
workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in
India, so they could not provide their services
(IFSW, 2020; Onalu et al., 2020).
Major Findings
A total of 246 BSW/MSW students responded
to this study, out of which most of them have
done the fieldwork, accomplished their
fieldwork objectives and practised the
methods of social work during their fieldwork
during COVID-19 pandemic. The study
revealed that innovative ideas and activities
were devised to complete fieldwork during the pandemic. The social work students were
actively involved in various capacity-building
activities such as organising events/
programmes and online awareness related to
COVID-19. Training in publishing articles,
exposure to academic writing, conducting
online research and resource mobilisation for
COVID-19 relief were some other activities
being carried out by students. These findings
align with the social work profession’s
emphasis on addressing social problems
during times of crisis, as highlighted by the
International Federation of Social Workers
(2020). The study reveals that social work
students played a crucial role in responding
to the COVID-19 pandemic by actively
engaging in fieldwork activities that addressed
the community’s needs.
It was found that social casework was the
most widely used method, followed by social
group work and community organisation,
among social work students during online
fieldwork. This indicates that most social work
students have a strong foundation in
traditional social work methods that focus on
working with individuals, groups, and
communities. Social work research and social
action were also commonly used, while social
welfare administration was the least used
method. These findings highlight the need for
a broad-based social work curriculum that
exposes students to diverse methods and
approaches. Additionally, the students adopted
online modes of social work practice,
demonstrating their adaptability and resilience
in the face of adversity. Overall, these findings
highlight the resourcefulness of social work
students in adapting to the challenges posed
by the pandemic and the potential of
technology to enable effective social work
practice.
One-third of the students used online mode
to complete their fieldwork while some of the
students completed their fieldwork using a
blended mode. This highlights the need for social work programmes to provide students
with the necessary digital skills and resources
to conduct fieldwork using innovative
modalities. Most social work students were
satisfied with fieldwork completion.
It was reported that students faced challenges
applying classroom knowledge into practice
and gaining hands-on experience. Some
reported not receiving proper supervision,
facing difficulties with report writing, and
ensuring attendance at fieldwork conferences.
The allocation of agencies based on student
choice and teamwork was also identified as
challenge. These findings provide important
insights into the challenges social work
students faced during online fieldwork and can
help develop strategies to address these
challenges in the future (Kourgiantakis & Lee,
2020).
The study reveals that the social work
students did not consider online fieldwork as
a substitute for offline fieldwork due to the
direct interaction and engagement required
in social work practicum, which cannot be
entirely replicated online. While online
fieldwork can provide new opportunities and
innovative approaches, it cannot replace the
essential elements of traditional face to face
fieldwork in social work. Social work students
understand the importance and value of the
social work profession in responding to crises
like the COVID-19 pandemic. They recognize
that social workers play a crucial role in
raising awareness, providing relief, preventing
the spread of the virus, and educating people
about vaccination (Davis & Mirick, 2021;
Lomas et al., 2022).
CONCLUSION
The study explores the challenges and
innovations in adapting fieldwork practices
during COVID-19. The pandemic disrupted
traditional methods, leading to a shift to online
and blended approaches. Students faced
difficulties like lack of hands-on experience and digital access issues but adapted by
embracing digital tools and creative
strategies, including online events, awareness
campaigns, research proposals, and training
in publishing. However, despite these
interruptions, the foundational values of social
work—service, social justice, dignity, human
relationships, integrity, and competence—
remained central, but the methods for
practicing and teaching these values had
evolved (Saumya & Singh, 2022). The study
highlights the importance of supporting
students through guidance and technology,
advocating for hybrid models in future crises.
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Conflict of interest: None
Role of funding source: None
ISSN: 2582-1393 (Online)