Challenges Faced by Social Work Students during Field Placements in Malawi

Field placements are an integral component of social work education, offering students critical opportunities for experiential learning and professional development. Field placement provides an opportunity for students to use knowledge gained in the classroom to test and improve their skills through experience. In the process, they gain more knowledge, gain confidence by working with clients and confirm their skills. However social work students in Malawi face numerous challenges during field placement. This paper explores the experiences of social work students during their field placements in Malawi. Based on the interviews of twenty-two social work students from The Catholic University of Malawi who completed field placements in 2024 in different institutions such as non-governmental institutions, government agencies, not for profit organization and charity agencies, this research revealed that students encountered many ethical difficulties in field placements. Findings reveal that while field placements provide invaluable hands-on experience, challenges such as limited resources, cultural barriers, emotional burden, poor orientation and readiness, a disconnect between theory and practice, and inadequate supervision frequently hinder the learning process. These challenges significantly hinder students’ ability to develop practical skills, professional identity and confidence in applying classroom knowledge to real life situations. The study highlights the critical role of effective field education in bridging academic learning with professional practice. It underscores the need for improved collaboration between academic institutions and field agencies, better supervision structures, and preparatory training to support students’ readiness for placement. The findings have important implications for curriculum design, pedagogical approaches, and the overall quality of social work education and practice.

ethical dilemmas, field placement, Malawi, social work practice

1. Baird, B. N., & Mollen, D. (2023). The internship, practicum, and field placement handbook: A guide for the helping professions. Routledge. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Dhemba, J. (2012). Fieldwork in social work education and training: Issues and challenges in the case of Eastern and Southern Africa. Social Work & Society, 10(1). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Eriksen, H. L., & Gradovski, M. (2020). Ethical dilemmas in field placements: The experiences of social work students in Norway and possible implications for social work education. Dialogic Pedagogy: A Journal for Studies of Dialogic Education, 8, SA85-SA111. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Gray, M., & Fook, J. (2004). The quest for a universal social work: Some issues and implications. Social Work Education, 23(5), 625-644. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Hemy, M., Boddy, J., Chee, P., & Sauvage, D. (2016). Social work students ‘juggling’field placement. Social Work Education, 35(2), 215-228. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Islam, M. R. (2024). Supervision of Fieldwork Students. In Fieldwork in Social Work: A Practical Guide (pp. 185-203). Springer. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Kakowa, F. (2016). Nurturing professional social work in Malawi. African Journal of Social Work, 6(2), 1-6. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Kakowa, F., & Nkhata, D. K. (2023). Exploring a Decoloniality Perspective of Social Work Education in Malawi. In Indigenization Discourse in Social Work: International Perspectives (pp. 219-234). Springer. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Kourgiantakis, T., Sewell, K. M., & Bogo, M. (2019). The importance of feedback in preparing social work students for field education. Clinical Social Work Journal, 47, 124-133. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Maidment, J. (2003). Problems experienced by students on field placement: Using research findings to inform curriculum design and content. Australian social work, 56(1), 50-60. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Mthimkhulu, M. Coping strategies employed by third year social work studies to manage emotionally challeges [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Mupedziswa, R., & Sinkamba, R. P. (2014). Social work education and training in Southern and East Africa: Yesterday, today and tomorrow. In. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Rehn, M., & Kalman, H. (2018). Social work students’ reflections on challenges during field education. Journal of Social Work, 18(4), 451-467. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Sichone, T. (2019). Social Workers on Child Protection, in Conflict with Community Norms and Values: A Case Study of a Community Based-Organisation in Malawi. In. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Smith, D., Cleak, H., & Vreugdenhil, A. (2015). “What are they really doing?” An exploration of student learning activities in field placement. Australian social work, 68(4), 515-531. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Sunirose, I. (2013). Fieldwork in social work education: Challenges, issues and best practices. Rajagiri Journal of Social Development, 5(1), 48-56. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Tanga, P. T. (2013). The challenges of social work field training in Lesotho. Social Work Education, 32(2), 157-178. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Walker, J., Cauvain, S., Kakowa, F., & Fometu, A. (2024). Social Work and Practice Education, Decolonisation and Ubuntu: Making Connections in Malawi. In Routledge Handbook of African Social Work Education (pp. 370-381). Routledge. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Wizi-Kambala, A. G. (2024). Social Work Field Practicum: Experiences, Challenges, and Perspectives from Malawi. Routledge Handbook of African Social Work Education, 231-241. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Wu, L., Huang, Y., Chen, Q., & Shi, Y. (2021). Social work students’ experiences of ethical difficulties in field placements: A qualitative study in China. The British Journal of Social Work, 51(2), 505-523. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• The Impact of Ownership Structure on Dividend Payout Policy of Listed Plantation Companies in Sri Lanka
• Urban Sustainability in North-East India: A Study through the lens of NER-SDG index
• Performance Assessment of Predictive Forecasting Techniques for Enhancing Hospital Supply Chain Efficiency in Healthcare Logistics
• The Fractured Self in Julian Barnes' Postmodern Fiction: Identity Crisis and Deflation in Metroland and the Sense of an Ending
• Impact of Flood on the Employment, Labour Productivity and Migration of Agricultural Labour in North Bihar