Building a Good
Relationship with your
Fieldwork Instructor
T.Y. LEE
Fieldwork Coordinator (BSW)
1999
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1. Anxieties
How will I get on with my instructor?
 How will I be influenced by my instructor’s
attitudes and approaches?

Will my instructor be a role model?
 Many stories ...

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2. Student learning problems...
Inevitably, a certain degree of power
imbalance.
 True in any relationship.
 Due to the role of assessor- continuous
assessment.

 Strong

feelings will develop.
Learning problems will be reactivated.
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2.1 Problems
Students transfer problems from previous
situations
 e.g. school, or the family
 May have been damaging, oppressive and
not yet resolved.
 Must be acknowledged and addressed
when they occur.

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2.2 Students feelings
A student experiences these strong feelings
in relation to the instructor
 not necessarily belong to the instructor,

 nor originate with the instructor.
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
These feelings originate in earlier
relationships and can be transferred to this
one,

can affect the teaching-learning
experience,
 adversely if unrecognised,
 constructively if used as a tool.
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Any Questions?
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The End of Section 2
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3. Regular Weekly Supervision

The student needs to know that the
instructor gives priority to these weekly
teaching sessions.
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
Instructor may feel angry and resentful if
 no
fixed time for supervision;
 no pre-examined written work;
 not enough preparation;
 not using what have been covered in the
curriculum.
Postponements of, and interruptions to, a
regular session are likely to have similar
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4. What about between sessions?

The Student needs to know

4.1 whether or not he/she may approach
his/her instructor between sessions?

4.2 to whom I should go in a
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crisis?
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5. Who is accountable in an
agency?

Usually, the instructor will try to be always
available at
first.

Then, gradually encourage the student to
keep minor things until the session.

Whilst gradually making more decisions
by the student as he/she gains confidence.
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6. What is expected of me?

Students usually worry about what
is
expected of them.

“Whether my work will be considered to be
of an
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adequate standard?”
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7. Students needs constructive
criticisms
 Anxieties will also be likely to occur if
the student

receives only
praise;
 receives only negative comments.

Students need honest continuous feedback
and objective constructive criticisms.
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8. What if problems occur?

Inform your
instructor and
agency-in-chargen a.s.s.p.

Clarify the issues.

Deal with it as soon as possible.
Problem-solving!!!
No
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need to hide!!
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9. Three-party Relationship

Students may experience some
uncertainty about this relationship.

May have suspicions and anxieties.

Don’t play game: “
Oh, but my
instructor says…”
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Barriers to Building a good
relationship
dependence
introspection
insecurity
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Insecurity due to

1. the knowledge that work is being
continuously assessed;

2. the questioning of previous patterns
of work;

3. uncertainty about what
is being
trained for;
 4. a small caseload (high quality!)
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5. faced with looking at the question of
activity versus performance;
 6. uncertainties about being able to manage
the academic content of fieldwork;


7. resistance to learning due to some
emotional factors;
 8. fears on being analysed;
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
9. fears on being expected to reveal
one’s
inner self;

10. desiring greater self-knowledge;

11. likely to feel vulnerable at first; and

12. unreal expectations of oneself,
fieldwork, the social work program, and the
nature of social work.
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Any Questions?
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The
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End
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