EXPERIENCES OF SOCIAL WORK ACADEMICS IN TURKEY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Year 2022, Volume: 9 Issue: 3, 2139 - 2157, 29.11.2022

Ece Parlak Ünlü , Meliha Döğücü , Sinan Akçay

https://doi.org/10.30798/makuiibf.1097865

Abstract

This study aims to explore and understand the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on personal and professional lives of social work academics. Phenomenological approach was used in the study, which was designed with qualitative research method. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 23 social work academics who had lecturing experience before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. Thematic analysis method was used for the analysis of data. The following five main themes were determined as a result of the analysis: social work academics’ perception of Covid-19, effects of the pandemic on personal lives of social work academics, the challenges faced by social work academics in their professional lives due to the pandemic, the opportunities they found in their professional lives, and their search for new methods in field practicum.

Keywords

Social work education, social work academics, Covid-19 pandemic, qualitative research

TÜRKİYE’DEKİ SOSYAL HİZMET AKADEMİSYENLERİNİN COVİD-19 SÜRECİNDEKİ DENEYİMLERİ

Abstract

Bu çalışma Covid-19 pandemi sürecinin sosyal hizmet akademisyenlerinin kişisel ve mesleki yaşamlarına yansımalarını keşfetmek ve anlamak amaçlanmıştır. Nitel araştırma yöntemiyle tasarlanan bu çalışmada fenomenolojik yaklaşım kullanılmıştır. Covid-19 öncesi ve sırasında ders verme deneyimine sahip 23 sosyal hizmet akademisyeniyle yapılan yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler aracılığıyla veriler toplanmıştır. Verilerin analizinde tematik analiz yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Yapılan analiz sonucunda sosyal hizmet akademisyenlerinin Covid-19 algısı, pandeminin sosyal hizmet akademisyenlerinin kişisel yaşamlarına yansımaları, pandemiyle sosyal hizmet akademisyenlerinin mesleki yaşamlarında karşılaştıkları zorluklar, mesleki yaşamlarında karşılaştıkları fırsatlar ve alan uygulamasında yeni yöntem arayışları olmak üzere 5 ana temaya ulaşılmıştır.

Keywords

Sosyal hizmet eğitimi, sosyal hizmet akademisyenleri, Covid-19 pandemisi, nitel araştırma

References

• AbuJarour S, Ajjan, H., Fedorowicz, J. and Owens, D. (2021). How working from home during COVID-19 affects academic productivity. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 48, 55-64. doi: https://doi.org/0.17705/1CAIS.04808
• Ahmed, M.Z., Ahmed, O., Aibao, Z., Hanbin, S., Siyu, L. and Ahmad, A. (2020). Epidemic of COVID-19 in China and associated psychological problems. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 51(102092), 1-7. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102092
• Alea, L.A., Fabrea, M.F., Roldan, R.D.A. and Farooqi, A.Z. (2020). Teachers’ covid-19 awareness, distance learning education experiences and perceptions towards ınstitutional readiness and challenges. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 19(6), 127-144. doi: https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.19.6.8
• Archer-Kuhn, B., Ayala, J., Hewson, J. and Letkemann, L. (2020). Canadian reflections on the Covid-19 pandemic in social work education: from tsunami to innovation. Social Work Education, 39(8), 1010-1018. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2020.1826922
• Azman, A., Singh, P.S.J., Parker, J. and Crabtree, S.A. (2020). Addressing competency requirements of social work students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia. Social Work Education, 39(8), 1058-1065. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2020.1815692
• Braun, V. and Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3 (2), 77-101. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
• Brooks, S.K., Webster, R.K., Smith, L.E., Woodland, L., Wessely, S., Greenberg, N. and Rubin, G.J. (2020). The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence. The Lancet, 395, 912-920. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30460-8
• Burgess, S. and Sievertsen, H.H. (2020, April 1). Schools, skills, and learning: the impact of COVID-19 on education. Retrieved from https://voxeu.org/article/impact-covid-19-education.
• Cabiati, E. and Gómez-Ciriano, E.J. (2021). The dialogue between what we are living and what we are teaching and learning during covid-19 pandemic: reflections of two social work educators from Italy and Spain. Qualitative Social Work, 20(1-2), 273-283. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1473325020973292
• CSSE (Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University). (2021, September 27). Covid-19 dash board. Retrieved from https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6.
• Chang, G.C., and Y. Satako. (2020, March 24). How are countries addressing the Covid-19 challenges in education? A snapshot of policy measures. Retrieved from https://gemreportunesco.wordpress.com/2020/03/24/how-are-countries-addressing-the-covid-19-challenges-in-education-a-snapshot-of-policy-measures/.
• Cifuentes-Faura, J. (2020). The role of social work in the field of education during COVID-19. International Social Work, 63(6), 795-797. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872820944994
• De Jonge, E., Kloppenburg, R. and Hendriks, P. (2020). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social work education and practice in the Netherlands. Social Work Education, 39(8), 1027-1036. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2020.1823363
• Feng, L.S., Dong, Z.J., Yan, R.Y., Wu, X.Q., Zhang, L., Ma, J. and Zeng, Y. (2020) Psychological distress in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic: preliminary development of an assessment scale. Psychiatry research, 291(113202). doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113202
• Fisher, A.N. and Ryan, M.K. (2021). Gender inequalities during COVID-19. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 24(2), 237-245. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430220984248
• Gopinath, G. (2020, April 14). The great lockdown: Worst economic downturn since the great depression. Retrieved from https://blogs.imf.org/2020/04/14/the-great-lockdown-worst-economic-downturn-since-the-great-depression/.
• IMF (International Monetary Fund). (2020, March 5). Virus outbreak will slow global economic growth this year. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2020/3/5/imf-virus-outbreak-will-slow-global-economic-growth-this-year.
• Islam, S.D.U., Bodrud-Doza, M., Khan, R.M., Haque, M.A. and Mamun, M.A. (2020). Exploring COVID-19 stress and its factors in Bangladesh: a perception-based study. Heliyon, 6(7), e044399. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04399
• Khan, A.G., Kamruzzaman, M., Rahman, M.N., Mahmood, M. and Uddin, M.A. (2021). Quality of life in the COVID-19 outbreak: influence of psychological distress, government strategies, social distancing, and emotional recovery. Heliyon, 7(3), e06407. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06407
• Kourgiantakis, T. and Lee, E. (2020). Social work practice education and training during the pandemic: disruptions and discoveries. International Social Work, 63(6), 761-765. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872820959706
• Kulikowski, K., Przytuła, S. and Sułkowski, Ł. (2021). E‐learning? Never again! On the unintended consequences of COVID‐19 forced e‐learning on academic teacher motivational job characteristics. Higher Education Quarterly, 00, 1-16. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/hequ.12314
• Marzo, R.R., Singh, A. and Mukti, R.F. (2021). A survey of psychological distress among Bangladeshi people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health, 10, 100693. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cegh.2020.100693
• Matias, T., Dominski, F.H. and Marks, D.F. (2020). Human needs in COVID-19 isolation. Journal of Health Psychology, 25(7), 871–882. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105320925149
• McCarthy, K.M., Glassburn, S.L. and Dennis, S.R. (2021). Transitioning to online teaching: a phenomenological analysis of social work educator perspectives. Social Work Education, 1-19. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2020.1869206
• McFadden, P., Russ, E., Blakeman, P., Kirwin, G., Anand, J., Lähteinen, S., Baugerud, G.A. and Tham, P. (2020). COVID-19 impact on social work admissions and education in seven international universities. Social Work Education, 39(8), 1154-1163. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2020.1829582
• Mclaughlin, H., Scholar, H. and Teater, B. (2020). Social work education in a global pandemic: strategies, reflections, and challenges. Social Work Education, 39(8), 975-982. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2020.1834545
• Morley, C. and Clarke, J. (2020). From crisis to opportunity? Innovations in Australian social work field education during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Social Work Education, 39(8), 1048-1057. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2020.1836145
• Nicola, M., Zaid, A., Catrin, S., Ahmed, K., Ahmed, A.J., Christos, I., Agha, M. and Agha, R. (2020). The socio-economic implications of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19): a review. International Journal of Surgery, 78, 185-193. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsu.2020.04.018
• Onalu, C.E., Chukwu, N.E. and Okoye, U.O. (2020). COVID-19 response and social work education in Nigeria: matters arising. Social Work Education, 39(8), 1037-1047. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2020.1825663
• Papouli, E., Chatzifotiou, S. and Tsairidis, C. (2020). The use of digital technology at home during the COVID-19 outbreak: views of social work students in Greece. Social Work Education, 39(8), 1107-1115. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2020.1807496
• Samadashvili, S. (2020). A brave, post–COVID-19 Europe. European View, 19(2), 122-130. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1781685820966909
• Schmiedeberg, C. and Thönnissen, C. (2021). Positive and negative perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic: does personality play a role?. Social Science & Medicine, 276, 113859. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113859
• Sepúlveda, T.M., De Almeida, A.K., Arce, G.M. and Pollak, T.R. (2020). Crisis over crisis: covid-19 and two innovation proposals from Chile. Social Work Education, 39(8): 1066-1073. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2020.1813702
• Sert Karaslan, Y. (2020, March 24). A’dan z’ye Kovid-19 rehberi. Retrieved from https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/kategori-sayfasi-manset/adan-zye-kovid-19-rehberi/1777116.
• SHOD (Sosyal Hizmet Okullar Derneği). (2020, November) Sosyal hizmet ulusal çekirdek eğitim programı 2020 uzaktan eğitime entegrasyonu. Retrieved from http://www.sosyalhizmetokullari.org/SHUCEP_Uzaktan%20Egitim_18112020.pdf.
• TÜBA (Türkiye Bilimler Akademisi). (2020, April 17). COVID-19 pandemi değerlendirme raporu. Retrieved from http://www.tuba.gov.tr/files/images/2020/kovidraporu/Covid-19%20Raporu-Final%2B.pdf.
• UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). (2020, April 21). Startling digital divides in distance learning emerge. Retrieved from https://en.unesco.org/news/startling-digital-divides-distance-learning-emerge.
• UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). (2021, March 19). One year into COVID-19 education disruption: where do we stand? Retrieved from https://en.unesco.org/news/one-year-covid-19-education-disruption-where-do-we-stand.
• Wang, C., Pan, R., Wan, X., Tan, Y., Xu, L., Ho, C.S. and Ho, R.C. (2020). Immediate psychological responses and associated factors during the initial stage of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic among the general population in China. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(5), 1729. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17051729
• Webber-Ritchey, K.J., Simonovich, S.D. and Spurlark, R.S. (2021). COVID-19: qualitative research with vulnerable populations. Nursing Science Quarterly, 34(1), 13-19. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0894318420965225
• Yarrington, J.S., Lasser, J., Garcia, D., Vargas, J.H., Couto, D.D., Marafon, T., Craske, M.G. and Niles, A.N. (2021). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health among 157,213 Americans. Journal of Affective Disorders, 286, 64-70. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.02.056
• YOK (Yükseköğretim Kurulu). (2020a, March 18). Basın açıklaması Retrieved from https://www.yok.gov.tr/Sayfalar/Haberler/2020/universitelerde-uygulanacak-uzaktan-egitime-iliskin-aciklama.aspx.
• YOK (Yükseköğretim Kurulu). (2020b). Küresel salgında yeni normalleşme süreci. Retrieved from https://www.yok.gov.tr/Documents/Yayinlar/Yayinlarimiz/2020/kuresel-salginda-yeni-normallesme-sureci-2020.pdf.
• YOK (Yükseköğretim Kurulu). (2020c, May 3). YÖK’ten üniversitelerdeki uzaktan eğitime yönelik değerlendirme. Retrieved from https://www.yok.gov.tr/Sayfalar/Haberler/2020/uzaktan-egitime-yonelik-degerlendirme.aspx.