Competency development for social work students for working as professional social workers: Insights from Thailand

Phenprapha Pattaranukrom

doi:10.31893/multiscience.2025429

Keywords:

social work curriculum, social worker competencies, Thailand.work student, social

Abstract

This study analyzes the competencies of professional social workers in Thailand and examines the structure of the social work discipline to better prepare social work students for professional practice. Data were collected through focus group discussions with social workers from various public agencies and representatives from the Social Work Council of Thailand and were analyzed using thematic analysis across four major competency areas: core competency, functional competency, management competency, and leadership competency. Key findings reveal that the structure and content of the social work curriculum significantly impact the development of core competencies in students, while the licensing system influences the level of functional competency. Management competency is shaped by the collaborative and organizational environment, and leadership competency is enhanced by the ability to adapt to new challenges. These findings suggest that social work educational institutions should establish clear guidelines, systems, and methods for fieldwork to strengthen these competencies.
References
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2. Aroonjit, S. (2024). Resilience and Adaptability in Social Work Practice Under Crisis. Journal of Social Work and Social Administration, 32(1), 1-28. https://so04.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/swjournal/article/view/267064
3. Azman, A., Singh, P. S. J., Parker, J., & Ashencaen Crabtree, S. (2020). Addressing competency requirements of social work students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia. Social Work Education, 39(8), 1058-1065. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2020.1815692
4. Beltran, S., Luigi, P., & Kusmaul, N. (2020). Rising above the flood: Emergency management and gerontological social work. Innovation in Aging, 4(Suppl 1), 65.
5. Deng, N.-h. (2015). Research on the Construction of a Competency-Based Teaching Mode for the Social Work Program. Journal of Wuyi University. https://consensus.app/papers/research-construction-competencybased-teaching-mode-ninghu/99d51ff6ece75afaab763a73e964694e/
6. Gates, T. G., Bennett, B., & Baines, D. (2023). Strengthening critical allyship in social work education: opportunities in the context of #BlackLivesMatter and COVID-19. Social Work Education, 42(3), 371-387. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2021.1972961
7. Giamportone, K. E. (2022). Expectations of social workers for interprofessional practice in healthcare: qualitative insights from practicing physician, nurse, and social work professionals. Social Work in Health Care, 61(9-10), 516-529. https://doi.org/10.1080/00981389.2022.2154887
8. Hussain, A., & Ashcroft, R. (2022). Social Work Leadership Competencies for Practice amid Crisis: A Scoping Review. Health & Social Work, 47(3), 205-214. https://doi.org/10.1093/hsw/hlac016
9. Jaturong, B., Rapeepan, K., Yaowaret K., & Thongsiri K. (2020). Value and Core Competencies of Professional Social Workers in Government Agencies. Journal of Social Work, 29(1), 294-328.
10. Kangasniemi, M., Karki, S., Voutilainen, A., Saarnio, R., Viinamäki, L., & Häggman-Laitila, A. (2022). The value that social workers’ competencies add to health care: An integrative review. Health & Social Care in the Community, 30(2), 403-414. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13266
11. Lauren, B. M. (2019). Teaching Technology Competencies: A Social Work Practice With Technology Course. Journal of Social Work Education, 57, 545-556. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2019.1671272
12. McClelland, D. C. (1973). Testing for competence rather than for" intelligence.". American psychologist, 28(1), 1.
13. Monit, C., Shu, Z., Narendorf, S., & Rebecca, L. M. (2019). Curriculum Mapping in a Social Work Program With the 2015 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards. Journal of Social Work Education, 55, 23-33. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2018.1508392
14. Nicholas, D. B., Jones, C., McPherson, B., Hilsen, L., Moran, J., & Mielke, K. (2019). Examining professional competencies for emerging and novice social workers in health care. Social Work in Health Care, 58(6), 596-611. https://doi.org/10.1080/00981389.2019.1601650
15. Osburn, L., Short, M., Gersbach, K., Velander, F., Mungai, N., Moorhead, B., Mlcek, S., Dobud, W., Duncombe, R., Kalache, L., Gerstenberg, L., Lomas, G., Wulff, E., Ninnis, J., Morison, A., Falciani, K., & Pawar, M. (2023). Teaching social work skills-based learning online during and post COVID-19. Social Work Education, 42(7), 1090-1109. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2021.2013795
16. Roulston, A., Cleak, H., & Vreugdenhil, A. (2018). Promoting Readiness to Practice: Which Learning Activities Promote Competence and Professional Identity for Student Social Workers During Practice Learning? Journal of Social Work Education, 54, 364-378. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2017.1336140
17. Selwyn, S., & M, G. (2020). Professional competencies in social work students: emotional intelligence, reflective ability and empathy-a comparative and longitudinal analysis. Social Work Education, 40, 827-842. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2020.1724933
18. Senanuch, P. (2022). Transnational Social Work Practice Development in Thailand. Interdisciplinary Studies Journal, 22(1), 19-36. https://so02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/sahasart/article/view/254709
19. Sim, T., & He, M. (2024). Social work competence in disaster management: an integrative review. European Journal of Social Work, 27(1), 83-95. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2022.2092455
20. Sim, T., He, M., & Dominelli, L. (2021). Social Work Core Competencies in Disaster Management Practice: An Integrative Review. Research on Social Work Practice, 32(3), 310-321. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497315211055427
21. Wanda, D. B. (2018). Building a Competency-Based Curriculum in Social Work Education. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 38, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841233.2017.1400496
22. Yu, G., Shuang, L., Chienchung, H., Yuqi, W., & Yiwen, Z. (2018). Core Competency Education of Social Work Students: An Empirical Assessment Through Scale Development. International Journal of Social Work. https://doi.org/10.5296/ijsw.v5i2.13470

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to cite

Pattaranukrom, P. (2024). Competency development for social work students for working as professional social workers: Insights from Thailand. Multidisciplinary Science Journal, (| Accepted Articles). https://doi.org/10.31893/multiscience.2025429

[1] Apgar, D., & Cadmus, T. (2022). Using Mixed Methods to Assess the Coping and Self-regulation Skills of Undergraduate Social Work Students Impacted by COVID-19. Clinical Social Work Journal, 50(1), 55-66. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-021-00790-3

[2] Aroonjit, S. (2024). Resilience and Adaptability in Social Work Practice Under Crisis. Journal of Social Work and Social Administration, 32(1), 1-28. https://so04.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/swjournal/article/view/267064

[3] Azman, A., Singh, P. S. J., Parker, J., & Ashencaen Crabtree, S. (2020). Addressing competency requirements of social work students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia. Social Work Education, 39(8), 1058-1065. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2020.1815692

[4] Beltran, S., Luigi, P., & Kusmaul, N. (2020). Rising above the flood: Emergency management and gerontological social work. Innovation in Aging, 4(Suppl 1), 65.

[5] Deng, N.-h. (2015). Research on the Construction of a Competency-Based Teaching Mode for the Social Work Program. Journal of Wuyi University. https://consensus.app/papers/research-construction-competencybased-teaching-mode-ninghu/99d51ff6ece75afaab763a73e964694e/

[6] Gates, T. G., Bennett, B., & Baines, D. (2023). Strengthening critical allyship in social work education: opportunities in the context of #BlackLivesMatter and COVID-19. Social Work Education, 42(3), 371-387. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2021.1972961

[7] Giamportone, K. E. (2022). Expectations of social workers for interprofessional practice in healthcare: qualitative insights from practicing physician, nurse, and social work professionals. Social Work in Health Care, 61(9-10), 516-529. https://doi.org/10.1080/00981389.2022.2154887

[8] Hussain, A., & Ashcroft, R. (2022). Social Work Leadership Competencies for Practice amid Crisis: A Scoping Review. Health & Social Work, 47(3), 205-214. https://doi.org/10.1093/hsw/hlac016

[9] Jaturong, B., Rapeepan, K., Yaowaret K., & Thongsiri K. (2020). Value and Core Competencies of Professional Social Workers in Government Agencies. Journal of Social Work, 29(1), 294-328.

[10] Kangasniemi, M., Karki, S., Voutilainen, A., Saarnio, R., Viinamäki, L., & Häggman-Laitila, A. (2022). The value that social workers’ competencies add to health care: An integrative review. Health & Social Care in the Community, 30(2), 403-414. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13266

[11] Lauren, B. M. (2019). Teaching Technology Competencies: A Social Work Practice With Technology Course. Journal of Social Work Education, 57, 545-556. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2019.1671272

[12] McClelland, D. C. (1973). Testing for competence rather than for" intelligence.". American psychologist, 28(1), 1.

[13] Monit, C., Shu, Z., Narendorf, S., & Rebecca, L. M. (2019). Curriculum Mapping in a Social Work Program With the 2015 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards. Journal of Social Work Education, 55, 23-33. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2018.1508392

[14] Nicholas, D. B., Jones, C., McPherson, B., Hilsen, L., Moran, J., & Mielke, K. (2019). Examining professional competencies for emerging and novice social workers in health care. Social Work in Health Care, 58(6), 596-611. https://doi.org/10.1080/00981389.2019.1601650

[15] Osburn, L., Short, M., Gersbach, K., Velander, F., Mungai, N., Moorhead, B., Mlcek, S., Dobud, W., Duncombe, R., Kalache, L., Gerstenberg, L., Lomas, G., Wulff, E., Ninnis, J., Morison, A., Falciani, K., & Pawar, M. (2023). Teaching social work skills-based learning online during and post COVID-19. Social Work Education, 42(7), 1090-1109. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2021.2013795

[16] Roulston, A., Cleak, H., & Vreugdenhil, A. (2018). Promoting Readiness to Practice: Which Learning Activities Promote Competence and Professional Identity for Student Social Workers During Practice Learning? Journal of Social Work Education, 54, 364-378. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2017.1336140

[17] Selwyn, S., & M, G. (2020). Professional competencies in social work students: emotional intelligence, reflective ability and empathy-a comparative and longitudinal analysis. Social Work Education, 40, 827-842. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2020.1724933

[18] Senanuch, P. (2022). Transnational Social Work Practice Development in Thailand. Interdisciplinary Studies Journal, 22(1), 19-36. https://so02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/sahasart/article/view/254709

[19] Sim, T., & He, M. (2024). Social work competence in disaster management: an integrative review. European Journal of Social Work, 27(1), 83-95. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2022.2092455

[20] Sim, T., He, M., & Dominelli, L. (2021). Social Work Core Competencies in Disaster Management Practice: An Integrative Review. Research on Social Work Practice, 32(3), 310-321. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497315211055427

[21] Wanda, D. B. (2018). Building a Competency-Based Curriculum in Social Work Education. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 38, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841233.2017.1400496

[22] Yu, G., Shuang, L., Chienchung, H., Yuqi, W., & Yiwen, Z. (2018). Core Competency Education of Social Work Students: An Empirical Assessment Through Scale Development. International Journal of Social Work. https://doi.org/10.5296/ijsw.v5i2.13470

Abstract

References

How to cite