About the TFEL Project
Our Goal
The goal of the project is to integrate research and practice in the preparation of the next generation of social workers by developing partnered research training initiatives, both within academia and across the public and not-for-profit sectors, that enhance student research practice knowledge and applied skill development.
Our Objectives
The partnership has five objectives:
1. To transform social work field education by bridging the gap between research and practice through joint training initiatives, projects and other forms of multi-stakeholder engagement and integration;
2. To strengthen the recognition of the importance of social work practice research by building knowledge and skills among students, postdoctoral fellows, and current and future practitioners;
3. To train and mentor students and postdoctoral fellows through new partnered research training initiatives that build the research capacity of current and future social work scholars, practitioners and policymakers;
4. To support the development of sustainable models of field education through engaging students and postdoctoral fellows in research on promising practices in social work field education across Canada; and
5. To engage students and postdoctoral fellows in partnered knowledge mobilization and the multi-directional exchange of knowledge in Canada and internationally on promising practices for sustainable field education and practice research.
Our Approach
Project Overview
An overview of the TFEL project and the three streams of activities are captured in a digital story put together by student research assistants Nozipho Moyo and Jayden Wickman.
Call for Contributions – Student Handbook on Field Education
The TFEL Project is calling for contributions for a Student Handbook on Field Education. TFEL members including co-investigators, collaborators, students, field instructors, field educators, professional social work associations, field agencies, and Canadian and international partners are invited to submit an expression of interest to contribute to this book publication. The book is designed to accompany social work practicum students in their field education journey.
Submissions should be in a Word document, in Times New Roman, 12-point font, and will be accepted in English or in French. The deadline to send in your contribution will be July 1st, 2021. Please send your submissions via email to: tfelproject@ucalgary.ca.
Please click below for more information on considered topics of interest and submission requirements.
TFEL Publications
The Social Dimensions of Sustainable Development: The Importance of Creating New Partnerships
Penned by post-doctoral scholar, Wasif Ali and TFEL project director, Dr. Julie Drolet, this article focuses on environmental change and a need for new partnerships in social work.
Suggested Citation (APA 7): Ali, W. & Drolet, J. L. (2021). The social dimensions of sustainable development: The importance of creating new partnerships. International Journal on Engineering Technologies and Informatics 2(3), 68-69. https://skeenapublishers.com/journal/ijeti/IJETI-02-00015.pdf
Integrating Practice Research into Social Work Field Education
This article discusses how practice research can be integrated into social work field education by drawing upon a training module designed for this purpose by the Transforming the Field Education Landscape (TFEL) partnership. Implications and recommendations for practice research and field educators are provided.
Suggested Citation (APA 7): Traber, D. K., Collins, T., Drolet, J. L., Adamo, D. J., Franco, M., Laban, K. M., McConnell, S. M., Mi, E., St. George, S., Wulff, D. (2021). Integrating practice research into social work field education. The Field Educator 11(1), 1-12. https://fieldeducator.simmons.edu/article/integrating-practice-research-into-social-work-field-education/
A New Partnership: Transforming the Field Education Landscape
This paper, by TFEL project director Julie Drolet, focuses on the intersections of research and practice in Canadian social work field education and outlines the goals of the TFEL project alongside the supporting literature.
Suggested Citation (APA 7): Drolet, J. (2020). A new partnership: Transforming the field education landscape. The Field Educator 10(1), 1-18. https://fieldeducator.simmons.edu/article/transforming-the-field-education-landscape/
A Conversation on a New Canadian Social Work Field Education and Research Collaboration Initiative
This publication is an interview between the Editor-in-Chief of the Field Educator, Kim Harriman, and TFEL project director Julie Drolet, who discusses the background of TFEL, its goals, and the need for it in response to the crisis facing field education.
Suggested Citation (APA 7): Drolet, J., & Harriman, K. (2020). A conversation on a new Canadian social work field education and research collaboration initiative. The Field Educator 10(1), 1-7. https://fieldeducator.simmons.edu/article/a-conversation-on-a-new-canadian-social-work-field-education-and-research-collaboration-initiative/
Undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students, practicum students, and postdoctoral scholars are involved in all aspects of TFEL.
Are you a student or postdoctoral scholar? Click here to learn more about how you can participate in the partnership project!
Acknowledgements
The TFEL partnership is supported in part by funding from a SSHRC Partnership Grant (Talent). The SSHRC talent program aims to support students and postdoctoral researchers in order to develop the next generation of researchers and leaders across society, both within academic and across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.
The TFEL project would like to acknowledge Julie Drolet, Linda Kreitzer, and Don McSwiney for some of the photos featured on the website.
Logo
The robot logo was designed by Emily King, a 17 year-old high school student living in Edmonton, Alberta. The robot logo represents the transformative experience of students engaged in training and mentorship.
