| dc.description.abstract | Personal Development (PD) is a mandatory module across the four years of the
B.A (Hons) in Social Care work (SCW) at Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT).
The aim of this study was to examine if PD is relevant and beneficial to social
care work learners (SCLs), practice educators (PEs) and social care workers
(SCWs) in their practice. PD is not provided as a stand-alone module by other
HEIs offering SCW programmes. PD provided by LIT specifically focuses on the
personal development of the SCL through 2 hour lecture and 1 hour group work,
hence, the desire to research the topic arose. Moller and Rance’s (2013) and
McMahon and Rodillas’ (2020) studies are the most applicable to LIT SCW PD
and Green’s (2017) Irish study of SCWs in practice without PD or similar learning.
The main gaps in the literature surrounds the dearth of published studies referring
to PD in SCW programmes but also within similar disciplines. Another gap,
referred to by Moller and Rance (2013) and LaRocque (2017) as they quote a
number of authors, who suggest empirical support for the effectiveness or ease
of applicability of PD in practice settings remains limited. Kivlighan III, Adams,
Obrecht, Kim, Ward and Latino (2019) suggests research to examine processes
of PD groups connected to attaining development as a learner is required. It
seems research that determines potential therapeutic benefits of PD/growth
groups to its members is also lacking (Eskridge et al., 2013).This research
addressed all of those gaps mentioned above.
This is a study of retrospective reflection of SCW graduates’ PD experiences,
learning and subsequent practice and incorporated a qualitative interpretive case
study approach. Semi-structured interviews were convened with 21 SCW
graduates and 20 Practice Educator’s and 12 of those SCW graduates’ kept
personal solicited online weekly diaries for ten consecutive weeks. The research
question “Is the PD module from LIT SCW HE programme relevant and beneficial
for SCLs, SCWs and their PEs? ” Sub-questions were devised to answer the
main research question and are provided below:
How are PD, SCW and PEP defined, conceptualised and operationalised?
How do participants and respondents articulate the content of their
learning and their experience of PD as a pedagogical and practice
process?
What role, relevance and benefit, if any, does PD have in SCW education,
PEP and SCW practice?
A new definition of personal development, informed by the literature,
specifically for social care work is presented. A new model of the inter-
relationship of personal development and social care work was also devised.
Additionally, the conceptual interrelationship between personal development,
social care work and supervision incorporating the findings can be found in
the discussion chapter.
The findings portray the SCWs experiences of PD as a module to its
transference to their practice. Unexpectedly, the findings also unearth the
difference between SCWs with PD and those without PD. Another
unexpected finding refers to the relevance and benefits of PD to the
supervision process for SCLs and SCWs.
In conclusion, this research has revealed the perceived benefits and
relevance of PD for SCWs and those working with vulnerable people. In
particular, participants observed the difference between those with PD
learning and those without PD learning. The findings highlighted how practice
and physical and mental wellbeing is impacted when PD learning is not
provided during SCW education. Gaps in the literature identified and
addressed in this research highlighted the importance of PD for SCLs and
SCWs personally and when working with vulnerable and at risk individuals. | en |
