Methodology of new social work specializations development

Sociology and Social Work Faculty

Moldova State University

Working steps

1. National (regional) sociological research in the field of social work

2. Determination of the specializations3. Elaboration of job descriptions for these

specializations4. Curricula development5. Elaboration of the discipline descriptions6. Elaboration of the courses and didactic materials

Step 1. Sociological research

analysis of existing specializations and curricula of social workers formation in the education establishments;

quantitative (survey) and qualitative (interviews) methods application; respondents: managers, clerks from Ministries of Labour and Education,

specialists and teachers in the field of social work and social services; the research main objectivs: – to identify the existing in the country (region) specializations and the main key

directions of the social work;– to identify the difficulties encountered by social workers in their work;– to identify and validate the new specializations in the area of social work

required by the job market, and also the skills needed to perform these specializations;

– to study the specializations/directions of activity that require reform of training programs;

– to analyse the opinions of social work professionals about social services development in the country (region) and academic and pre-university education in the field of social work.

Step 2. Determination of the specializations

The determinated by sociological research specializations are arranged hierarchically from the most requested to the less requested for those 3 categories of respondents (managers, specialists, teachers) and they are weighted.

After that a resultant list of specializations is constracted when the most needed are the first.

Step 3. Elaboration of job descriptions

The job descriptions are elaborated by complex teams consist of managers, specialists-practicinens and teachers (6-10 persons). The teams compose the job descriptions having the next structure:

Name of profession Function name Function level Function general objectiveI. NEED OF PROFESSION DEVELOPMENTII. PROFESSION DEFINITIONIII. QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTSIV. FUNCTIONAL STATUSV. CONDITIONS FOR PERFORMANCE OF DUTIESVI. TERMS OF SERVICEVII. DECISIONS MAKINGVIII. STAFF RELATIONSIX. LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORKX. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTXI. MAIN ACTIVITIES (for each activity are specified the required knowledge and skills)

Step 4. Curricula elaboration

Curricula is elaborated by teachers in the fields of social work and closed specialties (for example, psychologists, physicians, lawyers, economists etc.), and practicinens in social work

The disciplines of the curricula are determinated in correspondance with the knowledge and skills needed to be developed, described in the job descriptions

Responsables teachers for each discipline are determined

Step 5. Elaboration of the discipline descriptions

The discipline descriptions are elaborated by responsible teacher. It have the next structure:

Name of discipline Year and semester of study Formative regime of discipline Mandatory (obligatory) regime of discipline The total hours (theoretical + practicals) The name of discipline responsible teacher The objectives of the discipline Discipline short content (content units) Individual study (forms and themes) Required references (literature)

Step 6. Elaboration of the courses and didactic materials

Finaly, the courses and didactic materials are the obligations of the teachers and they work to their development…