“…I actually felt it was my failing…” Why Practice Assessors’ Do Not Fail Students in Practice Learning Settings

1. “…I actually felt it was my failing…” Why Practice Assessors’ Do Not Fail Students in Practice Learning Settings NOPT Conference 21st and 22nd June 2010 Jo Finch J.Finch@uel.ac.uk

2. Overview of Presentation • Professional Context • Brief Overview of Research • Research Questions • Methodology, Methods, Data Analysis and Theoretical Frameworks • Brief Overview of Existing Literature • The Stories • Some Implications • Possible Ways Forward • Conclusions • Questions

3. Professional Context • Senior Lecturer in Social Work - University of East London • Associate Lecturer - University of Sussex • Freelance Practice Assessor and Mentor • Former C&F Social Worker and Play Therapist

4. Brief Overview of Research • Research undertaken as part of Professional Doctorate in Social Work (University of Sussex) • Began 2003... • …and was interested in something to do with practice teaching… • …finally completed after 6 long years and a baby later!

5. Research Questions What are practice teachers/assessors experience of and understanding of the process/issues in the assessment of marginal or failing social work students? • How do practice teachers/assessors effect their final recommendations? • What might impact on the practice teachers/assessors’ decision-making process? • On what basis do practice teachers/assessors choose to pass/refer or fail a student. • Do practice teachers/assessors give marginal students “the benefit of the doubt”? • Does the system of the assessment of social work students make fail recommendations rare/impossible/difficult?

6. Research Questions What are practice teachers/assessors experience of and understanding of the process/issues in the assessment of marginal or failing social work students? • How do practice teachers/assessors effect their final recommendations? • What might impact on the practice teachers/assessors’ decision-making process? • On what basis do practice teachers/assessors choose to pass/refer or fail a student. • Do practice teachers/assessors give marginal students “the benefit of the doubt”? • Does the system of the assessment of social work students make fail recommendations rare/impossible/difficult? By end of the journey, this had changed to

7. Research Questions What are practice teachers/assessors experience of and understanding of the process/issues in the assessment of marginal or failing social work students? • How do practice teachers/assessors effect their final recommendations? • What might impact on the practice teachers/assessors’ decision-making process? • On what basis do practice teachers/assessors choose to pass/refer or fail a student. • Do practice teachers/assessors give marginal students “the benefit of the doubt”? • Does the system of the assessment of social work students make fail recommendations rare/impossible/difficult? Why Do Practice Assessors Find it Difficult to Fail Students? By end of the journey, this had changed to

8. Methodology, Methods, Data Analysis and Theoretical Frameworks • Qualitative (Ethnographic, narrative and life story, practitioner-researcher) • Based on 20 in-depth interviews with practice assessors • Data analysed using “Voice Centred Relational Method” • Findings presented as “stories” • Psychodynamic and Transactional Analytical Perspectives employed (i.e Klein, Bion, Berne, Karpman)

9. Brief Overview of Literature – PAs find it difficult/hard to fail students because: • PAs not using competency model of assessment appropriately(Kemshall, 1993; Eraut, 1994; Shardow and Doel; 1996, Furness and Gilligan, 2004; Shapton, 2006) • Role strain or confusion (Fisher, 1990: Proctor, 1993;Owens, 1995; Cowburn et al, 2000, Duffy, 2004) • Procedures for dealing with placement issues, not being followed properly (Illot and Murphey, 1999; Burgess et al, 1998a, 1998b; Duffy, 2004; Vacha-Haase et al, 2004; Kaslow et al 2007) • PAs not adequately supported by agency and/or HEI (Sharp and Danbury, 1999; Finch, 2004b; Vacha-Haase et al, 2004) • Fear of litigation (Duffy, 2004; Cole, 1991; Cole and Lewis, 2003; Royse, 2000; Raymond, 2000; Vacha-Haase et al, 2004)s • Rule of Optimism (Vacha-Haase, et al 2004; Finch, 2005) • Hope that things “sort themselves out” without intervention (Good et al, 1995; Hoffman et al. 2004)

10. The Stories…..

11. The Stories…..

12. THE ANGRY STORY The Stories – forms basis of my findings chapter The Idealised Learner Story The What is My Role/Assessment Story The Guilty Story The Internalising Failure so I Couldn’t Always Failure them Story The Lack of Reflection Story The Dramatic Event Story

13. THE ANGRY STORY The Stories – forms basis of my findings chapter “I was really pissed off with him….I felt angry”. (Claire) “I was just very angry at times….I was angry with the student.” (Jenny) “…and I did actually think the next time you shout at me, I might actually shout back at you because who the fuck do you think you are…” (Daisy)

14. THE ANGRY STORY The Stories – forms basis of my findings chapter So I went and had a meeting at the university after things had broken down to discuss it, they did not, they were only interested in what he [the student] had to say… (Katie) “Preserving its red brick status” “Us and them” Not being heard by the tutor Why did the University send us such shit students? “A surreptitious discouragement of failure” Feeling intimidated by the university

15. THE ANGRY STORY The Stories – forms basis of my findings chapter • Creates parent-child dynamics • Anger as a defence mechanism • Transference – students pain • Drama triangle • Lack of containment – lose reflective ability • Conflictual role of PA – cannot bring split together • Increases feelings of guilt • Angry that cannot “save” student • It’s the HEIs “fault”.

16. THE ANGRY STORY The Stories – forms basis of my findings chapter • Creates parent-child dynamics …he [student] took on the role of a child sometimes and puppy dog. I’m the weak one and you're the strong one and it will be in your hands and you’re the supervisor…[it] carried on, the puppy dog eyes.

17. Students being “caught out” – not visiting service users The Stories – forms basis of my findings chapter …what I was going to do was to ask for her placement to be extended a bit but when I tried to discuss it with her, she threw a hysterical fit…which I sorted with the ambulance being called…if it had been one of my clients I would have recommended a psychiatric assessment…she was hyperventilating and throwing herself on the floor…she was kicking the locker… Staff saying “enough”. The Dramatic Event Story

18. The Stories – forms basis of my findings chapter • Can be “positive” – forces PA and/or HEI into action – anger can be legitimised • Can be used as a justification to end the placement i.e tangible evidence • But perhaps not managing difficulties appropriately leads to dramatic event • What happens if dramatic event comes too early in the placement? • Is dramatic event perceived by all as “dramatic”. The Dramatic Event Story

19. The Stories – forms basis of my findings chapter • Can be used as a justification to end the placement i.e tangible evidence “…he stood in reception when other service users were around and he made a reference to bum-fucking…and I just said, enough, and I asked him to leave the placement”. (Lily) The Dramatic Event Story

20. “Learned Helplessness” The Stories – forms basis of my findings chapter The Idealised Learner Story Concern about “passive” learners I was thinking that…I am going to have a student who will take responsibility…that was my fantasy that I was going to have somebody that would just…kind of gel, adapt to the team…come with a variety of knowledge…up to date Fantasy of student not realised Good Learners and Bad Learners

21. The Stories – forms basis of my findings chapter The Idealised Learner Story • How does the gap between expectation and reality about the student as a learner impact on the assessment? • PA over compensates and focuses on forcing student to become the good learner? • Which encourages further dependency and passivity in student? • Student becomes angry if the PA withdraws “spoon feeding”?

22. The Stories – forms basis of my findings chapter The Idealised Learner Story • How does the gap between expectation and reality about the student as a learner impact on the assessment? • PA over compensates and focuses on forcing student to become the good learner? • Which encourages further dependency and passivity in student? • Student becomes angry if the PA withdraws “spoon feeding”? • What happens if the student plays the game of a good student? • Student may be labelled as “nice” • Appears to acknowledge concerns but still does not actually address them. • How much development over the placement is required?

23. The Stories – forms basis of my findings chapter The Idealised Learner Story “…he [student] was poisonous…he was venomous…he was a flipping nightmare”. (Tim) • How does the gap between expectation and reality about the student as a learner impact on the assessment? • PA over compensates and focuses on forcing student to become the good learner? • Which encourages further dependency and passivity in student? • Student becomes angry if the PA withdraws “spoon feeding”? • Student may be labelled as “nice” “…she was lovely and she was really willing but she just wasn’t very bright and she just couldn’t do it…she was not literate…She was very mumsy..and was well liked and the service users responded really well to her and we all responded really well to her…” (Lily)

24. “…and then the guilt really set in….the sacrifices she’s made…this is her livelihood, her career and its all my fault…what about her children…I felt like I am a rotten shit.” (Daisy) The Stories – forms basis of my findings chapter The Guilt Story “it was the first fail, I felt terribly guilty, I felt really…I had sleepless nights, felt quite sick, I felt incredibly guilty….”(Claire)

25. The Stories – forms basis of my findings chapter Ignore concerns? Do not address concerns in timely manner? Explains the feelings of anger? The Guilty Story Result of role strain? Movement from good parent to bad parent? PA is hurting somebody, “ending their dream”? Student may have difficult circumstances?

26. “…all I know is that everyone else in her [student] year were out on their placement and she’s not but at the end of the day it was her livelihood, her career, it could have been the end of her career, oh my god, what about her children”. (Daisy) The Stories – forms basis of my findings chapter The Guilty Story PA is hurting somebody, “ending their dream”?

27. Ignored initial misgivings or gut feelings The Stories – forms basis of my findings chapter “I actually felt it was my failing because I wasn’t getting it [evidence] out of her….” (Martha) Discourse of “we” and “our work” emerges “I would say probably 90% of the time, if a student fails, there’s something wrong with the practice teacher”. (Terry) The Internalising Failure so I Couldn’t Always Failure them Story That was the issue I was struggling with through this whole thing. How much of her failure was my fault? (Terry)

28. The Stories – forms basis of my findings chapter • My fault – could have done something differently. • Recognition that perhaps did not manage situation effectively • Lack of timely intervention • Can not save student • Waiting for bus – too much of self invested • Ignored initial misgivings • Over compensation • Discourse of “we” or “our” work The Internalising Failure so I Couldn’t Always Failure them Story

29. The Stories – forms basis of my findings chapter “…I still feel that I must have done something wrong with that one because I couldn’t enable him or work with him to see why his way of thinking was inappropriate in social work, never mind in society”. (Lily) • Can not save student The Internalising Failure so I Couldn’t Always Failure them Story “..I think the team just felt helpless in a way. They felt…they couldn’t see what they could do to turn it around.” (Tim)

30. The Stories – forms basis of my findings chapter Mirroring Transference/Counter transference Projective Identification Parallel processes “…out of my depth…I felt really out of my depth…I was completely out of my depth at that point” (Lily) The Lack of Reflection Story “A nameless dread” Lack of containment

31. Lack of insight into the emotional aspects of teaching/learning relationship • Did not acknowledge sources of intense feelings or use them to aid the student • Instead, PAs internalised these uncomfortable feelings • Lack of containment • Unnamed fear of failing students with disabilities or from BME backgrounds The Stories – forms basis of my findings chapter The Lack of Reflection Story Everyone in network looses reflective ability and engages in some degree of projective identification

32. Did not acknowledge sources of intense feelings or use them to aid the student The Stories – forms basis of my findings chapter “I was incredibly confident with the successful engaged students but with the difficult students my confidence levels went down a lot…I was anxious…I was worried.” (Lily) The Lack of Reflection Story Everyone in network looses reflective ability and engages in some degree of projective identification

33. “…there was a clash for me between the facilitator of learning role and the kind of management roles.” (Lily) The Stories – forms basis of my findings chapter “…there was almost like a maternal feeling about the facilitation of learning but the flipside of that was when I had to become the kind of teller-off or the person who was making judgments…I did struggle with that”. (Lily) The What is My Role/Assessment Story “…you can sometimes be drawn into that role, often as a rescuer…at the same time you can be perceived as a persecutor..I rely on my boundaries..establishing…you are not here to heal, you’re here to learn” (Andrew).

34. Lack of understanding about role Role strain/confusion Lack of explicit acknowledgment of gate keeping function Lack of theory to guide assessment work Lack of clarity about “what is good enough”. Shoehorning own implicit criteria about competency into key roles The Stories – forms basis of my findings chapter The What is My Role/Assessment Story

35. Lack of clarity about “what is good enough”. I – So how might you identify a student at risk of failing? R - …I don’t know how to answer that one. Just real poor practice but then what is poor practice? You know I don’t know…I know it when I see it but I can’t put it into words. The Stories – forms basis of my findings chapter The What is My Role/Assessment Story

36. The Stories – forms basis of my findings chapter “I also feel as a practice teacher you also have some responsibility to…the people who are likely to be served by the students”. (Peter) The What is My Role/Assessment Story Gate Keepers?

37. Other factors why PAs find it Difficult to Fail What is “reasonable adjustment? Fear of failing student with a disability Lack of information given by HEIs • Disability • Ethnicity • Religion • Gender, Sexuality, Class, Age Fear of failing students from BME backgrounds BME PAs guilt at failing BME students Concern about disproportionate no.s of African students failing Difficulty reconciling religious beliefs with social work values Professional Discourse v. religious discourse Needs further exploration

38. PAs who appeared to find process of failing students easier thus:5/20 • Explicitly acknowledged gate keeping role and implications. • Acknowledged potential for role confusion, yet had brought “split” together. • Clarity around boundaries and role of PA • Expectations of student as an “adult learner” • Clear differentiation between your work and my work • Reflective approach – lack of drama – saw experience as a learning opportunity • 4 of 5 were/had been ASWs

39. Some implications…. • Assessment of a student and assessment of a service user, same or different? • Are students being passed who should not? Yes • How can practice assessors’ become reflective and self aware? • Current PQ frameworks – opportunity or threat?

40. Some implications…. In 2 cases, the evidence strongly suggested the students should fail, but they were passed • Are students being passed who should not? Yes 6 examples, of PAs recommendations of Fail not upheld by HEI 3 examples of students passing when evidence was suggestive of a refer. 2 examples of students getting further opportunity to do a placement (refer) when evidence suggested they should be failed.

41. Possible Ways Forward? • Move towards team approach to assessment of students – away from singleton model. • Mentor support for student in danger of “failing”? • Real and meaningful support for PAs. • CPD requirements for PAs? • Disclosure of sensitive information protocols • PAs reflective toolkit – pilot • HEI/Role of tutor clarified

42. At last – conclusionPAs don’t fail students because: • Get caught up in “drama” and loose reflective ability • Lack of insight into dynamics • Internalise students failing as their own • Suffer from “role strain” • Under-developed and under-theorised understanding of assessment process • Do not acknowledge gate keeping role • Own unacknowledged notions of competency, shoe horned into key roles

43. Any Questions

44. Thank you for listening Please feel free to email me: J.Finch@uel.ac.uk

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