ABSTRACT
Social work field education is the signature pedagogy of the social work curriculum. Concurrently there is a need to evolve this signature pedagogy for social work field practice. Its form and content vary, so it should match the needs of the practice as well as the social milieu it is situated in. Globally, and specifically in the Indian context, in the post-COVID-19 phase there are two contingent demands in the field of social work: 1) the need for a more critical, structural practice 2) a call for a contextualised, collaborative enquiry that provides solutions in times where the prescriptions for practice are inadequate. A pedagogical orientation for fieldwork practice that allows for critical reflection and collaborative action on structural issues is a necessity in this context. The chapter examines the COVID-19 response by social workers in Mumbai and a praxis intervention model actualised in Attapady (Prabhakaran 2005). Focusing on the major features of these interventions, a praxis model of social work field education is conceptualised. Such a technique trains social work students to have a critical approach to social problems, reflexivity to engage with one’s own self, flexibility to adapt to changing situations and uncertain times, and an aptitude to bring theoretical and skill additions to the field of practice.
