Browsing by Author "Van der Westhuizen, Marichen"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Social work students’ experiences of online learning and teaching during the Covid-19 national lockdown
    (University of Western Cape, 2021) Hlatshwayo, Lindokuhle Precious; Van der Westhuizen, Marichen
    The COVID-19 pandemic challenged higher education institutions to close their campuses for the purpose of managing and controlling the spread of the coronavirus during the national lockdown. Institutions had to migrate from blended learning and teaching to emergency online learning and teaching only, posing challenges to the learning experiences of student social workers. This study aimed to explore and describe the experiences of student social workers and educators regarding online learning and teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the influence of socioeconomic factors on student social workers’ academic experiences.
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    Social work students’ experiences of online learning and teaching during the Covid-19 national lockdown
    (University of Western Cape, 2021) Hlatshwayo, Lindokuhle Precious; Van der Westhuizen, Marichen
    The COVID-19 pandemic challenged higher education institutions to close their campuses for the purpose of managing and controlling the spread of the coronavirus during the national lockdown. Institutions had to migrate from blended learning and teaching to emergency online learning and teaching only, posing challenges to the learning experiences of student social workers. This study aimed to explore and describe the experiences of student social workers and educators regarding online learning and teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the influence of socioeconomic factors on student social workers’ academic experiences.
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    The social dimensions of making music together towards social inclusion
    (Universty of the Western Cape, 2024) Weber, Henriette Winifred; Van der Westhuizen, Marichen
    The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of how transdisciplinary work between the arts and social work could lead to practices that support social inclusion. Considering the COVID-19 pandemic, the study also explored how the theoretical framework of the social dimensions of making music together could be facilitated in an online environment. A qualitative research approach was employed, supported by exploratory and descriptive research designs. Non-probability purposive sampling was used to identify undergraduate student social workers who voluntarily participated in an online video production project. Eighteen students from the University of the Western Cape (South Africa) and the Protestant University of Applied Sciences (Germany) participated in the project. The project was facilitated by the transdisciplinary work of the researcher, a social work educator, and a music educator. Data were collected prior to and after the completion of the project through written individual reflections and focus group discussions, which were then analysed thematically. The criteria of credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability assisted the researcher in ensuring the trustworthiness of this study’s findings. Ethical considerations adhered to included voluntary participation through informed consent, as well as careful attention to privacy, confidentiality, and anonymity, along with the management of data.
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    Towards professional identity: The development of the self among student social workers through storytelling
    (University of the Western Cape, 2023) van Heerden, Marika; Van der Westhuizen, Marichen
    This study responded to an identified need to explore ways to include personal experiences in learning and teaching activities to support the development of the self and professional identity formation. The research questions of how student social workers can be empowered to develop the self and the professional identity through storytelling, as well as how the Appreciative Inquiry model can be used as a framework for storytelling in learning and teaching activities guided the study. The aim was to explore and describe 1) how storytelling can empower students to develop and integrate the self and the professional identity, and 2) how the Appreciative Inquiry model can be used as a framework for storytelling in learning and teaching activities.
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    Towards professional identity: The development of the self among student social workers through storytelling
    (University of the Western Cape, 2023) van Heerden, Marika; Van der Westhuizen, Marichen
    This study responded to an identified need to explore ways to include personal experiences in learning and teaching activities to support the development of the self and professional identity formation. The research questions of how student social workers can be empowered to develop the self and the professional identity through storytelling, as well as how the Appreciative Inquiry model can be used as a framework for storytelling in learning and teaching activities guided the study. The aim was to explore and describe 1) how storytelling can empower students to develop and integrate the self and the professional identity, and 2) how the Appreciative Inquiry model can be used as a framework for storytelling in learning and teaching activities.