The Value of Role Play as Precursor to Group Work: Second-Year Students' Viewpoints

Abstract

As a new academic programme, the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) offers students a variety of modules which form part of a new curriculum. Group work, as one of the five methods in Social Work, sets prospective social workers in a good stance to set their own groups in their future place of work. It is the researcher’s view that of all the methods in Social Work, the group work method is utilised less. There is also evidence that not enough emphasis is put on the vitality of group work as is the case with the other methods. A survey was conducted at the researcher’s university in which 93 second-year students participated, which is in line with the module “Introduction to Group Work†where the practical side thereof was role play. These role plays were conducted in class and provided students in the second year with an opportunity to practice group work at an introductory level, with anticipated advanced level integration scheduled for the third year of study.