The Centre for Professional Development specialises in research on critical reflection and is planning several international projects.

CURRENT RESEARCH

The Centre has continued to be engaged in a major evaluation of the collaboration between Mallee Family Care and The Smith Family (begun in December 2002). This is funded by the Community Support Fund through the partnership organisations. Ms Margaret MacCready was employed in a 0.5 capacity from August 2003 – January 2004 to assist with this. The final report was submitted in February 2004.

Fiona Gardner completion a Collaborative Grant with St. Luke’s – :
Project title: How to Develop a Research Culture in a Human Service Organisation: Integrating Research and Practice with Service and Policy Development.

In addition Fiona undertook a Neighbourhood Renewal Project – Eaglehawk and Long Gully. This involved training of interviewers for telephone interviewing, documenting of results for community and Department of Human Services

Research into the evaluation of critical reflection as a tool for integrating the learning from formal training programs has continued with the Department of Human Services. This project forms the basis of pilots which are being planned and conducted with several international partners (University of Helsinki, University of Jyvaskyla, and Diakonhjemmet College, Oslo, and the University of Huddersfield). A further partner, Tel Aviv University, has been added.

A new research study is being planned into the ways practitioners make meaning of their work. This will be conducted using data provided through the critical reflection process.
Comparative research into the effects of new social policies, particularly on professional practice, using critical reflection, is being planned with the Centre for Applied Childhood Studies at the University of Huddersfield and a colleague at Hunter College, NY (See “International developments”).

Some of the subjects currently researched by post graduate students supervised by the Centre for Professional Development include:

Work role audit: new graduate occupational therapists.

Discource Analysis of Social Work Practice

Critical Postmodernism and Social Change: Implications for social work practice in the context of the legal system's response to victims/survivors of sexual assault

The experiences of organ donors in Myanmar

Journalling as a social work intervention with depressed woman

Content Approved by: Head of Department
Page maintained by: CPD Web Administrator
Last Updated:18 October 2006