Abstract:
INTRODUCTION: Student hardship in social work has become the subject of research in recent
years. Social work students face particular challenges because of the financial, social and
emotional demands of long, unpaid, clinical placements.
APPROACH: This article reports on a literature review conducted prior to a mixed-methods
study commenced in 2019. This review informed the development of a survey of social
work students and recent graduates and a set of qualitative interviews that will be reported
elsewhere. A further review was conducted in July 2021 to inform the analysis.
FINDINGS: A recurring theme throughout much of the reviewed social work literature examined
for this project has been the intensity of struggle that students face in their study. Across the
reviewed literature, students, educators, and researchers suggest interventions to reduce
hardship. Gaps remain in our understanding of the intersectional factors of ethnicity, gender and
disability and, in particular, the impact on Aotearoa New Zealand students.