Abstract:
This chapter discusses the redesign of ‘SocWork 311: Social Work Process and Practice’, a compulsory
third year undergraduate course that utilised group work as the central focus for student learning. The
International Standards for Social Work Practice with Groups was chosen as one of three key
frameworks, whereby explicit connections were made with the Aotearoa New Zealand Code of Ethics for
Social Work, and the NZ Social Work Core Competency Standards (CCS). The CCS standards are
inclusive of the Kaitiakitanga Framework - a set of Māori cultural competencies that social workers must
demonstrate in order to practice in New Zealand.
As a social work programme located in New Zealand’s largest city, and boasting a diverse
student body, inclusive of students from Māori, Pacific, New Zealand-European, Asian and other descent,
we explore key tenets of the revised course curriculum. We discuss the implications of incorporating
global and culturally responsive pedagogies through group work education, acknowledging the bicultural, Pacific-located context of social work practice in Aotearoa New Zealand. These insights,
presented through the lens of Pacific educators and social work students, shed light on ways international
social work educators, students, leaders and researchers may adapt their curriculum to enhance student
learning through group work.
