Promoting Teaching Competence in Field Education: Facilitating Transition from Practioner to Educator‪.‬

INTRODUCTION Field based learning is an integral part of social work education. The content and quality of teaching and learning in field placement are perceived as critical elements in the development of professional social workers. Field teachers play a key role in enabling students to gain competence necessary for effective practice (Larsen and Hepworth 1982; Bogo and Vayda 1987; Duncan, Fernandez, Hawkes and Koonin 1990). They are active in implementing the social work's field education curriculum and are involved in standard setting. They face the challenge of monitoring and assessing student performance and readiness to enter professional practice (Wilson 1981). The future of the social work profession and the quality of its practitioners are dependent not only on the content of the curriculum and practicum experiences, but also on the process of imparting knowledge and skills in the context of both the university and field.