What Game Are We Playing? The Learning Relationship in Social Work Placement

The article presents the findings of a study carried out in Italy and aimed at exploring the learning relationship activated between supervisor and student in social work education placement. Through the analysis of some barriers and opportunities, the research aims to contribute to the debate on the topic and to improve future responses by all actors involved in the organisation of learning in the field (supervisors, students, university teachers, university tutors, social service organisations). Based on the scientific debate, the first part tackles some topics that make up the theoretical frame of reference useful to define the learning relationship and gives some contextual information on social work education in Italy. The second part presents the study design and the analysis of the answers to an online questionnaire administered in the last months of 2020 to 487 social workers who served as placement supervisors. The third part, finally, concerns the discussion of the findings and final conclusions.