EXPERIENCES OF SOCIAL WORK ACADEMICS IN TURKEY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

This study aims to explore and understand the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on personal and professional lives of social work academics. Phenomenological approach was used in the study, which was designed with qualitative research method. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 23 social work academics who had lecturing experience before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. Thematic analysis method was used for the analysis of data. The following five main themes were determined as a result of the analysis: social work academics' perception of Covid-19, effects of the pandemic on personal lives of social work academics, the challenges faced by social work academics in their professional lives due to the pandemic, the opportunities they found in their professional lives, and their search for new methods in field practicum. It is observed that the experiences of social work academics in their personal lives during the Covid-19 cannot be considered independent of their professional experiences, and that both aspects are intertwined. As a result of the research, it was concluded that social work academics faced many challenges due to the pandemic such as adaptation problems to the use of technology, reduced interaction with students, inability to make classroom practices in classes, encountering technical problems and they had advantages such as the elimination of physical barriers and the opportunity to keep up to date.