Workshops at the FESET Conference in May 2012 in Marseille
“Key situations in social work as a bridge between theory and practice "(EN4), Prof. Regula Kunz & Prof. Dr. Eva Tov
" Social Theory of Learning and key situations in social work as a bridge between theory and practice" (EN5) Prof. Adi Stämpfli
Key situations in social work as a bridge between theory and practice
Example of a key situation
Key situations are situations that social workers describe as important and occurring frequently and
that social workers must be able to handle. Even if each and every situation that we encounter can be
called in a certain sense unique, through abstractions and through reduction of information to essential
generalizable features we can produce groupings that limit the situations that were gathered
empirically to a total of approximately 130 (on occupational analysis, see www.dacum.org).
Each key situation comprises the following elements:
1. Description of a typical specific situation and sequential reconstruction of reflection-inaction
2. Title and features of the situation
3. Resources
4. Quality standards with evaluation and alternative courses of action
This provides a comprehensive description of a situation that includes reflection on the prevalent
feelings and thoughts in the situation and that refers to both knowledge and practice. This bundling of
the different aspects and relating them to one another promotes integration of the different types of
knowledge and facilitates professional identity development.
1. Example of a typical situation with reflection in action
Key situation: “Enable positive experiences”
The process of actions is subdivided into sequences to structure the content of the situation. This
structuring reduces the complexity of the situation that is otherwise difficult to capture. Next, for each
sequence, “reflection-in-action” is elaborated. This reflection focuses on two aspects, emotional and
cognitive – that is, from the perspective of the client (C) emotions, and from the perspective of the
professional social worker (PSW) both emotions and cognitions.
First sequence: Making contact (approach)
An adolescent who has been an inpatient in a psychiatric crisis intervention ward for some weeks
stretches out on the sofa in the entryway to the school classroom in the clinic and declares to the
arriving social worker that he is not in the mood for school and not in the mood for anything at all. He
says he is bad at school anyway and that it is no use for him to try. And so he is going to lie on the
sofa and listen to music. The social worker asks him to put his music aside and to come with him into
the classroom to talk about what it is that he would like to do.
Emotional C: unmotivated mood, helplessness, seeks attention
Emotional PSW: feels provoked, “oh yes, I am familiar with this”, small grin, incentive to take
on the challenge
Cognitive PSW: developmental pattern of the young person, whom PSW already knows, has
been through this before, can use the same strategy again
Second sequence: Refusal
The young man refuses.
Emotional C: helplessness, overtaxed, lack of enthusiasm, negative experiences at school,
refusal
Emotional PSW: slight annoyance, because under pressure of the institution’s mandate,
affected but at the same time calm and composed (I’m familiar with this, nothing new, it’s my
job after all, that’s what I’m here for)
Cognitive PSW: The young person’s pattern becomes active: self-depreciation, making
excuses and laziness, confrontation and pressure achieve nothing
Third sequence: Start relating by having the young person report his experiences
The social worker starts to talk with the young man about his week and his interests. The young man
turns off his music and talks to the social worker about himself and his experiences. They come to
speak about the entire past week and successful experiences during experiential education. The
1
Workshops at the FESET Conference in May 2012 in Marseille
“Key situations in social work as a bridge between theory and practice "(EN4), Prof. Regula Kunz & Prof. Dr. Eva Tov
" Social Theory of Learning and key situations in social work as a bridge between theory and practice" (EN5) Prof. Adi Stämpfli
social worker reminds the young man of his learning objectives, which he himself has set. He also
reminds the young man that school is compulsory and that it is not for him to choose whether to attend
or not. Then they speak together for quite a while about the young man’s music interests. Here the
young man is very receptive/attentive and open.
Emotional C: under pressure, unmotivated, satisfied with and happy about the attention he is
receiving
Emotional PSW: helplessness, impatience, tension between necessity for school and the
young person’s current need, interest in the young person
Cognitive PSW: PSW devotes attention to the relationship level and to the C, focuses
deliberately on the young man’s successful experiences, creates a connection via shared
experiences, reminds the young person of the goals he has set himself to appeal to his own
motivation. Makes the young person aware that school is compulsory and what the
consequences are if he does not attend. Once again distraction, avoidance of the topic of
school to go back to the young man’s interests in order to maintain contact, and then gives
him the clear message that he should go into the classroom.
Fourth sequence: Deliberate ending of the encounter
After a while, the social worker again asks the young man to accompany him into the classroom. The
young man does not want to and says so. The social worker explains to him that he would like to work
with him in the classroom. But now he has to take care of the other children and young people, too,
and so the young man will find him in the classroom.
Emotional C: does not feel taken seriously, defiance, disappointment
Emotional PSW: impatience, annoyance/anger, proud that he was able to keep distance
Cognitive PSW: do not give the young man any more attention for as long as he does not
participate in schoolwork. Distance myself and communicate clear message: we are at school,
and it’s time to work!
Fifth Sequence: Reestablish contact and conclude the situation successfully
After a while, as the young man still does not take his place in the classroom, the social worker brings
him a puzzle game and shows it to him. The young man shows interest and now takes his place in the
classroom. He begins to work on the puzzle. After a few tries, he finds the solution and is happy about
his success; he shows the social worker his results. The social worker praises him. The young man
solves a few more puzzles until he manages to find some interest in working on French, which is one
of the learning goals that he has set for himself.
Emotional C: interest, curiosity, proud about meeting learning objectives (putting the music
away, taking his place in the classroom, concentrating on French), happiness, feeling of
success
Emotional PSW: pride, happiness, relief that the young man gets on track and experiences
success
Cognitive PSW: find new ways to approach the young man and to engage his interest. Give
him something that helps him to concentrate and to experience success. Deliberately take his
mind off lessons and first develop and strengthen his school readiness (to take his place in the
classroom and focus on working). Give positive reinforcement for his first successes.
2. Title and features of the situation
The features define all situations that in professional action can come under the title “Enable positive
experiences.” They thus generalize the typical example, which can also take place in other
institutional contexts with other clients.
The features of the key situation “Enable positive experiences” are the following:
• The client does not believe that he or she can achieve something (lack of self-efficacy)
• The client has had negative experiences
• The clients is afraid to take part in a situation
• The professional social worker makes it possible for the client to gain trust in the professional
relationship and in his or her own abilities, by ensuring, in small steps, that the client
experiences success both at the relationship level and at the level of problem solving. This
encourages the client to continue to cooperate.
2
Workshops at the FESET Conference in May 2012 in Marseille
“Key situations in social work as a bridge between theory and practice "(EN4), Prof. Regula Kunz & Prof. Dr. Eva Tov
" Social Theory of Learning and key situations in social work as a bridge between theory and practice" (EN5) Prof. Adi Stämpfli
3. Resources
For professional social work practice in a situation, knowledge and techniques are required, and
abilities/skills and prerequisites are utilized; in this model these are all called “resources.”
The following resources are distinguished:
• Theoretical (scientific) knowledge
• Intervention knowledge
• Experiential knowledge
• Organization and context knowledge
• Skills
• Organizational, infrastructural, temporal, and material prerequisites
• Values knowledge
In the following, for each category at least one resource is described based on the professional
discourse in social work:
Theoretical (scientific) knowledge
 Motivation theory (Euler & Hahn, 2004): The basic model of motivation says that a motive is a
person-specific disposition mediating between person and situation. According to Atkinson
(cited in Euler & Hahn, 2004), achievement motivation is made up of intrinsic motivation (hope
for success, fear of failure) and extrinsic motivation (reward/force). A basic distinction can be
made between failure-oriented and success-oriented students.
Intervention knowledge
 Motivational interviewing (Miller & Rollnick, 1999) is based on insights on the change process
described by Prochaska and DiClemente (1982) and is a person-centered, non-confrontational
method in the humanistic tradition. The four fundamental principles of motivational
interviewing are: (1) express empathy through active listening, (2) create discrepancy (open
questions help the client to find reasons for change), (3) roll with resistance and ambivalence
in the change process, and (4) support self-efficacy.
Experiential knowledge
 Experiences with the client in past situations. Example: Give him attention (talk about freetime), then distance yourself again (“if you would like attention, then come into the classroom”)
and then give attention again for (school) actions (puzzle game work). This has often worked
in the past.
 In similar situations with other clients, you found that exerting pressure did not achieve
anything except increase the client’s opposition.
 The experience that maintaining the relationship is more important than having the client
appear in the classroom on time.
Organization and context knowledge
 The organization is commissioned to promote social, school, and psychological development.
All three aspects of the support can be weighted differently depending on the situation.
 Intensive interdisciplinary cooperation with other professional fields (psychotherapy, social
pedagogy) is necessary.
Skills
 Being able to talk to the client using the principles of motivational interviewing. Specifically,
this means expressing empathy and understanding the client’s situation, raising open
questions to get the client to name his personal goals, dealing flexibly with opposition, and
promoting self-efficacy through making (small) positive experiences possible.
Organizational, infrastructural, temporal, and material prerequisites
 Individual mentoring is possible in the school context. But there is limited time available for
individual attention outside the classroom door, as presence in the classroom is required.
3
Workshops at the FESET Conference in May 2012 in Marseille
“Key situations in social work as a bridge between theory and practice "(EN4), Prof. Regula Kunz & Prof. Dr. Eva Tov
" Social Theory of Learning and key situations in social work as a bridge between theory and practice" (EN5) Prof. Adi Stämpfli
Values knowledge
 Professional code of conduct, professional ethics: Safeguard the young person’s right to selfdetermination
 Mission of the organization: Relationship to the young person takes priority over material or
practical constraints
 Conception of human beings: There is good in every person (humanistic conception of human
beings); this should be found in every situation.
4. Quality standards with evaluation and alternative courses of action
Professionalism demands that situations are handled in accordance with certain quality standards.
The resources described above support achievement of the required quality. The standards are
formulated in a way that they are not so general that they depict general standards of the profession
but instead in a way that does justice to the demands of the particular key situation specifically and in
a differentiated manner.
Quality standards for the key situation “Enable positive experiences”:
 The client’s self-efficacy is strengthened.
 The client’s fear of failure is reduced.
 The emotions of the professional in interaction with the client are controlled, and the
necessary role distance was maintained.

The client was reminded of his own abilities and strengths (good experiences of the past
week, his own personal learning goals), and they were mobilized for handling the situation
(self-efficacy was increased).
On the basis of these quality standards, the described situation can be reflected upon and evaluated.
This might look like this, for example:
The young man in this situation is oriented towards failure (motivation theory). He himself does not
believe in the possibility of success owing to his own achievement (low self-efficacy). For this reason,
the intervention following a Behaviorist approach (reward = attention when desired behavior exhibited,
while at the same time ignoring undesired behavior) is likely to be useful for his intrinsic motivation. His
extrinsic motivation is promoted by the PSW’s clear communication. At the same time, with the puzzle
game, a small success is made possible (positive experience), which helps the further course along.
Role distance: The professional was not able to completely fulfill role distance, because he did not
have a clear understanding of the reason for his annoyance/anger (double mandate; the reason for his
anger was the institutional pressure to make this young man ready for school – not the situation itself).
Handling refusals to attend school are after all part of his daily work; the young man would not be in
the institution otherwise. The social worker could take the young man’s school refusal in a calm and
composed way, as a professional challenge and not as a disturbance. This he succeeds at more and
more throughout the course of the situation.
4