Annual of social work, Vol. 19 No. 2, 2012.
Original scientific paper
THE ROLE OF CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL WORK CONCEPTS IN DEALING WITH LEARNED HELPLESSNESS OF CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES
Nina Mešl
orcid.org/0000-0003-0814-8686
; Faculty of Social Work, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Tadeja Kodele
orcid.org/0000-0002-3917-3633
; Faculty of Social Work, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Gabi Čačinovič Vogrinčič
; Faculty of Social Work, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Abstract
Strategies for dealing with learned helplessness are a frequently discussed topic in working with children who have learning difficulties. The authors’ premise is that the role of a child in a learning process and the relationship established with him/her need to be redefined. The aim of this paper is to find some answers in contemporary social work concepts based on our theoretical understanding, relating to practical experiences and research findings in the project Co-creation of Learning and Help led by the Faculty of Social Work, which was a part of a research conducted with the Faculty of Education. A qualitative analysis of the action research shows that it is crucial to establish an individual working project of help with all who can participate in co-creating help and support for a child’s school success and within which children are active co-workers in all work phases in order to prevent learned helplessness. Social work also has an important role in school. A social worker, as one of the professionals in a school’s counseling service, can, when using contemporary concepts of help, contribute to school success as one of the main protective factors in a person’s life.
Keywords
school success; co-creative working relationship; action research; evaluation
Hrčak ID:
95515
URI
Publication date:
18.1.2013.
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