Integrative learning through the interdisciplinary Social Law Clinic — learning experiences of law and social work students

ABSTRACT

This article examines an interdisciplinary clinical study module called the Social Law Clinic targeted for students of law and social work. The aim of this article was to review the pedagogy of the course from the students’ perspectives. The data consists of 29 learning reflections written by social work and law students who participated in the course during semesters between 2017 and 2019. The data was analysed using theory-driven content analysis. The theoretical framework of the study is the model of integrative pedagogy, according to which learning situations combine the essential elements of expertise: theoretical knowledge, practical knowledge, self-regulation skills and socio-cultural knowledge and learning occurs at three levels of human activity: the social, cognitive, and emotional level. According to our results, learning of conceptual knowledge was described by the students especially as being related to a less familiar discipline and inter-professionalism. Learning in practical knowledge and self-regulation skills was reported, both in terms of one’s own professional field and identity as well as inter-professionalism and client work. Socio-cultural knowledge not only in one’s own discipline but also in another one was also described.

KEYWORDS:

• Collaboration
• higher education
• integration of learning
• inter-disciplinary learning
• inter-professional perspectives
• law
• practice learning
• qualitative methods

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).