Ranking Desirable Field Instructor Characteristics: Viewing Student Preferences in Context with Field and Class Experience

Although research on what students consider desirable in field instructors is extensive, little of it focuses on the relative weight students assign to each of their preferences or the context within which student preferences emerge. This article reports the survey findings from a case study that asked BSW graduates to rank the desirable characteristics of field instructors, and then provides supporting interview data that describe their experiences with the six most highly rated items. The social worker scale received the highest mean compared with the teacher and person scales, respectively. Specifically, “availability” ranked highest followed by four items on the social worker scale. In aggregate, the data suggest that students expect their instructors to be role models and learn much about professional behavior by observing it negatively enacted. Implications for research and field education are discussed.