ABSTRACT
The aim of this chapter is to analyze and understand, from the perspective of social work (SW) educators and students, how undergraduate education in the Czech Republic—which has traditionally been determined by accredited bodies and their educational profile of graduates—changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of the analysis show that the changes brought about by the COVID-19 period resulted in differences between the declared and actual educational profiles of graduates. In the area of knowledge transfer, interrelated tendencies emerged. In the case of groups of mobilized students and student-volunteers, “their own little theories about sub-aspects of social work” were created based on their experiences in the field. In the case of students isolated in their homes, teachers emphasized the application of collective ways of creating knowledge to alleviate students’ atomization. In terms of developing their skills and attitudes, groups of mobilized students and student-volunteers showed greater personal maturity and, as a rule, greater identification with the profession. Meanwhile, the students who were isolated in their homes did not feel like they belonged to the student community. The changing conditions created by COVID-19 disrupted the established system and led to a disconnect in values, and field training had to be adapted. The research results question whether meeting the current standards in SW education is sufficient for students to face the social challenges they will encounter in practice.
