Sociometry, Psychodrama, and Experiential Teaching in Social Work Education and Supervision

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter is devoted to the use of Moreno’s methods within education and supervision contexts to prepare the next generation of competent social work practitioners. The history and current state of Moreno’s methods in US and international academia is outlined, along with limitations to embedding psychodrama within university settings. Social work education’s history of experiential education is described with its relevance to sociometry and psychodrama as experiential teaching tools. Research on the effectiveness of experiential teaching and role-play in the classroom is offered and the importance of supervision in social work and psychodrama is highlighted. Examples and structured prompts are provided with a focus on using experiential sociometry processes (spectrograms, locograms, floor checks, step-in sociometry, hands-on-shoulder sociograms, and the circle of strengths) to enhance the learning experience of social work students, interns, and supervisees in various settings. Vignettes are also included which depict the use of written sociometric processes and psychodramatic role-plays within supervision or mentorship contexts.