Coen, Pierre-François

Construction of the professional identity of social workers in schools - 2023.


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The increase in socio-educational problems has led the school authorities in the canton of Fribourg (Switzerland) to promote a law that formally institutes the presence of social workers in compulsory-education schools. This article describes their profile, examines their responsibilities, their activities, and the relationships they have with actors inside and outside schools. The data collected are analyzed in the light of Donnay and Charlier’s (2008) model of professional identity and highlight the diversity of profiles, contexts, and situations in which these professionals are involved. They underline the need to see social workers as people who are able to adjust to the diversity of needs around them.