How has COVID-19 affected mentoring in social work practice teaching?

This article is based on the premise that the Covid-19 pandemic represents an unprecedented experience in contemporary social work education, and that it presents unique challenges to all involved in practice teaching and require a comprehensive understanding of what has been termed as 'New Normal'. The results of a survey conducted in Slovenia are presented regarding the course of practice teaching before and during the Covid-19 epidemic, the provision of mentoring support in normal and emergency situations, and the challenges of mentoring in times of changed circumstances. The findings indicated that the Covid-19 pandemic impacted the practice teaching of social work students in terms of both the content and nature of mentoring, and that the students were less satisfied with their practice teaching than they were in the pre-Covid-19 era. Nonetheless, one promising finding was that mentors supported students in an adaptive manner; therefore, the students were consequently able to acquire the necessary practical skills.