Karene-Anne Nathaniel is a social work educator with over 11 years teaching experience at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels at The University of West Indies, St. Augustine Campus. Her areas of specialization are critical thinking and professional socialization, and macro-practice interventions with communities and social work management and administration. She has also taught on the Post Graduate programme in Mediation Studies. She is committed to innovative and interactive pedagogies for professional education in the helping professions.
Dr. Nathaniel created the in-house modality for the first-year social work practicum using methods informed by the reality-based learning, constructivist classroom and the pedagogy of hope. She has also led World Social work Day projects on the University Campus through which students have been able to enhance their critical thinking, social consciousness and advocacy skills by raising awareness to the lived experiences of social work populations.
Her PhD research deconstructed understandings of ‘readiness’ for social work practice from the perspectives of multiple shareholders in social work education and practice, including students, in an attempt to bridge the gap between classroom education and direct practice needs and opportunities. She is also an experienced and skilled trainer using interactive adult learning methods to engage participants self-awareness and behaviour change. Additionally, she is involved in outreach activities in the interest of families and youth at risk including children and families affected by incarceration, the juvenile court project and the impact of rehabilitative initiatives on youth in detention centres which include the needs of staff. She has also been involved in training activities with the police service in customer service, team building and youth leadership.
