The Crucial Role of Social Workers in Supporting Students' Well-Being and Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26418/j-psh.v16i2.93454Keywords:
Educational inequality, Mental health support, School social workers, Student advocacy, Student well-beingAbstract
School social workers in Indonesia play a pivotal role in improving students’ emotional, mental, and social well-being. This literature review identifies four major functions: (1) providing counseling and mental health support that enhance academic engagement and resilience; (2) advocating for disadvantaged students by facilitating access to aid programs such as PKH and KIP; (3) collaborating with teachers to implement early detection and anti-bullying programs that reduce behavioral problems; and (4) assisting students from low-income families in accessing social welfare services to prevent school dropout. The review reveals that schools with active social work programs report fewer disciplinary cases and higher learning motivation. However, critical barriers persist, including a severe shortage of trained personnel, unequal access to mental health services in rural areas, and limited institutional recognition of social workers’ professional roles. These findings highlight the urgent need for policy reform, expansion of the social work workforce, and stronger intersectoral collaboration. Strengthening these aspects will help create an equitable and supportive school environment that fosters both academic success and holistic student well-being.References
Alotaibi, S., Mohamad, J., Saim, E., & Alotaibi, A. (2020). Challenges facing school social workers in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science, 10(12), 2222–6990. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v10-i12/8280
Bent-Goodley, T. B. (2018). Social workers: An important piece of the puzzle to prevent and respond to school violence. Social Work, 63(1). https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swy030
de Sivatte, I., & Gabaldón, P. (2023). The role of financial aid in college performance: The importance of class attendance, aid amount and type of aid. In Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd’23) (pp. 1–10). Universitat Politècnica de València.
Green, J. G., Keenan, J. K., Guzmán Piña, J., & Comer, J. (2017). Teacher perspectives on indicators of adolescent social and emotional problems. Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 2(2), 104–118. https://doi.org/10.1080/23794925.2017.1313099
Green, R. (2003). Social work in rural areas: A personal and professional challenge. Australian Social Work, 56(3), 209–219. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.0312-407x.2003.00082.x
Isaksson, C., & Sjöström, S. (2016). Looking for ‘social work’ in school social work. European Journal of Social Work, 20(2), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2016.1188775
Jayanti, M. I., & Umar, U. (2024). Peningkatan kompetensi guru dalam menyusun program yang berdampak pada murid. Taroa, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.52266/taroa.v3i2.3235
Kelly, M. S., & Massat, C. R. (2020). Education, training, case, and cause: A descriptive study of school social work. Children & Schools, 42(2), 99–109. https://doi.org/10.1093/cs/cdaa003
Kumari, P., & Srivastava, A. (2023). Challenges and issues of integrating information and communication technologies in higher education in rural areas: A review. International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research, 5(6), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2023.v05i06.8195
Lambert, S. (2019). The Siyavula case: Digital, collaborative textbook authoring to address educational disadvantage and resource shortage in South African schools. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 11(3), 279–290. https://doi.org/10.26822/iejee.2019349252
Mayer, M. J., Nickerson, A., & Jimerson, S. R. (2021). Preventing school violence and promoting school safety: Contemporary scholarship advancing science, practice, and policy. School Psychology Review, 50(3), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/2372966X.2021.1949933
Naredia, S. P., & Supriyanto, S. (2024). Internalization of community empowerment high value in MSI community. Jurnal Pendidikan Sosiologi dan Humaniora, 15(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.26418/j-psh.v15i1.76174
Nichols, L. M., Goforth, A. N., Sacra, M., & Ahlers, K. (2018). Collaboration to support rural student social-emotional needs. The Rural Educator, 38(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.35608/ruraled.v38i1.234
Scherf, E. da L. (2021). Challenges in making school social work a reality in Brazilian schools. International Social Work. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/00208728211031965
Shankland, R., Haag, P., Tessier, D., Buchs, C., El-Jor, C., & Mazza, S. (2024). Review of the effects of social and emotional learning on mental health and academic outcomes: The role of teacher training and supportive interactions. Journal of Epidemiology and Population Health, 72(3), 202750. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeph.2024.202750
Sibise, K., & Mathebula, W. N. (2023). Assessing the imperative for school social workers: Insights from principals and circuit managers in Mankweng circuit, South Africa. International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science, 12(9), 405–415. https://doi.org/10.20525/ijrbs.v12i9.2982
Sinaga, M. A., & Ritonga, F. U. (2023). Meningkatkan pengembangan diri melalui kecerdasan emosional dan manajemen diri pada anak sekolah. Educational Journal of Islamic Management, 3(1), 28–36. https://doi.org/10.47709/ejim.v3i1.2417
Slaten, C. D., Lee, J., Wachter-Morris, C., Williams, M. S., & Huynh, J. (2024). School counselors in the classroom: A systematic review. Journal of Counseling and Development, 102(3), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12522
Solechah, S. (2020). Penanganan anak putus sekolah perspektif pekerjaan sosial. Penerbit Samudra Biru. ISBN 978-623-261-125-2
Solehuddin, M., Budimansyah, D., & Dahliyana, A. (2024). Tracing Pancasila: Unveiling the impact of the Pancasila student profile strengthening project on student well-being in Indonesia. Jurnal Cakrawala Pendidikan, 43(3). https://doi.org/10.21831/cp.v43i3.78328
Verma, B., & Giri, S. (2024). A critical study on the importance of school volunteering and social work to increase academic success. International Journal of Advanced Research, 12(5), Article 18726. https://doi.org/10.21474/IJAR01/18726
Winarso, W. (2023, February 20). Overcoming challenges on learning barriers psychological student in class: An Indonesian context. SSRN. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4363641
Wiryawan, I. W. G. (2022). The protection of social workers in the perspective of the principles of humanity and justice. International Journal of Law Reconstruction, 6(2). http://dx.doi.org/10.26532/ijlr.v6i2.24686
Yesuraja, I. M., & Jose, S. (2020). Challenges in school social work. Studies in Indian Place Names, 40(72)
Zahid, R. A. (2024). Bullying prevention strategies through the foster guardian program in pesantren. Intelektual: Jurnal Pendidikan dan Studi Keislaman, 14(2), 281–292. https://doi.org/10.33367/ji.v14i2.5923
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Chriestine Lucia Mamuaya
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
