Rate My Professor Jane Cowie

Dr Jane Cowie is a lecturer in the Bachelor of Social Work Program at Adelaide University, affiliated with the School of Social Work and Social Care in the College of Education, Behavioural and Social Sciences. Since 2006, she has held multiple positions in a range of roles within the program at the University of South Australia, now part of Adelaide University. Prior to her academic career, Cowie worked as a social work practitioner until 2014, with experience in domestic violence services, youth homelessness initiatives, general counselling, and school counselling. She holds a PhD and BSW (Hons) from the University of South Australia. Her PhD thesis examined the aspirations, plans, expectations, and experiences of youth from regional and remote areas during school-to-post-school transitions.

Cowie's research specializations include youth transitions and aspirations, particularly for young people from regional and remote areas, as well as scholarship of learning and teaching, such as managing emotion in practice-based learning classrooms and building research capacity for regional practitioners. Key publications include journal articles: Yu, N., Zufferey, C., Horsell, C., Cowie, J., & Le, T. M. (2025). Use of Actors in Simulations for Social Work Education: A Scoping Review, Research on Social Work Practice; Zufferey, C., Cowie, J., & McCubbin, P. (2022). Teaching about homelessness in social work: integrating theory and practice, Parity; Hudson, C., Goel, K., & Cowie, J. (2021). Making continuing professional development relevant and accessible in regional social work, Australian Social Work; Cowie, J., & Summers, R. (2020). At the heart of social work: Best practice for managing emotion in the technology-enhanced, practice-based learning classroom, Advances in Social Work and Welfare Education; Goel, K., Hudson, C., & Cowie, J. (2018). Building research capacity for social work practitioners: a regional perspective, Social Work Education. Book chapters: Cowie, J. (2025). Similar but Different: an Icebreaker Activity that Introduces Core Social Work Values and Principles; Zufferey, C., Cowie, J., & Horsell, C. (2025). Using a complex case study to develop student skills and confidence in a social work studio space; both in M. Hudson (Ed.), Tutorial Ideas for Educators on The Run; and Cowie, J. (2017). Acting and responding, in K. Crinall & L. Berends (Eds.), Community and human services: concepts for practice. She teaches courses including Group Work (BEHL 2009), Human Service Provision (WELF 1014), Interviewing Skills in Social Work and Human Services (WELF 2020), and Advanced Social Work Theory and Practice (WELF 3030).