Search results for ‘Subject term:"social work education"’ Sort:
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Attitudes, self-efficacy, and feasibility: exploring social work students’ perceptions of evidence-based practice
- Author:
- LIN Nancy X.Y.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 17(5), 2020, pp.538-557.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The literature on evidence-based practice (EBP) in social work indicates a complex relationship between practitioners’ attitudes, views on feasibility, and self-efficacy related to EBP implementation. Method: Qualitative interviews and a self-report questionnaire were completed with 8 social work students. A conceptual framework of their perceptions was developed through thematic analysis. Results: Participants reported mixed EBP attitudes, as both a practice “ideal”, but also oppressive, rigid, and dehumanizing. Low confidence regarding research skills affected participants’ self-efficacy. Resource constraints impacted feasibility through organizational culture and available practice-relevant research. Discussion: EBP misconceptions critically impacted educational practices, organizational culture, and practitioners’ attitudes. Comprehensive education mindful of professional identity may address misconceptions and enhance self-efficacy. EBP-enabling organizational change and practice-relevant research may alleviate resource constraints. Conclusion: Research should expand on how EBP attitudes and social work identity intersect, the impact of research skills on self-efficacy, and EBP barriers and facilitators in education and organizations. (Publisher abstract)
Generation Z undergraduate social work students’ knowledge of and attitudes toward older persons: implications for professional training
- Authors:
- GEYER Stephan, LOUW Liebie
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 63(1-2), 2020, pp.92-113.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Appropriate gerontological social work services are, amongst others, dependent on social workers’ knowledge of and attitudes toward older persons. The current cohort of students, known as Generation Z, are global citizens. This study determined and described South African undergraduate social work students’ knowledge of and attitudes toward older persons. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken with B Social Work students (N = 395) at two universities. Data collection included the three scales of Palmore’s First Facts of Aging Quiz in multiple-choice format (1996) and four scales of Fraboni’s Scale of Agism (1990). Age and five categorical factors were considered to determine their simultaneous impact on each of the seven scales/subscales of the two instruments by performing multi-way ANOVA models. An unexpected finding was that the factor ‘completed a course in gerontology’ did not have any impact on any scale. Year level of study, area of childhood residence and consideration to work exclusively with older persons after graduation simultaneously impacted respondents’ ‘overall attitude’ toward older persons. Two factors (i.e., year level of study and area of childhood residence) mutually impacted respondents’ ‘overall knowledge’ of aging. Recommendations for the training of Generation Z students are offered concerning course content and pedagogical interventions. (Publisher abstract)
Students' perceptions of using Twitter for learning in social work courses
- Authors:
- ANTHONY Becky, JEWELL Jennifer R.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Technology in Human Services, 35(1), 2017, pp.38-48.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Incorporating social media into social work education is on the rise. Yet little research exists on the outcomes of social media in the classroom. This article examines results from a study of students’ perceptions of utilising Twitter in which 198 undergraduate and graduate students from 15 social work courses participated from January 2015 to May 2016. Results suggest that Twitter can serve as a learning tool through resource sharing, current event awareness, and advocacy efforts and by facilitating the development of connections among students, professionals, and faculty members. Further discussion of these findings and implications for social work practice are provided. (Publisher abstract)
Does bachelor's-level social work education impact students' knowledge and attitudes regarding substance-abusing clients?
- Authors:
- SENREICH Evan, STRAUSSNER Shulamith Lala A.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 33(1), 2013, pp.87-103.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Social workers routinely encounter substance abusers in virtually all fields of practice. The purpose of this study was to learn about the preparation of social work students to work with substance abusers by comparing the substance abuse knowledge and attitudes toward working with this population between students entering bachelor’s-level social work programs in their junior year and graduating seniors. This study aimed to survey all students at 10 bachelor’s-level social work programmes in the Northeast who were beginning their junior year and graduating from their senior year. A total of 549 students, 301 beginning juniors and 248 graduating seniors, completed usable surveys. The findings showed that graduating seniors demonstrated modestly higher levels of knowledge and only slightly more positive attitudes toward working with this population. In a multivariate analysis, however, having taken a substance abuse course in college or training in settings outside of school improved students' attitudes in this regard. The students' ethnic/racial identity and personal exposure to substance abuse through family, close friends, or self also had a significant impact on their knowledge and attitudes. The findings show that more attention needs to be paid to serving substance abusers in the social work curriculum.
‘How do you feel about studying social work?’ Social work students in Greece: demands, support, feelings about their studies and attitudes towards themselves
- Authors:
- PAPADAKI Vasileia, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work Education (The International Journal), 31(7), 2012, pp.819-834.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This study investigated the nature and extent of the demands placed upon social work students during their studies; the support available to them inside and outside the course; their feelings about their work; and their attitudes towards themselves. Participants included 191 social work students from Crete and Athens. Findings revealed that demands from the course were rated higher than demands from financial, family and part-time work responsibilities. Support was obtained from friends, relatives and fellow students while, the lack of support from the course was emphasised. A large number of students often felt exhausted, due to obligations to the course such as essays. On the whole, however, students felt good about what they had accomplished so far and held positive attitudes towards themselves. The need for structured support resources offered within the educational institution was evident and recognised by more than half of the students. Students expressed no intention to quit their studies despite the demands placed upon them.
Impact of research orientation on attitudes toward research of social work students
- Authors:
- BOLIN Brien L., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Work Education, 48(2), 2012, pp.223-243.
- Publisher:
- Council on Social Work Education
Several studies have found that many social work students have negative beliefs and attitudes towards research, including feelings of anxiety. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between orientation to research and attitudes toward research among social work students. Orientation includes the students' beliefs regarding the importance of research, the usefulness of research, and its validity. Attitude includes the student's research anxiety and interest. A cross-sectional survey was administered in a school of social work in the Midwest. The survey was completed by 283 undergraduate and graduate social work students enrolled in classes from spring 2008 to spring 2009. The findings showed that belief in the importance of research increased the research interest of students. Belief in the usefulness of research decreased research anxiety and increased research interest. The findings can be used to help social work educators develop effective teaching strategies to overcome negative attitudes towards research. Strategies for enhancing a positive orientation and attitude toward research are proposed.
African American female faculty in predominantly white graduate schools of social work
- Authors:
- EDWARDS Janice Berry, CLARK Trenette T., BRYANT Shirley
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 32(1), January 2012, pp.90-107.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This study examined the experiences of African American female faculty in predominantly white schools of social work in the United States, and aimed to develop a better understanding of the challenges of these faculty members. The authors were specifically interested in identifying psychosocial factors that undergird the nature of the experiences of these women. A 59-item questionnaire was sent to 108 self-identified African American female faculty members, aged 33 to 74 years. Findings indicated that respondents reported moderate degrees of stress and moderate relational-cultural connections than their white peers. The special challenges of these women as outlined in the findings are discussed from the framework of Kanter's theory which suggests that the way an organisation operates is an integral component in how employees derive their attitudes and behaviours.
Analyzing the attitude of undergraduate students toward poverty and impoverished persons: does social work education make a difference?
- Authors:
- WEAVER Robert D., YUN Sung Hyun
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 31(1), January 2011, pp.3-20.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Poverty is an important issue within social work. Research has indicated that it increases risk in a range of areas relating to good functioning. This study examined the impact of undergraduate social work education on students' attitude toward poverty. Pre- and post-test data were collected from 166 university students enrolled in an undergraduate social work course in Canada that included a focus on poverty. At both stages of the study participants responded to a 37-item validated instrument designed to measure attitudes toward poverty and impoverished persons. Findings revealed that all the participants demonstrated a significantly more structural attitude toward poverty and impoverished persons at the post-test stage, suggesting that social work education influences students' poverty-related attitudes. The paper concludes with a discussion on the implications for social work practice.
Baccalaureate social work education: a developmental perspective
- Authors:
- MOSEK Atalia, BEN-OZ Miriam
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 31(1), January 2011, pp.89-109.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This paper examines the components of the social work curriculum and follows the process of socialisation by focusing on the student's perspective on a year-by-year basis. Data were collected from interviews with professors and field instructors and used as a case study of a 3-year bachelor of social work course in an Israeli social work college. A developmental perspective on the process of professional education indicated that students began their studies with an abundance of motivation, natural skills, and values. By the second year, they had enhanced their skills and reliance on use of self and knowledge. In their third year, they were both positively and negatively charged, with a stronger belief and confidence in their use of self and skills, but less sure of their knowledge and value base. Findings revealed that field instructors relied mainly on skills, but also on a firm value base and use of self, while professors used value, knowledge, and skills in similar proportions.
Interprofessional staff development: Changing attitudes and winning hearts and minds
- Authors:
- ANDERSON Elizabeth Susan, THORPE Lucy Nichola, HAMMICK Marilyn
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Interprofessional Care, 25(1), January 2011, pp.11-17.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
The authors believe that well trained and confident educators are essential in order to ensure positive and effective interprofessional learning (IPL). However, they suggest that some higher education educators may feel challenged by its demands because of negative attitudes towards colleagues from other professions and limited experience of interprofessional education (IPE). The authors set out to test the hypothesis that involvement in facilitating IPL will positively affect teaching staff’s attitudes to IPE. The attitudes of 13 English educators, unfamiliar with IPE, were compared before and after facilitating their first IPE. Their views, obtained as personal stories, were analysed using cognitive dissonance theory. Prior to teaching, all these first time IPL educators had concerns about IPE. Post-facilitation these views were less evident and there was no indication of any views becoming more negative as a result of participation in IPE. There was no correlation between educator attitude and gender, discipline, type of educator, or years of teaching experience. The limitations of the study are discussed in terms of sample size, the brief intervention and self reported perceptions.