Social Work Faculty's Knowledge of Aging: Results from a National Sample

Social work students have reported in previous studies that they receive insufficient coursework and training to work effectively with older adults. A critical factor in these deficiencies may be the level of knowledge of social work faculty. This study sought to assess social work faculty's knowledge of aging using the Knowledge of Aging for Social Workers (KASW) quiz. Using systematic random sampling, schools of social work in the United States were selected, and individual faculty members were invited by e-mail to participate in an online survey. Results show that social work faculty's (N = 609) knowledge about aging was found to be either less or comparable to other study populations. Knowledge levels were related to having an interest in policy, educational level, teaching aging courses on a regular basis, and confidence level in covering aging content. This study is the first to investigate social work faculty knowledge about aging and older adults. It may offer insight as to faculty competencies, which can have direct implications for student learning and interest in gerontology.     

高校“网格化”社会工作实务教学模式初探

社会工作在我国属于新兴学科,自开始招生至今仅20余年。这期间,社会工作教育者们从未停止对社会工作实务教学的探索,但至今依然是教学难点,社会工作的教师身兼督导和教学双重任务往往会顾此失彼。基于此,找到一个适合于目前社会工作实务教学的场所和模式便十分重要。本文将高校作为社会工作实务教学的场所,社会工作专业学生的实务课程在教师的指导下展开,提供适当的社会工作服务以解决学生群体中存在的诸多问题,同时实现实务教学的要求。在高校实施社会工作实务教学,＂网格化＂是一种比较理想的模式。     

探究高校社会工作实验室的充分利用——以内蒙古高校为例

社会工作实验室对社会工作专业的学生进行专业知识的学习有着非常重要的意义,但目前全国建立社会工作实验室的高校在教学使用和管理上都存在一些问题,导致高校社会工作实验室的低利用率。采取加强培训、开设相关课程、开放社工实验室、建立服务站等措施,可有效提高社会工作实验室的利用率。     

Teaching Inferential Statistics to Social Work Students: A Decision-making Flow Chart

Given that social work research courses are typically built on modernist principles of teaching and content, it is not surprising that the majority of social work students dread these courses. Few attempts have been made to better align the modernist content of quantitative research with the postmodern philosophy and values inherent in current social work. This article presents a decision-making flow chart in conjunction with a problem-based learning framework so that students can be self-directed in the process of determining which inferential statistic to use when given a case example.     

SOCIAL WORK DIALOGUES: TRANSFORMING THE CANON IN INQUIRY,PRACTICE, AND EDUCATION

Social work educators require textbooks and other teaching materials that can be used in research courses to enhance student learning. Likewise, social work practitioners require resource books that can be used to enhance practice. This article provides an essay review of four recently published books representing diverse viewpoints on social work research, and discusses these books in the context of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) 2008 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics. The major aims, content, and scope of each book are reviewed as well as suggestions for their use in undergraduate or graduate courses, or as a resource for social work practitioners.     

Improving the Research Climate in Social Work Curricula

Abstract

Research courses are associated with performance anxiety and educational insecurity for many social work students. This paper makes the case that student anxiety associated with research courses is rooted in the history of the social work profession, and this history sheds light on the present day climate of research in social work education. The authors suggest that improvement to the research climate in social work education requires an “institutional” response. To that end, this paper describes a committee process that resulted in changes to one school's curriculum policy by revamping student learning objectives for a sequence of five research courses that spanned BSW and MSW programs. The committee produced a continuum of student learning expectations based on Bloom's taxonomy, which represents a logical progression of knowledge and skill competencies as students advance through their course work.     

Enhancing Critical Reflection and Writing Skills in the HBSE Classroom and Beyond

Human Behavior in the Social Environment (HBSE) is an ideal location in which graduate social work students can enhance their critical reflection and writing skills while integrating social work theories with practice, research, and policy. A writing-intensive, learner-centered model using specific strategies is described via a framework of critical pedagogy. In addition to its application within HBSE, this model can be adapted across the social work curriculum. The article is situated within ongoing debates concerning the relevance of social constructionism and postmodernism to social work.     

Social work learning spaces: the Social Work Studio

This paper explores the contribution of a physical learning space to student engagement in social work education. Drawing on a constructivist methodology, this paper examines the findings of a survey conducted with students and staff in a social work and human service programme about their experiences of a Social Work Studio learning space. The analysis identified that students and staff who used the Studio reported that students were emotionally, cognitively and behaviourally engaged in the space, which enriched their development as social work and human service practitioners. The researchers concluded that the Social Work Studio is a useful tool for enhancing social work student engagement and increasing their confidence to address the ‘real-life’ challenges they may face as social work practitioners.     

Sound Bites,Spin and Social Change

Abstract

The news media is an essential player in the policy making process. Social work students learning how to scrutinize, and influence, the complex world of social policy can benefit from an educational model that incorporates the media. This article first examines the theoretical framework for understanding the media's role in public policy formation. This framework is then used to construct a classroom exercise for analyzing the public discourse using basic content analysis of media texts. A case example drawn from a study of welfare reform and the media is described. By exploring how social problems are translated into public conversations, students can enrich their knowledge of social problem formation, and learn more effective rhetorical techniques and strategies for influencing the public debate.     

Distance Education

Abstract

Social work educators are increasingly using advanced information technologies in their distance education programs. Despite the widespread use of distance learning in social work education, there is limited information available regarding the effectiveness of courses, particularly practice courses, that use these technologies or the experiences of the students and instructors who are helping to pioneer these technological initiatives. This article presents reflections from students from two MSW practice classes linked together through interactive TV, also known as compressed video. The authors, who were course instructors using this technology, present their reflections on the process and make recommendations for future distance learning courses.     

Exploring Baccalaureate Social Work Students' Self-Efficacy: Did it Change over Time?

This study explored baccalaureate social work students' self-efficacy at a rural southern university. Bandura's concept of self-efficacy is used as a theoretical base for the study. Students (N = 43) in introductory social work courses and in the field practicum course completed the Foundation Practice Self Efficacy Scale. Following The Council on Social Work Educations 2008 Council on Social Work Education. (2008). Educational policy and accreditation standards handbook. http//www.cswe.org/Accreditation/Handbook/Ovierview14745.aspx#chaper14753 (http://http//www.cswe.org/Accreditation/Handbook/Ovierview14745.aspx#chaper14753)  [Google Scholar] Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards, which recognizes field education as the signature pedagogy of social work education, field students were hypothesized to have higher levels of self-reported self-efficacy than entry-level students. Results suggest that senior level students were more confident in their abilities to practice social work than those students enrolled in an introductory social work course. Implications of this research for social work education are discussed, including the value of using self-efficacy scales in evaluating social work educational program outcomes.     

社会工作介入我国反贫困实践的空间与途径

社会工作能够在扶贫中发挥重要作用.我国目前的扶贫没有脱离传统的救济式扶贫政策的影响.克服扶贫政策的缺陷与不足,需要专业社会工作的介入.社会工作的介入,是修正与弥合扶贫政策不足、提升扶贫对象能力的重要举措.本文分析了社会工作在扶贫中的重要作用,探讨了社会工作在扶贫领域的介入空间与介入途径.     

Social Work and Law Interdisciplinary Service Learning: Increasing Future Lawyers’ Interpersonal Skills

Social workers and attorneys both interact with persons from diverse backgrounds every day, yet although interpersonal skills are an essential focus of social work education, these skills are not addressed in legal education. Interdisciplinary courses in which social workers and lawyers learn interpersonal skills together and have an opportunity to practice them through service learning opportunities are a way to remedy a gap in legal education. The authors describe a project recently piloted at a large midwestern university in which law and graduate social work students participated in an interdisciplinary course with a service learning component requiring students to work together on cases. As one component of the clinic’s assessment, all students were pre- and posttested via an interpersonal skills survey. The law students showed statistically significant improvement in interpersonal skills at the end of the course. The results indicate a need for increased support for interdisciplinary education, specifically partnerships between the professions of law and social work.     

关于体育课程设置方向的现状分析

本文对民族职业技术学院学生的体育基础等进行了调查分析,提出了民族职业技术学院体育课程的设置方向,为更好地指导民族职业技术学院体育教学提供了理论上的依据.民族职业技术院校的体育是学校体育的重要部分,它的改革必须适应当今社会对人才需求及职业的要求,培养出能够指导学生锻炼身体以促进学生德、智、体全面发展的高技能实用性人才.本文旨在通过对学生体育情况的调查,了解目前民族职业技术学院体育的现状及学生要求,为改革职业技术学院体育课程设置及其内容提供参考.     

Teaching Social Welfare History and Social Welfare Policy From a Conflict Perspective

In schools of social work, policy courses are frequently taught assuming debates occur along a liberal–conservative ideological continuum in which liberals favor equitable distribution of societal benefits and burdens, whereas conservatives emphasize individual political and property rights and personal responsibility. This dichotomous approach often results in conflict being situated primarily outside the classroom and profession while ignoring contentious debates that have occurred within social work. The authors argue for reconceptualizing policy courses to provide an historical conflict-based approach and include specific suggestions for course design. This approach will better train students with critical skills and prepare them for future practice.     

Approaching Parental Guilt,Shame, and Blame in a Helping Relationship: Multiple Methods for Teaching and Learning

ABSTRACT

Social workers often feel ill-prepared to effectively engage parents in conversations about guilt, shame, and blame related to their children’s mental health or substance use challenges. To address that problem, we suggest that specific content should be integrated into social work courses to teach students how to acknowledge and sensitively manage these issues in their practice with families across cultures and family forms. Content, activities, and assignments are offered, built around three learning strategies (enhanced lecture, case-based learning, and experiential learning) to help students build therapeutic relationships based on a deep appreciation of parents’ emotional experiences.     

Infusing Content About Discharging Legal Responsibilities into Social Work Practice Classes

ABSTRACT

In social work education, legal content may be best conveyed through infusion, rather than specialized law/social work courses. Infusion will occur differently in each social work education sequence (practice, human behavior, policy, and research). When infusing content about discharge of legal responsibilities into a practice class, the instructor should choose a common legal topic, and teach the relevant knowledge and skills. As the instructor generalizes from the topic presented, students learn that most legal topics affect practice in a complex manner. The example of legally mandated child maltreatment reporting is used to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and teaching methods. Implications are presented for social work literature, and for contact between social work faculty and field instructors.     

Engaging Students in Macro Issues Through Community-Based Learning

Abstract

This paper describes the revision of a curriculum that was initiated to engage and sustain students' interest in the macro dimension of social work practice. Specifically, we describe how two junior policy courses, a seniormacro practice course, and a research methods course were revised to include a service learning approach. This article provides a review of the literature and focuses on the development of service learning in two social work courses. Results of subsequent research are discussed, indicating service learning provides successful opportunities to engage students in macro social work practice.     

Using a Social Work Professor's Autobiography as a Teaching Tool in Human Behavior and the Social Environment

Abstract

Social work, like other disciplines, has long used case studies as a (1) methodological approach to communicating a body of knowledge, and (2) as a tangible means to acquaint students with archetypical applications of realistic conditions. In social work, one required course sequence enhanced by case study assessments is Human Behavior and the Social Environment (HBSE). This paper describes the author's use of another social work professor's controversial and sensitive autobiography, To Ascend into the Shining World Againto instruct graduate students in HBSE courses. In his non-fictional account, the social work professor recalls the time when, during his own youth, he killed a teenager in 1967. The author recounts the way in which she incorporated the professor's story as a focus for analysis at The Ohio State University and how it was similarly examined in a course at the University of Louisville.