Improving Teaching: Training Program for Social Work Adjuncts

Abstract

The use of adjunct instructors has increased dramatically across the United States in recent years. Undergraduate social work programs also have seen this increase and have begun to rely more on adjunct faculty members. These social work practitioners have a good deal to offer to BSW students because these adjuncts can share real-life examples from their practice in class with students. They also can bring diversity into the classroom, including diversity of practice areas. However, not all social workers have the training to be effective teachers in the classroom at the undergraduate level. To ensure quality teaching by adjunct instructors, this article offers a model for adjunct training that has been quite successful in one school of social work. This article offers details as to the format and content of the training and some data on its effectiveness.