Abstract
Social work students are often anxious, apathetic, or resistant to learning research knowledge and skills. They may view research courses as irrelevant and disconnected from social work practice. Studies suggest that service-learning improves learning outcomes in social work research courses, but less is known about the processes through which these outcomes are achieved. This study explored the perceptions of 70 Masters-level social work students enrolled in an advanced research course that included a pro bono program evaluation of a shelter serving homeless men. Content analysis of students’ narratives revealed three main themes. First, students perceived that they had changed their thinking about homelessness in positive ways. Second, students made connections between their research experience and the social work curriculum. Finally, an unanticipated theme of curriculum integration emerged. Critical reflection about a meaningful experience—an integral aspect of service-learning—supported students in developing metacognitive insight. This helped students to develop and apply social work research skills. The service-learning project supported students’ mastery of other social work competencies and improved their integrated practice abilities. Because this approach is effective in helping students to embrace research and integrate it with social work practice, application and evaluation of service-learning are recommended for social work education.
Highlights
Background for the Current StudyIt has been established that social work students often begin research courses with trepidation, viewing research as something unpleasant that must be endured in order to graduate rather than as a way to understand, develop, and/or apply evidence-based practice (Steinberg & Vinjamuri, 2014)
Through narrative analysis of themes identified in students’ written reflections on their service-learning experience, the present study aimed to provide insight into the meaning students made of the project and their perceptions of how this adult learning experience connected to their mastery of social work skills
Students who participated in a graduate-level research course with a service-learning project as the primary teaching-learning experience described learning outcomes in many domains that extended beyond the traditional, bounded content of social work research courses
Summary
Background for the Current StudyIt has been established that social work students often begin research courses with trepidation, viewing research as something unpleasant that must be endured in order to graduate rather than as a way to understand, develop, and/or apply evidence-based practice (Steinberg & Vinjamuri, 2014). Applying adult-learning principles helps learners make meaning of practice-based research by integrating knowledge and skills (Daley, 2001; Layne et al, 2009; Otto, Polutta, & Ziegler, 2009). In designing the advanced social work research course described here, the instructors adapted Layne et al.’s (2009) learning principles for research-informed practice to the process of learning to conduct practiceinformed research. The curriculum for this required MSW-level, concentration year class featured a service-learning component involving community-based practice (a pro bono applied research/program evaluation project for a local non-profit agency). Students in classes offered during four consecutive years worked in task-focused small groups on courserelated activities that emphasized adult learning principles. Course topics included: (a) ethical issues in program evaluation, (b) using logic models to describe programs and their theory of change, (c) needs/assets assessment and formative/process evaluation, (d) client satisfaction and cost effectiveness, (e) qualitative/mixed methods, (f) measurement tools and strategies, (g) inferential statistics, (h) data analysis and interpretation, and (i) writing and presenting evaluation reports
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