The Interview in Selection for Social Work Education

Abstract

SUMMARY This article reports the results of a study undertaken at Middlesex Polytechnic to evaluate the effectiveness of the interview in selection for social work education. In a two year period half the students were selected on the basis of their written applications alone. The other half were selected on the basis of their written applications and two interviews. There were no notable differences between the two groups with regard to age, degree class or social work experience. Nor were there any notable differences in their performance on the academic and fieldwork parts of the course. Thus, the interview was not a significant factor in selection. It did prove to be important in recruiting students to the course. The low wastage rate on degree and post-graduate social work courses, however, makes evaluation of any selection procedure problematic. In selecting students, colleges and universities which offer a professional education in social work use a range of individual and group interviews to arrive at admission decisions; indeed, the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work 'considers that normally an interview should be included as part of the selection procedures of a course which is seeking recognition'.1 In 1974 lecturers on the two year postgraduate diploma course in social work at Middlesex Polytechnic decided to evaluate their selection procedures with particular emphasis on the interview. A search of the British social work literature revealed that there were no publications on the subject although, when the present study was in progress, an article reporting on research at Birmingham University was published.2 Scrutiny of the North American literature was more fruitful for two reasons: several studies of selection procedures used on two year postgraduate courses had been published, and a marked similarity was found between the materials required of applicants in North America and the United Kingdom. These included a detailed application form, officially