Doctoral Social Work Education Research Articles

“I Am My Family’s Caregiver and Social Worker”: Experiences of Doctoral Student Moms During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Doctoral student mothers faced unique challenges navigating school, work, and parenting responsibilities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The pressure to keep up with academic benchmarks and productivity standards, alongside social isolation and disruptions to caregiving supports, can impact parenting students’ well-being and progression through a doctoral program. This exploratory study examined doctoral student moms’ (N = 87) perceptions of their roles, challenges, and sources of relational support during the pandemic. An electronic survey was distributed to doctoral students enrolled in U.S. member institutions of the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work (GADE) during November and December 2020. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze open-ended responses about parenting experiences, changes to doctoral work and degree progress, sources of instrumental and emotional support, and peer and mentor relationships. Shame resilience theory was used as a guiding framework through which findings were interpreted. Findings revealed challenges related to role-juggling, feeling emotionally and physically overwhelmed, struggles with professional advancement, social isolation, and disrupted supports. Relational supports were offered primarily by partners and/or household family, friends and extended family, doctoral student peers, and doctoral advisors/mentors. Implications for doctoral programs are discussed. A series of programmatic, structural, and policy recommendations are offered, which are designed to increase maternal visibility in doctoral programs and build a more robust and systematic approach to academic parenting support.

Current Landscape of Doctoral Education in Social Work: A Look at the PhD and DSW Programs

ABSTRACT The 2020 GADE Director Survey aimed to understand program and student characteristics, support for students, curriculum focus and design, and students’ job search support and outcomes in PhD and DSW programs. In general, PhD programs focus on building students’ research capacities, including interdisciplinary research and leadership in higher education and research-oriented organizations, whereas DSW programs prepare students to contribute in the areas of clinical expertise, leadership in non-academic settings, and advancing social work practice at multiple levels. The program structure, curricula and graduation requirements are organized according to the distinct emphasis of each type of program. These findings have significant implications for doctoral programs as they navigate their strategic directions in the changing landscape of doctoral social work education.

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE OF TRAINING DOCTORS OF PHILOSOPHY IN SOCIAL WORK

The article analyzes the international experience of training doctors of philosophy in social work.The author analyzed the models of training and certification of scientific personnel in different countries of the world (Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Poland).The activity of international structures, professional communities on the popularization of scientific and methodical experience, theory and practice of doctoral education is characterized (European University Association, Council for Doctoral Education, Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work, The International Association Of Schools Of Social Work, Realising the potential of researchers). Among the tasks of the activities of the above and other international structures, institutionalized global professional communities (associations, organizations, programs, etc.) is the coordination of activities related to the development of social work education: development of standards to improve the quality of education; organizing and holding forums for exchange of research; popularization of scientific and methodological experience, theory and practice of doctoral education in social work.An analysis of the state of using the experience of foreign programs in the training of doctors of philosophy in social work in Ukraine was carried out. In order to generalize the level of use of foreign experience in the training of doctors of philosophy in Ukraine, the state of taking into account the experience of foreign programs during the formulation of goals and program results of training in domestic educational and scientific programs in social work was analyzed. The main source is information on the self-assessment of the ONP from the specialty 231 Social work, formed by higher education institutions, by scientific institutions during the accreditation of educational and scientific programs by the National Agency for Quality Assurance of Higher Education.

The state of doctoral social work education in Canada

ABSTRACT Doctoral education in social work is critical in nurturing the stewards of the discipline. Universities across Canada, and elsewhere, are increasing admissions for bachelor and master of social work programs. Consequently, doctoral social work programs are expanding to educate and train new social work faculty. Extant literature on doctoral social work education is predominantly American. There are fourteen Canadian doctoral social work programs, yet no study has observed the state of these programs. Using two data sources, this article provides a snapshot of PhD social work student experiences in 2019–2020. The analysis of all doctoral social work students (n = 157) from the 2019 Canadian Graduate and Professional Student Survey (CGPSS) found that: a) the overall quality of social work PhD programs in Canada was rated by students as moderate; and b) financial obstacles may be an undue barrier to academic success. Furthermore, the analysis of an online survey of Canadian social work PhD students (n = 69) regarding their experience applying for doctoral fellowships and scholarships found that workshops significantly facilitated scholarship success, and that other institutional preparation activities were identified as valuable. These findings illuminate the current state of doctoral social work education in Canada with implications for research and education.

Student and Faculty Perceptions of Social Work Doctoral Mentoring: Navigating Academic, Non-academic and Diversity & Inclusion Issues

ABSTRACT Purpose The Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work (GADE) conducted an online survey of faculty and students in social work doctoral programs to explore and compare their perspectives on students’ academic and non-academic needs and stressors, diversity and inclusion issues, and helpful mentoring practices. Method The study collected data via Qualtrics from 183 doctoral students and 129 faculty members using a cross-sectional survey, and conducted descriptive statistics and tests comparing student and faculty responses. Results Students were generally somewhat satisfied with their mentoring and students and faculty shared similar perceptions overall, though there were notable differences regarding perceptions of financial stress, nonacademic support, and interdisciplinary opportunities. Students generally felt safe and welcome in their programs, although 40% reported witnessing or experiencing discrimination in their doctoral program. Discussion and Conclusion The findings highlight mentoring trends and practices, challenges faced in mentoring, and areas warranting additional attention.

A Study of PhD Courses and Curricula Across Schools of Social Work

Objectives This study explored courses offered by social work PhD programs, the variation in these courses by type of university, and how the courses compare to the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work (GADE) Quality Guidelines. Study Methods Course curriculums of 84 GADE-affiliated social work PhD programs were double-blind coded. PhD directors verified codes and answered a brief survey. Findings A total of 1146 courses were coded into 28 categories. An average of six research and statistics courses were offered per program. Few programs offered courses in measurement, intervention research, meta-analysis, program evaluation, or grant writing. Most programs indicated that diversity, equity, and inclusion was infused in the curriculum. Less than half (41%) of PhD program directors indicated that GADE Quality Guidelines were influential. Conclusions PhD programs are offering more research and statistics courses than in the past, but GADE Quality Guidelines are not consistently followed.

Uso del inglés en programas de Doctorado en Trabajo Social en Estados Unidos. Un estudio de caso ilustrativo de la hegemonía idiomática

This study reviews the experiences of non-native English-speaking students in Doctoral Social Work Education in the United States. The research, through a qualitative case study, interrogates regarding the centrality of English in education processes, and generates recommendations for improving them. Findings show that English can play a hegemonic role in Social Work Education and that some educators can exert discrimination based on language proficiency. Among recommendations are the need to promote reflexivity to contribute that educators reconnect with discipline principles as well as review the way their power is exerted in the classroom.

Honoring liminality: teaching critical and race-gendered approaches in doctoral social work education

ABSTRACT This theoretical paper adds to the scholarship of teaching and learning, by explicating the shared experiences of one doctoral student and two full-time faculty members related to liminality as a guiding pedagogy for doctoral social work education. It uses liminality to explore the unique space that first and second year doctoral students occupy as a justification for critical and race-gendered approaches that inform teaching doctoral level contemporary theory and social work practice. Recognizing, acknowledging and supporting beginning doctoral students’ liminal identity with critical and race-gendered teaching approaches is in keeping with social work ethics. This pedagogy may ultimately lead to increased doctoral student retention, as well as fostering more liberating approaches to knowledge generation.

Social Work Doctoral Student Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Descriptive Study

Aim/Purpose: This descriptive study examines indicators of well-being and sources of emotional connection for social work doctoral students at American institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic, including symptoms of depression, anxiety, work-related burnout, emotional connection to others, and changes in child care among parent respondents. This study also explores if particular groups of doctoral students experience heightened risks to well-being during the pandemic. Background: Social isolation strategies associated with the COVID-19 pandemic present challenges for doctoral student well-being, mental health, professional relationships, and degree persistence. Of particular concern is the potentially disproportionate impact the pandemic may have on the well-being of students who already face additional barriers to degree completion, such as parents and caregivers, as well as those who face obstacles associated with structural oppression, including persons of color, women, and sexual minority (SM) students. Methodology: Baseline data was used from a longitudinal survey study conducted by the authors on social work doctoral student well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants (N = 297) were recruited through the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work’s (GADE’s) publicly available list of 89 member institutions in the United States. The majority of respondents identified as women (80.1%), 35% of the sample identified as a person of color and/or non-White race, 30% identified as a sexual minority, and 32% were parents of children under 18 years of age. Contribution: This study contributes to the larger body of literature on factors associated with risk, resilience, and well-being among doctoral students, and it offers a specific exploration of these factors within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study deepens our understanding of social work doctoral students in particular, who have higher rates of doctoral enrollment by women and persons of color than many other academic disciplines. Findings: Emotional connection to loved ones was significantly correlated with lower levels of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and work-related burnout. Outcomes varied by race, with Black and Asian respondents indicating higher levels of emotional connection to loved ones as compared to White respondents, and Black respondents indicating lower levels of anxiety and depression compared to White respondents. SM respondents indicated significantly lower levels of emotional connection and higher levels of depression and anxiety, as compared to heterosexual respondents. Parents reported receiving substantially less child care assistance than they were before the pandemic, but also reported lower levels of anxiety, depression, and work-related burnout compared to childless respondents. Recommendations for Practitioners: Recommendations for doctoral program directors and chairs include implementing a purposive communication strategy, faculty modeling self-care and boundaries, creating opportunities for connection, scheduling value-added activities driven by student interest and needs, approaching student needs and plans of study with flexibility, and creating virtual affinity groups to help students connect with those facing similar challenges. Recommendation for Researchers: Outcome evaluation studies of doctoral program initiatives and policies to promote student well-being--both during and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic-- is warranted. Impact on Society: The COVID-19 pandemic presents complex financial, interpersonal, and programmatic challenges for doctoral faculty and program directors, many of which affect the well-being and mental health of their students. Findings and recommendations from this study may be used to address the needs of doctoral students and support their path to doctoral degree completion. Future Research: Future studies should include measures that tap a broader range of indicators of depression, anxiety, and emotional connection, and additional domains of well-being. Multivariate analyses would permit predictive conclusions, and follow-up qualitative analyses would offer deeper insights into doctoral students’ well-being, coping skills, and experiences within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 100 Most Influential Contemporary Social Work Faculty as Assessed by the H-Index

The names of faculty employed by the 76 member social work programs of the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work were retrieved via a web-search. This resulted in a list of 2204 social work faculty. Their individual H-Indices were then obtained, using either the Publish or Perish software, or via manual calculations from Google Scholar. The top 100 most influential contemporary social work faculty were identified, resulting in a listing of individuals who have published relatively large numbers of scholarly works which themselves have been subsequently highly cited. Apart from recognizing these productive individuals, listing them and their home institutions will permit future researchers to examine the causes and correlates of high academic productivity.

Doctoral Education in Social Work: The Decade Ahead

ABSTRACTScientific and professional developments in the coming decade will have profound implications for social work doctoral education and the research and academic careers doctoral students are preparing for. These developments include the knowledge explosion, corporatization of the university and related effects, and the emergence of the Grand Challenges for Social Work initiative delimiting key directions for social work research and practice. We consider potential effects of these developments on doctoral social work education and proffer curricular, pedagogic, and programmatic recommendations for improving doctoral education in the coming decade.

Social Work Doctoral Program Administration: Current Status, Information Needs, and Capacity to Address Persistent Critiques

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this article is to identify doctoral administration and education standards, practices, policies, and related gaps in knowledge, and consider them in the context of persistent social work challenges. A literature review was conducted, and focus groups were convened at the 2016 conference of the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work, focusing on cultural climate; faculty, staff, program, and higher administration; student admissions; student preparation; and student products. Major themes from the study include doctoral education remains understudied and unexplored, existing research is outdated, and focus groups fill research gaps and provide practical solutions. Findings suggest strategies for those in doctoral education to be better informed and simultaneously shape the profession.

Investigating Diversity in Social Work Doctoral Education in the United States

ABSTRACTDespite its emphasis on social justice, social work in the United States has not always attended to issues of diversity in doctoral education. This article examines the state of the discipline’s research on traditionally underrepresented students in U.S. doctoral social work programs. An analysis of relevant peer-reviewed articles from social work journals revealed that this research has focused on demographic trends, degree motivation, student barriers, existing supports, and career navigation. Diversity in U.S. doctoral social work education is vastly understudied with the majority of scholarship focusing on ethnoracial difference. The limitations of this study are discussed, and future research directions are proposed including the need to examine various kinds of social differences and a wider range of support initiatives.

Social Work Doctoral Education in Transition

This introductory article to the symposium on doctoral education in social work aims to provide a framework for the symposium. Doctoral education in social work is continuously in flux. As society and the profession are constantly changing and as academia is also in a state of transition, doctoral education in social work needs to be reassessed. The five papers in this symposium start with understanding the changing environment and then they deal with issues such as policy research, the scientific inquiry, and transdisciplinary research. Finally, it discusses issues of racial and ethnic diversity in doctoral education. The hope is that this set of papers will help shape the discourse regarding social work doctoral education and will help doctoral directors and their peers better plan.

Doctoral Social Work Education

This article is intended to forecast major environmental changes that may impact social work doctoral education and assess what should be done in anticipation of these changes. We apply an open system and future studies perspective to guide our work. We present a set of predicted societal changes that will impact social work as a profession and doctoral education in particular. We then present and discuss major expected changes in higher education and further assess some of their potential impact on social work doctoral education. We conclude with a synthesis of how these pending changes may impact social work doctoral education and what can be done in anticipation of these changes.

Advancing Doctoral Social Work Education: An Application of the Social-Ecological Framework

ABSTRACTGraduates of social work doctoral programs are an integral part of social work education and, as faculty, training of BSW and MSW students. Missing from the literature are theoretical frameworks that advance the study of “what works and for whom” in social work doctoral education. Building upon the existing literature, this article proposes a conceptual framework for enhancing doctoral students’ experiences, as well as doctoral education programs. Specific strategies grounded by this framework are put forward to guide PhD students and educators in advancing doctoral social work education.

Internationalisation of social work doctoral studies: experiences and perspectives in the changing context of European higher education

ABSTRACTThe internationalisation of doctoral education in social work has become a newly developing area particularly in Europe during the last two decades. It has been promoted by two factors: (1) the reform of higher education (Bologna reform), which contributed to the development of doctoral study and (2) the establishment of European funding programmes that would allow international cooperation and ensure the quality of the programmes. Also, in the European Qualification Framework the knowledge, skills and competences gained by doctoral qualification are defined. In this article, we analyse three international doctoral projects that were developed in Europe in last 10 years. We focus on what the advantages and obstacles are of these policy frameworks and what their impact on international cooperation is in the development of doctoral programmes. The analysis shows that differences in national terms and conditions of the study remain a major obstacle for joint doctoral programmes, but it is precisely international cooperation that significantly contributes to the quality of doctoral studies. The analysis also shows that the current policy framework of higher education in the EU does not solve the problems; on the contrary, it contributes to it.

Social work doctoral education in the United States: examining the past, preparing for the future

The relevance of doctoral education is being questioned across a wide spectrum of disciplines, and social work is no exception. An examination of the history of social work education in the United States provides a backdrop to the current challenges in doctoral education in the field. The historical role of research and teaching in social work education, the structure of doctoral social work education in the United States including the Ph.D. vs. the DSW, and the growth of doctoral programs are all examined. Current issues explored include: the interdisciplinary nature of practice; increased institutional focus on funded research; support for underrepresented doctoral students; and the need for doctoral students to be trained in pedagogy. Suggestions on how to address these issues are provided in order to enhance social work’s mission of teaching, research and service.

Quality Indicators and Expected Outcomes for Social Work PhD Programs: Perceptions of Social Work Students, Faculty, and Administrators

This article presents and discusses the results of a national survey of social work PhD students, faculty, and administrators (n = 416), conducted by the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work (GADE), in December 2012. The survey was undertaken to inform the updating of GADE’s 2003 Guidelines for Quality in Social Work Doctoral Programs, which is intended to facilitate the development, evaluation, and improvement of social work PhD programs. Results indicate areas of agreement and divergence among key stakeholder groups regarding the perceived importance of various indicators of quality as well as their expectations concerning student outcomes. Implications for PhD program assessment and development are discussed.

Unification, Crafting Imperatives, and Defining a Profession

Over the past seven-plus years there have been three professionwide initiatives undertaken to strengthen, define, or better position the profession internally and externally. There have been and continue to be substantial exchanges regarding these initiatives. In 2007, the first initiative started to take shape. Organizations and associations organized a meeting of the profession titled Social Work: Future of the Profession. This meeting became known as the Wingspread Initiative. The Wingspread Initiative included the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the Association of Social Work Boards, the National Association of Deans and Directors of Schools of Social Work (NADD), the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work (GADE), the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors (BPD), the Society for Social Work and Research, the Institute for the Advancement of Social Work Research (IASWR), and the St. Louis Group for Excellence in Social Work Research and Education. These organizations are members of the Leadership Roundtable for the profession. The primary rationale for the Wingspread Initiative was to discuss the possibility of unification of the profes sion. The meeting concluded by approving the following statement: The leaders of 10 professional social work orga