MSW Students Research Articles

Gregory Research Beliefs Scale: Psychometric properties and social work student survey results

ABSTRACT In the United States (US) there is an increasing numbers of social work students and social work practitioners represent the majority of mental health professionals. Consequently the role of evidence-based social work practice (EBSWP) in education becomes more important. Past research supported the psychometric properties of the Research Beliefs Scale (GRBS) with social work students. The purposes of the present study are two-fold. The first purpose is to evaluate the factor structure and internal consistency reliability of the GRBS in a distinct sample of US MSW and BSW students. The second purpose is to evaluate the extent to which the US MSW and BSW students believe that research has value for social work practice. Data collection consisted of face-to-face and online formats. Factorial validity was examined using a principal component analysis. Internal consistency reliability was measure via Cronbach’s alpha. The data provided empirical evidence for the one-factor GRBS model and demonstrated high internal consistency with a Cronbach’s alpha of .95. The data cautiously showed support for US social work students’ beliefs in the value or research for social work practice. Applications of the RBS to social work education and future research are discussed.

“Nobody’s Failing at Going Through a Global Pandemic”: Lessons and Tensions in Social Work Education

ABSTRACT Social work educators prepare students to respond to crises across system levels. A global pandemic or large-scale disasters, however, present challenges educators are ill prepared for. This study explored the experiences of BSW and MSW students during the COVID-19 pandemic. With a trauma-informed pedagogy framework, a team of faculty and students conducted in-depth interviews with social work students at a Midwestern school of social work. Thematic analyses revealed two categories. First, broad lessons learned included clear guidelines for educators across higher education. Second, three themes revealed tensions in student reactions to their experiences during COVID-19: (a) loss versus safety, (b) flexibility versus structure, and (c) affective responses versus competing responsibilities. Findings are discussed and implications for social work are identified.

Perceived stress and sleep quality among master’s students in social work

ABSTRACT Poor sleep quality is prevalent in professional graduate school students due to academic- and work-related stress. In addition, it has been found that high levels of perceived stress, including lifetime traumatic stress, are significantly associated with poor sleep quality. This study surveyed 196 MSW students from a university in the United States. The study revealed that the majority of MSW students had poor sleep quality, which was significantly associated with higher levels of perceived stress, poorer sleep habits and environments, and a greater number of experiences of lifetime traumattagdtic events. Importantly, perceived stress and lifetime experiences of traumatic events became less strongly associated with sleep quality after adding sleep habits and environment as a control variable. Findings from the study can guide social work educators to consider incorporating sleep hygiene education into self-care practice programs and offer MSW students these interventions within the MSW curriculum.

Coaching MSW Students on Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) Using Simulation-Based Learning (SBL): Developing Competencies in Clinical Social Work Practice

ABSTRACT In training clinical social workers, it is critical for students to practice implementing their skills and knowledge about treatment approaches while being closely coached by instructors. This paper illustrates how this type of learning was accomplished in an MSW course through simulation-based learning in a flipped classroom. Using Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), one of the core modalities of clinical social work practice, we illustrate how we created the course for students to practice core IPT skills – Intervention Inventory and Communication Analysis.

MSW students’ perspectives on learning in a social work practice in mental health course: a qualitative research study

ABSTRACT Social work programs need to prepare students for practice in assessing mental health, addictions, and suicide risk assessment. In response to a call for increased training, we partnered with community social workers and re-designed a course on social work practice in mental health using a flipped classroom approach. We conducted a qualitative study using focus groups and individual interviews with MSW students (N = 15) to explore student perspectives on re-designed teaching approaches. Participants identified three teaching methods that increased knowledge, skills, and self-awareness: online educational modules, simulation, and integrated teaching with scaffolded learning. We discuss implications for social work education and practice.

Meeting the Practice Challenges of COVID-19: MSW Students' Perceptions of E-Therapy and the Therapeutic Alliance.

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a radical shift in social work practice. Overnight, social work intervention models provided in-person gave way to the utilization of Information and Communication Technologies to facilitate direct practice in virtual environments (e-therapy). Social work’s slow acceptance of e-therapy prior to the pandemic resulted in a lack of training for many social work practitioners and MSW student interns, who were required to make rapid transitions to using and operating in online environments. It appears likely that e-therapy will continue after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, so integrating education about effective e-therapy techniques into social work curricula seems like a logical next step. A social worker’s ability to establish the therapeutic alliance, which is at the heart of all helping relationships, will be central to this curricula. Understanding social work students’ perceptions of e-therapy and the therapeutic alliance can help shape the development of this new curriculum. Using internal student email, students at two Research I universities were invited to participate in a fully online anonymous survey dealing with attitudes towards e-therapy and the therapeutic alliance. Surveys were conducted in 2018 and April–May 2020. Survey questions were based on the only prior comprehensive study of student attitudes towards e-therapy (Finn in J Soc Work Educ 38(3), 403–419. 10.1080/10437797.2002.10779107, 2002). Study results indicate that students have e-therapy experience, believe that a practitioner can build a good therapeutic alliance, and think that some form of e-therapy will continue after the pandemic. These results confirm that further exploration about the inclusion of e-therapy education and its efficacy in social work curricula requires urgent attention.

"Thanks for hearing me out": Voices of social work students during COVID-19.

As social work educators and students, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted our teaching and learning in challenging ways. We embarked on a qualitative research study to better understand the ways in which the pandemic was affecting the social work students in our program. Three faculty mentors worked collaboratively with five social work students across BSW, MSW, and PhD programs to interview 66 BSW and MSW students about their experiences, challenges, and hopes during the early months of the pandemic. BSW and MSW students led the analysis and early dissemination for the project. This essay describes the unique experiences of social work students by using a research poem to capture the emotional and experiential aspects of the students we interviewed.

Experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic: From the perspective of an MSW student.

This reflexive essay offers an uncensored narrative and delves deep into the life of one MSW student during the Covid-19 pandemic. Five themes were uncovered through intense reflexive based practices and these included: parenting and food insecurity, silencing of the voice, grieving the practicum placement, the white gaze and a reduced empathetic capacity. Ultimately, meaning making is achieved through unsettling the concept of the self, identifying and exposing vulnerability and deflowering the power dynamics operating within Canada.

Practicing alliance: an experiential model of teaching diversity and inclusion for social work practice and education

ABSTRACT Social work students are expected to engage diversity and difference in practice, yet few approaches in social work education explicitly focus on strengthening skills required for such allyship engagement. Constructs such as cultural competence, cultural humility, and intersectionality are often difficult for students to learn and for educators to teach effectively. This article describes Practicing Alliance, a curriculum that extends the Ally Model for Social Justice through a systematic integration of experiential learning theory, designed to increase the allyship skills of social work students across social locations. Participants (N = 85) in the pilot evaluation were students in the Foundation-year (n = 21) and second-year (n = 47) of a two-year MSW program, and 17 Advanced Standing MSW students. Practice experience ranged from 1–2 years (17.76%) to over 5 years (37.65%). Following completion of Practicing Alliance, 100% of participants reported that they were better able to practice allyship, 91% agreed that they were better equipped to intervene in incidents of discrimination, and 93% stated that Practicing Alliance contributed to their development as a social worker. Qualitatively, participants reported increased confidence in utilizing their allyship skills. The Practicing Alliance model is described with recommendations for implementation within social work education.

“My Church Teaches Homosexuality is a Sin” Religious Teachings, Personal Religious Beliefs, and MSW Students’ Attitudes toward Sexual Minorities

ABSTRACT Religious social work students often report less-affirming LGB attitudes, which is often attributed to anti-LGB religious teachings. Yet research often overlooks one’s beliefs about their denomination’s LGB teachings. We examine the association between MSW students’ LGB attitudes, syncretism between religious teachings that “homosexuality is a sin” and students’ beliefs about these teachings, and the influence of religiosity on syncretism. Results suggest that personal views about one’s denomination’s teachings matter, representing a point for educational intervention. Findings highlight the importance of creating opportunities for students belonging to anti-LGB denominations to reflect critically on religious teachings as part of their education.

A Social Work Education Grounded in Human Rights.

In response to a mandate to advance human rights through social work education, this article focuses on the curricular redesign and program evaluation of one MSW Program. The program’s specialization focused on advanced social work practice with individuals, families, and communities grounded in social justice and human rights. A pre-experimental one-group posttest-only program evaluation design was implemented. Multiple assessment instruments were used to measure human rights exposure in social work education, as well as a human rights lens and engagement in social work practice among 93 graduating MSW students from a public university with suburban and urban campus locations. How the program applied a human rights-based approach to social work field education will also be discussed. Findings suggest that a human rights exposure in course work and practicum is related to students’ practice lens and engagement. The imperative is now to train social work students to address complex social issues through human rights exposure, engagement, and lens as we prepare for a post-pandemic world. Recommendations are provided to strengthen academic leadership and research in this area and empower students to drive a paradigm shift in the profession.

Improving Outcomes for At-Risk MSW Students: A Pilot e-Mentorship Program Using A Near-Peer Model

ABSTRACT Much research exists to support the positive effects of mentorship programs on improving grades and retention rates for MSW students. With the rapid growth in online MSW programs, the need to provide mentorship in electronic formats is also increasing. This retrospective longitudinal study examines the impact of an electronically delivered (“e-mentorship”) program on MSW student success factors. Twenty MSW students at risk of program failure, most of whom were geographically dispersed across a South-Central U.S. State, were offered the opportunity to participate in a near-peer mentorship program conducted primarily through electronic means. Students were provided academic resource information and study tips. Those who engaged in e-mentorship worked on action plans aimed at addressing academic barriers. Compared to students who did not contact the mentor for assistance (n = 10), students who actively engaged the mentor (n = 10) showed significant improvement in grades, removal from probationary status, and retention/graduation.

Video Intervention to Increase Knowledge About and Interest in Palliative Care Among MSW Students

As the population ages and more people live longer with chronic and life-limiting illnesses, more healthcare professionals with palliative care skills are needed. Social workers are part of the palliative care team, but there is little, if any, content on palliative and end-of-life care in MSW programs. A 24-minute video featuring nine palliative and hospice social workers was produced with two goals: 1) increase knowledge of social work students about palliative and end-of-life care; and 2) interest social work students in a career in palliative social work. MSW students from three schools, in NY and Alabama, viewed the video. After viewing the video, 94 students participated in the mixed methods study, completing the brief, anonymous, online survey. The mean level of understanding about what palliative social workers do, rated from 1 (no understanding) to 5 (very good understanding), was 2.96 (SD=.99) before viewing the video and 4.31 (SD=.61) after, for an increase of 1.35 points (95% CI=1.14, 1.55) (p<.001). The mean level of interest in a career in palliative care social work and working with seriously ill persons and their family members, rated from 1 (Not at all interested) to 5 (Extremely interested), was 2.52 (SD=.99) before viewing the video and 3.45 SD=.80) after, for an increase of .91 points (95% CI=.79, 1.07) (p<.001). Qualitative data supporting the quantitative findings will be presented. This study suggests that a video intervention may be an effective tool to increase knowledge and interest in palliative and end-of-life care among social work students.

Resident participation as learning and action – a participatory action learning project in social work education

ABSTRACT This article presents an innovation project in social work education carried out in collaboration between a university college, an organization for housing tenants, MSW students, social workers in the field and people living in social housing facilities. User participation is highlighted in government plans for social housing but has been a difficult concept to implement in practice. Based on interviews, we started a project-oriented course aiming to work with concrete problems. The students met with social housing residents, hearing their stories and established partnership projects to work on throughout the course. Lectures and supervision were given related to student feedbacks and needs. The course resulted in four projects with different aims and different levels of participation. Recognizing the lack of participation and structural inequality as well as student empowerment and experiences of partnership were key themes in the students’ learning outcome. The course showed positive learning outcomes, and had an impact on actual residents’ life in, but also highlighted challenges in mediating between resident ownership of the projects, academic expectations and practical considerations. Situating the projects in the lived experiences also of the students appeared important.

Modified focusing as a contemplative pedagogy in an MSW research course

ABSTRACT Students working toward a Master’s of Social Work in Israeli colleges must complete a demanding research seminar course, a source of stress for many. Focusing is a contemplative practice that these and other students may use to self-regulate their emotions and better cope with the seminar course and beyond. This qualitative research assessed the impact of introducing a modified focusing approach to 17 MSW students enrolled in a research seminar course at a college in Northern Israel. Participants wrote individual reflections on their experience. Analysis revealed four main themes: turning inward, clear thinking, the body knows (a sense of knowledge), and practical application (a sense of efficacy). The results of this contemplative pedagogy suggest students who learn meditative methods of self-regulation, such as focusing, can shift rapidly from stressful states.

Addressing race, ethnicity, and poverty in policy assignments: students’ opportunities and constraints

ABSTRACT Policy practice is central to social work and has particular potential for furthering social justice. This paper presents and analyzes data collected as part of an assessment of a project aimed at advancing policy practice skills of foundation year MSW students. Specifically, it aims to address the question: how do students incorporate social justice issues related to racial, ethnic, and poverty inequity within their understanding of policy practice? One hundred and sixty one students described their field-based policy practice project and how it related to social justice. Review of these reports identified several key themes. We provide further reflection on how to strengthen field-based policy practice activities and their linkage with social justice.

Students’ conceptualization of culture and diversity with a simulated client

ABSTRACT Teaching students about culture and diversity in social work practice is a complex and important task for social work educators. In this study, we assessed students’ conceptualization of culture and diversity factors following a simulated interview. Participants (N = 57 MSW students) completed a reflection questionnaire post-simulation and we conducted thematic analysis of the data. Three themes emerged: 1) culture and diversity impacted the interview, 2) culture and diversity didn’t really impact the interview, but …, and 3) culture and diversity didn’t really impact the interview. The results indicate it is important to enhance teaching methods related to culture and diversity, and simulation is a promising innovation to prepare students for practice.

Educational assessment of a social simulation for MSW students using the CAMS framework

ABSTRACT Approximately 45,000 people die by suicide annually in the United States with over 60% seeking help in the year leading up to their death. Of students receiving suicide-specific training in their degree programs, nearly two-thirds feel inadequately prepared for practice with suicidal clients. This study explores the outcomes of an educational pilot study (N = 29) integrating didactic instruction, readings, role-plays, and simulation for teaching suicide intervention skills. The Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) framework is used as a guideline to develop knowledge, skills, and confidence in working with clients who are suicidal. Repeated measures ANOVA results indicate statistically significant improvements in students’ knowledge and Counseling Self-Estimate Inventory (CSEI) scores overtime (p <.05). Moreover, CSEI and the subscale of dealing with difficult client behaviors showed statistically significant improvements from pre-simulation to post-simulation (p <.05). While an abundance of research exists regarding the use of simulation within medical education, a limited amount of research examines the relevance of simulation within graduate education for helping professionals (e.g., counselors and social workers). These results suggest an added benefit of high-fidelity simulations in the training of helping professionals to develop clinical suicide intervention skills.

A Mixed Methods Examination of MSW Student Satisfaction With Integrated Behavioral Health Field Placements

Social workers must be prepared to work effectively within systems that attempt to maximize coordination where integrated behavioral health care is provided. Current students are the profession’s pipeline to the behavioral health workforce. If social work students are dissatisfied with the training they receive in integrated health care settings, they may be deterred from interprofessional collaborative practice. This study examined MSW students’ satisfaction with integrated behavioral health field placement experiences. Thirty-three students completed an online survey that asked about factors associated with field placement satisfaction, and nine of these students participated in two focus groups to explore other aspects of the field setting that influenced satisfaction. Survey results revealed that as role ambiguity increased, student satisfaction decreased. Focus group findings uncovered that the profession’s influence within the field setting and the presence of support by professionals from other disciplines promoted students’ satisfaction. These results suggest that educators should help students develop skills in tolerating role ambiguity and asking for role clarification as part of supervision when placements are in these settings. MSW faculty and field education directors may want to collaborate with integrated behavioral health providers to assess organizational climate and identify ways to foster inclusive interprofessional collaborative practices and a culture of cross-profession respect.

Who Am I and What Do I Do?

The purpose of this study is to examine social work professional identity development through interprofessional education and practice. The Integrated Mental and Behavioral Health Training Program (IMBTP) was developed to prepare students for collaborative practice in integrated behavioral health settings. Interprofessional education and training was a core component of the IMBTP. At the conclusion of five cohorts (graduating 2014-2018), 61 MSW students had completed the training program. Content analysis of qualitative evaluation data revealed professional identity development as a recurring theme across multiple domains. Results demonstrate that providing opportunities for social work students to participate in interprofessional education and training allows for a greater understanding of other professional roles and perspectives, while at the same time helping to solidify the role and identity of a social worker. Social work education programs should consider including interprofessional education experiences for all students.