Social Work PhD Programs Research Articles

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.

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.

A Synchronous Online Social Work PhD Program: Educational Design and Student/Faculty Response

ABSTRACTFaculty and students evaluate the curriculum design and delivery of a synchronous online PhD program in social work that prepares scholar-practitioners in social work research, education, and organizational practice. The designers envision a collaborative community of scholars and leaders nurtured by a cohort-based, sequenced curriculum, and intentional faculty mentoring. This teaching and learning platform provides an opportunity to engage with a globally diverse population of doctoral students while fostering both relationships and quality learning outcomes. Educational design and pedagogical features of the program are described and analyzed through the collaborative thinking and learning platform of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) model’s interdependent elements–teaching, cognitive, and social presence. Eighteen students and ten faculty evaluated the strengths and limitations of the online program across each dimension of the model through student course evaluations, focus-group reflections, and qualitative faculty survey data. Student and faculty respondents specified the benefits of synchronous presence across all three dimensions. They also identified significant barriers, particularly in the areas of teaching and social presence. Implications and recommendations are based on a review of findings that inform pedagogical decisions and design options for online PhD education in social work.

Online and Hybrid Education in a Social Work PhD Program

ABSTRACT Online/hybrid education is an increasing pedagogical trend in social work. While previous literature has begun to explore the extent to which online/hybrid education course structures are effective strategies for meeting BSW and MSW program goals and objectives, additional research and discussion is needed to understand how online/hybrid education can help to prepare doctoral students to achieve excellence in their future roles as both researchers and teachers. The present exploratory study investigates PhD students’ experiences taking online/hybrid courses and their perceptions of preparedness to teach online/hybrid courses in the future. We interviewed and surveyed 14 PhD students who had taken online/hybrid courses during their doctoral study. The results revealed benefits including flexibility of course time, as well as accessibility and repeatability of material. The drawbacks included limited opportunities to interact with professors and peers. Participants indicated that they would like to be better prepared for future online/hybrid teaching. Our study highlights that increasing online/hybrid education calls for innovative pedagogical strategies and training opportunities for emerging social work educators. We recommend that more comprehensive training experiences be offered to doctoral students to enable introducing them to technological issues, pedagogical strategies, and adaptation of course content specifically for online/hybrid settings.

Ph.D. Student Development: A Conceptual Model for Research-Intensive Social Work PhD Programs

ABSTRACTSocial work PhD programs aim to attract students with the highest potential for being future stewards of the discipline. At research-intensive institutions, preparing students to be productive in the creation and dissemination of peer-reviewed scholarship, while securing extramural funding, is paramount. Limited literature describes the holistic programming, climate, and culture necessary for producing PhDs with the highest achievement in research productivity throughout their program and later in their academic careers. This paper introduces the PhD Student Navigation System, a student-centered, integrative model for effective student navigation through formal/informal structures, while enhancing research productivity, advising and mentoring, and leadership with outcomes ultimately resulting in socialization into the academy. Future recommendations for uptake in research-intensive social work PhD programs are discussed.

Teaching Note—Preparing Doctoral Students to Confront the Grand Challenges: Strengthening Baseline Statistical Skills

ABSTRACTWe describe a statistical seminar designed to provide a common foundation in core statistical concepts among all students as they enter a social work PhD program. Student feedback surveys assessed students’ statistics preparation prior to entering the program, and pre- and posttests were compared for increases in statistical knowledge. Nearly half (42.1%) reported no prior statistics training, and exposure to IBM SPSS Statistics software was low (M=1.54 out of 5, SD=1.38). Students showed significant gains in posttest knowledge. Findings suggest substantial variability in students’ statistical preparedness, and for many, knowledge of basic concepts is rudimentary. Such a seminar may allow programs to begin with more advanced quantitative course work and move to increasingly more complex topics over time (e.g., multilevel modeling).

Research Productivity of Social Work PhD Candidates Entering the Academic Job Market: An Analysis of Pre- and Postadmission Productivity Indicators

ABSTRACTBesides traditional admissions criteria, research-intensive social work PhD programs may rely on personal interviews and curriculum vitae or resumes to gauge prior research experience to determine applicants’ fit for the research-related productivity expected in their programs. Case record review of social work PhD candidates (n=56) entering the job market (fall 2007 to spring 2016) aimed to explore preadmission demographic, academic, and research productivity characteristics as correlates of postadmission research productivity and time-to-degree. Race and ethnicity, residency, master’s degree type, Graduate Record Examination analytical score, and preadmission research productivity were significantly, yet differentially, related to postadmission research productivity. Only master’s degree type was significantly related to time-to-degree. Implications for prospective applicants and admissions committees at research-intensive social work schools are discussed.

Social Policy in Social Work PhD Programs in the United States

While there has been a long-standing concern about the role of policy within social work education and social work practice, most of the emphasis has been on social work education at the BSW and MSW levels. This article examines policy education at the PhD level. It first explores how policy is taught in social work PhD programs in the United States, with an emphasis on how policy theory and research methods are included. Next, it explores the nature of policy research conducted by social work PhD students in the United States by examining the policy content in their doctoral dissertations. This study finds that policy research methods and policy study theories are only taught in a minority of social work PhD programs. In addition, very few social work doctoral dissertations have a policy focus. Of those that do, over half focus on program evaluation.

Preparing tomorrow’s professoriate: an examination of social justice language in social work PhD program manuals

Social work claims social justice as a central value of the profession with the aim of challenging and changing oppressive structures. Despite this purported emphasis, there appears to be limited knowledge of how social justice is expressed and embedded in doctoral programs of social work. Social work PhD programs are of particular interest because of the unique position of program graduates to impact social work research and practice. This article examined how social work PhD programs in the US represent social justice discourses in program manuals and mission statements. Through a qualitative content analysis of selected social work PhD program documents, a continuum of social justice engagement emerged. Four categories were identified across this continuum: mentioning, theorizing, acting, and integrating. Social work PhD programs that reflect on how social justice is expressed within and beyond their programs may provide a more equitable and inclusive learning environment in social work PhD programs, impart to students a more in-depth understanding of social justice theory and praxis, and ultimately prepare emerging scholars to be critically aware researchers and educators.

Starting Where We’re At: Developing a Student-Led Doctoral Teaching Group

The necessity and utility of standardized or formalized teacher training in doctoral programs has been debated, documented, and problematized across a range of academic disciplines. If doctoral education is the site of preparation for future university faculty, what are the teaching expectations of newly minted faculty in the applied disciplines, and what are the supports available to them to help them prepare for this role? The lack of formal courses on teaching in social work PhD programs encouraged the authors to create a doctoral pedagogy group aimed to support student educators’ development for current and future roles as social work educators. This paper chronicles the group’s development and structure, discusses the challenges and opportunities faced, and suggests a future agenda to support doctoral students in their role as educators.

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.

A National Content Analysis of PhD Program Objectives, Structures, and Curricula: Do Programs Address the Full Range of Social Work’s Needs?

The Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education (GADE) promotes excellence in PhD education in Social Work. GADE’s 2013 Quality Guidelines for PhD Programs heavily emphasize preparation for research. Little is known, however, about the details of the contemporary social work PhD program structure and curriculum. Several prior surveys have examined doctoral curriculum requirements, though none was completed in the past 20 years. This content analysis of the 69 U.S.-based, GADE full-member PhD programs offers updated information on program objectives, models, required credit hours, and whether the MSW degree is necessary for admission. The study also summarizes specific curriculum requirements including the number of required courses in research, statistics, practice, policy, philosophy of science, and teaching, along with elective course requirements. Whether research, teaching, and/or practice internships were compulsory and the kinds of dissertations models required for the PhD degree are also reported. Findings show strong emphasis on research and statistics but wide variation in other areas, including teaching and practice. Compared with estimates of labor force needs in the social work profession and academy, it may be that the current emphasis of social work PhD programs does not fully address the core needs of the profession.

Factors Associated With Success in Doctoral Social Work Education

Although admission criteria such as GRE scores and undergraduate GPAs (UGPAs) have been shown to moderately predict success in graduate school for students in other academic disciplines and in MSW programs, no published research has examined factors associated with success in social work PhD programs. This article reports the findings of a pilot study in a Midwestern university that examined the relationship between common admissions variables and success in the doctoral program. Results indicate that GRE quantitative score, first-year doctoral GPA (DGPA), and age at admission were associated with successful completion of the doctoral program. Verbal GRE and UGPA were significantly correlated with first-year DGPA. Limitations and implications for admission and retention of students are discussed.

Quality Guidelines for Social Work PhD Programs

The Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Educationin Social Work (GADE) adopted a new version of quality guidelines for PhD social work programs at its annual meeting in April 2013. These guidelines are reprinted in this article, together with a discussion of the context in which they were developed and approved. They are offered with the aim of advancing excellence in research-focused doctoral education and continuing the decades-long conversation about what constitutes excellence in those programs.