Students In Social Work Programs Research Articles

A Tale of Two Mentees: Conceptualizing Academic Mentorship through Critical Systems Thinking

ABSTRACT Academic mentorship is a vital step in preparing the next generation, yet little information exists on what successful mentorship looks like—particularly the process by which one ascertains a mentor, builds and maintains mentoring relationships, and achieves success in doctoral programs. Systems thinking is applied here to conceptualize academic mentorship within doctoral education as perceived by three doctoral students in social work programs across two institutions. The purpose of this article is to (a) describe the seminal literature on academic mentorship, (b) conceptualize exemplar cases of academic mentorship for doctoral education, (c) center the perspectives of doctoral students and their mentorship experiences, (d) use a systems-thinking lens to map and visualize the important variables related to mentorship processes, and (e) hypothesize potential levers for successful mentorship within doctoral programs.

“Tone It Down”: The Whitewashing of Black Women Doctoral Students’ Research and Scholarship at Predominately White Institutions—Implications for Social Work Doctoral Education

ABSTRACT While there is growing research on the structural and institutional barriers experienced by Black women faculty at predominantly White institutions (PWIs), little is known about the systemic marginalization faced by Black women doctoral students at these institutions, particularly those in doctoral social work programs. Given the increasing number of Black women doctoral students in social work programs at PWIs, there is a need to understand how social work doctoral education upholds institutional whiteness through attempts to whitewash Black women’s research and scholarship. This article contextualizes the experiences of Black women social work doctoral students using Black feminist thought perspective. The authors provide implications for social work doctoral education to dismantle structures that facilitate whitewashing experiences for Black women doctoral students.

Responding to the Psychosocial Experiences of First-Generation Master of Social Work (MSW) Students

ABSTRACT In this Notes From the Field essay, we bring together clinical practice and administrative experiences to explore and anticipate the psychosocial experiences of first-generation MSW students. Our goal is to offer programmatic suggestions that reflect the strengths and challenges of first-generation graduate students in social work programs and beyond. We begin by highlighting the unique psychosocial experiences of students with a mix of brief case vignettes illustrating themes shared in clinical practice. We then outline responsive programmatic approaches including entry, first-year, and ongoing student support services within a graduate school of social work.

Op-Ed: Failing to Bend the Arc of the Moral Universe? Dr. King, Newton, Piaget, and Social Work

To achieve a more just universe, the momentum and historical forces of racism, sexism, heterosexism, privilege, etc. must be met with equal and opposite forces through policies, structures, and the courageous acts and voices of many. Dr. King’s claim that “the moral universe bends toward justice” is joined with Newton’s Laws of Motion where arcs only bend through external forces. Bending the arc necessitates a large membership, including social workers. Membership in a group confers advantages while simultaneously ushering in implicit biases against those outside of the group ultimately disadvantaging both groups. Educating tomorrow’s social workers necessarily involves ingroup and outgroup membership, instructors and students. We argue well-meaning social work educators often act against Social Work’s mission of producing a cadre of individuals who will pull the arc toward social and economic justice. Students in social work programs, eager to pull on the moral arc, are often criticized for being inexperienced and not further along in their “woke” development. Criticism may discourage students, thereby losing needed ingroup members. Students are canceled. Algebra, evolutionary theory, and cognitive development theories provide guidelines for unifying social work educators and students to promote Dr. King’s vision.

Field Instruction: A Relational Model to Promote A Positive Professional Identity for Social Work Students

ABSTRACT The development of a social work professional identity is an element of social work education. It is not clear how students in social work programs develop this identity; its development seems to be dependent on the integration of various learning experiences and exposure to curriculum content in the classroom, and in the fieldwork assignments. Teachers and field instructors play important roles in this process. In this paper, the authors argue that a positive professional social work identity can be fostered through the relationship with instructors in fieldwork supervision. Using Kohut’s theory of Self Psychology, the authors present a model that highlights the application of the concept of self-object needs to the field instructor-student relationship. One of the central premises of his theory is that individuals from childhood and throughout adulthood internalize the experiences provided by self-objects to meet the emotional needs of the self. The authors propose that field instructors provide self-object experiences that can sustain and foster the development of a positive professional identity for social work students in training. The application of this model underscores students’ affective changes associated with students’ professional development in social work programs.

Gray Clouds Over Ivory Towers

Black, first-generation doctoral students can be classified as those who belong to the African diaspora and come from families with parents who do not have bachelor’s degrees. Data shows that over half of Black doctoral degree recipients, across all fields, have first-generation status, and literature has shown that these students experience several challenges during their doctoral journey that their peers do not. This paper details six of these challenges for Black, first-generation research doctoral students in social work programs. These challenges result in educational disparities disfavoring these students, and, as such, social workers are compelled by our Code of Ethics to work against these forms of social injustice. This conceptual discussion uses Critical Race Theory and Social Capital Theory to explain the continued existence of these challenges, followed by recommendations that social work educators, academic institutions, and educational organizations can use to improve conditions for Black, first-generation social work research doctoral students across the country. If social work educators take this critical issue, its associated challenges, and the proposed recommendations seriously, they can begin to create safe and actively anti-racist and anti-classist academic environments that are conducive to the success of this student population.

Racial microaggressions in social work education: Black students’ encounters in a predominantly White institution

ABSTRACTResearch findings have substantiated encounters with racial microaggressions by Black students in predominantly White institutions. Yet no studies focus on students in social work programs. This is important since racial microaggressions can affect students’ academic, social, and emotional experiences, as well as career preparation of counseling students. In this study we examined encounters reported by 10 Black Master of Social Work students. We present an in-depth case example as support for the emergence of a Racial Microaggressions Interaction Framework, demonstrating how students define racial microaggressions and the socioemotional continuum along which they proceed following encounters. Implications are discussed for teaching from a culturally relevant competence perspective.

Teaching Note: Ethnic Sharing: Laying the Foundation for Culturally Informed Practice With BSW Students

This article describes the use of ethnic sharing, a structured, narrative exercise designed to increase cultural competence among students in social work programs. The premise of this facilitated exercise is that self-awareness and cultural awareness create the foundation for culturally informed practice. Twenty-five BSW students from diverse backgrounds participated in this guided group learning session and experienced brief cultural immersion. A content analysis of participant feedback about the exercise indicated that students engaged in self-examination, gained cultural awareness, and demonstrated a beginning understanding of culturally informed practice. Analyzing the students' written responses according to a phenomenological perspective revealed the following themes: (a) Don't stereotype or make assumptions, (b) remain open minded and refrain from making judgments, and (c) be aware of cross-cultural similarities and differences. The utility of ethnic sharing as an experiential learning exercise for baccalaureate social work students to develop proficiency in diversity awareness is demonstrated.

Teaching Note: Ethnic Sharing: Laying the Foundation for Culturally Informed Practice With BSW Students

This article describes the use of ethnic sharing, a structured, narrative exercise designed to increase cultural competence among students in social work programs. The premise of this facilitated exercise is that self-awareness and cultural awareness create the foundation for culturally informed practice. Twenty-five BSW students from diverse backgrounds participated in this guided group learning session and experienced brief cultural immersion. A content analysis of participant feedback about the exercise indicated that students engaged in self-examination, gained cultural awareness, and demonstrated a beginning understanding of culturally informed practice. Analyzing the students' written responses according to a phenomenological perspective revealed the following themes: (a) Don't stereotype or make assumptions, (b) remain open minded and refrain from making judgments, and (c) be aware of cross-cultural similarities and differences. The utility of ethnic sharing as an experiential learning exercise for...

Using Team-Based Learning to Teach Social Work Research, Human Behavior, and Policy

Team-based learning (TBL) is an innovative and highly structured pedagogy with promise for millennial students in social work programs. Through a reliance on team exercises and active learning, TBL encourages critical thinking, leadership skills, and coordinated learning activities. Incorporation of TBL can also directly relate social work courses to the appropriate Council on Social Work Education core competencies. TBL is presented as an effective method for educating millennial students who are accustomed to high stimulation and creativity in the classroom. This article provides an overview of TBL and examples of TBL assignments for social work courses, including research, human behavior in the social environment, and social welfare policy.

Using Team-Based Learning to Teach Social Work Research, Human Behavior, and Policy

Team-based learning (TBL) is an innovative and highly structured pedagogy with promise for millennial students in social work programs. Through a reliance on team exercises and active learning, TBL encourages critical thinking, leadership skills, and coordinated learning activities. Incorporation of TBL can also directly relate social work courses to the appropriate Council on Social Work Education core competencies. TBL is presented as an effective method for educating millennial students who are accustomed to high stimulation and creativity in the classroom. This article provides an overview of TBL and examples of TBL assignments for social work courses, including research, human behavior in the social environment, and social welfare policy.

Using Adjuncts in Social Work Education: Challenges and Rewards

Adjunct faculty have become an essential addition to social work programs in the United States. Full-time social work faculty have not been able to meet the demands created by continued growth of BSW and MSW programs. The number of doctoral students in social work programs has not kept up with the growth of the programs. A survey of program directors available through the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Director's (BPD) listserv in the United States found that respondents saw adjunct faculty as assets to social work programs. The survey results indicated that adjunct faculty provide a ‘value added’ component. Adjuncts need to receive an orientation and continual training to help prepare them for classroom management and become aware of university policies. Adjuncts can be retained if they receive training, have frequent contact with faculty, and have access to university resources.

Preparing Students for Social Work Advocacy

Social workers are not born advocates. They must be educated and trained for this prominent professional role that will be expected of them. Advocacy is integrally tied to leadership and leadership skills. This article addresses this connection and identifies relational leadership—a type of leadership that is appropriate for social work advocacy. The author presents how a BSSW program followed best practice principles in curricular development and created an educational environment both inside and outside the classroom to enhance relational leadership. The foundation of this environment is the belief that leadership can be learned and it is everybody's business. Evaluation results from multiple outcomes measures are encouraging. Evidence is provided that students in this program have become involved as leaders and advocates. The author argues that students in social work programs have untapped leadership potential. To tap the potential for future leadership and advocacy, students need to be offered a comprehensive educational experience that fosters empowerment and confidence.

Homophobia Among Students in Social Work Programs

This article presents the results of a study examining students' levels of homophobia and changes in these levels at various points in the social work curriculum. The study found that social work courses exert a weak but positive influence on students' attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. The level of homophobia expressed by students significantly varied by gender and race. Major course of study in school did not significantly influence levels of homophobia. Students in all classes reported the highest levels of homophobia on statements related to sexuality and the lowest levels of homophobia on statements related to civil rights. Implications for social work education are also discussed.