Undergraduate Social Work Students Research Articles

A Simple but Powerful Way to Enhance Critical Thinking Skills among Undergraduate Social Work Students in Online Class

As online education grows rapidly in social work, there are growing concerns about teaching critical-thinking skills in online environments. This retrospective case study shares experience of an online course that employed a strength-based instructional method to enhance critical-thinking skills among undergraduate social-work students. Twenty-two student assignments were reviewed from an online Human Behaviour and Social Environment course offered to undergraduate social-work students. Three approaches were adopted to learn the impact of instructional practices on critical-thinking skills: 1) students’ course evaluations; 2) the number of words written in students’ responses to written assignments; 3) the quality of students’ prompts. The study found that using a strength-based approach and providing individualised feedback were effective in enhancing critical-thinking skills in online courses. Limitations and suggestions for future research were discussed.

Understanding empathy in Norwegian social work education

ABSTRACT Empathy is pivotal to social work practice when interacting with clients, patients and their families. It is thus also important in social work education. Still, empathy as a skill is usually addressed as one of many components of communication and relational work. This study therefore compares the empathy profiles of undergraduate social work students in Norway to those of teacher education students and experienced social workers. The focus is on how empathy is understood and monitored in educational settings, particularly through the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Data were gathered anonymously through an online survey (N = 417) and analyzed to determine significance and whether meaningful interpretations could be made. The findings suggest differences in empathy levels among social work students, their supervisors and teacher education students, with theoretical insights discussed to enhance empathy teaching. This paper argues for the importance of empathy in social work practice and education, highlighting the need for a deeper understanding of empathic development in social work students.

Understanding feelings, thoughts, and actions: Social work students and individual research consultations

The purpose of this study was to better understand how individual research consultations (IRCs) with a librarian impact undergraduate social work students' feelings, thoughts, and actions during their information search process. Screencast videography was the primary method of data collection in this qualitative case study. Participants (n = 7) were sampled from a social work research seminar course at a regional university in the upper Midwest. Both prior to and after an IRC, study participants joined a recorded Zoom meeting with the researcher, share their screen, and talk aloud during their search process. Follow up interviews with participants were also conducted. Results showed participants' feelings moved from confused prior to the IRC to confident after the IRC. Participants had a more refined topic and were more effective in applying inclusion and exclusion criteria when selecting articles for their literature review assignment after the IRC. The actions students took after the IRC were more beneficial to their information search process, especially when it came to reading and understanding scholarly research. These results underscore the value IRCs can provide to undergraduate social work students. The findings of this study demonstrate and explain changes in student information seeking as a result of an IRC.

Teaching note: personal attack or the personal touch? Evaluating the use of video feedback methods with qualifying social workers

ABSTRACT Social work skills such as the ability to reflect on self and to recognize and manage emotions are fostered in part through using and receiving feedback, however there is limited research about feedback methods that effectively enable social work students and post-qualifying workers to engage with the emotional aspects of learning and feedback. This teaching note reports on a pilot project in which video feedback on academic assignments was provided to first year undergraduate social work students studying at a university in England. The project findings underscore the importance of engaging with the emotional dimensions of feedback processes and recognizing how feedback experiences can shape emerging learner and professional identities. The findings also underline the psychological and social skills required to engage in more performative aspects of contemporary education and practice. We argue that social work students are likely to benefit from support to develop meta-cognition (the process of thinking about one’s thinking processes) and self-regulation (regulation of emotion and behavior) skills before they can make sense of academic and practice-orientated feedback. Video feedback on academic assignments is therefore best utilized when it is underpinned by a dialogical approach to teaching and learning in the ‘classroom’ and the ‘field’.

Impact of Online Flipped Classroom on Student Learning Experience: A Mixed-Methods Study

ABSTRACT Using mixed quantitative and qualitative methods, the current study examined the efficacy of fully online flipped classroom. 250 Chinese undergraduate social work students, with 126 students experienced the conventional online teaching method and 124 students learned with the online flipped classroom approach, were involved. The quantitative analyses show that students who experienced online flipped classroom had a lower performance in lecture participation and overall course grade; and had less positive perceptions of the course. The qualitative analyses reveal both advantages and challenges of the online flipped model. There is insufficient evidence to conclude the effectiveness of online flipped classroom in social work education and further investigation on cultural and contextual factors contributing to an effective online flipped approach is warranted.

Neonate Simulators: Creatively Engaging Social Work Students in Understanding Risks of Alcohol Use during Pregnancy

Abstract Use of simulation-based education (SBE) in social work is growing. However, there is a lack of substance use training, for both post-qualified social workers and undergraduate social work students. This study addressed a gap in undergraduate substance use education around prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and its impact on foetal development. A mixed methods approach was used with undergraduate social work students across two universities in the Southwest of the UK. Both groups received a taught session on foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), completed pre- and post-taught session questionnaires assessing FAS knowledge, and had the opportunity to interact with the FAS neonate simulator. Creative activities around interaction with the FAS simulator enabled feedback on thoughts, feelings and practice implications. Findings revealed increased pre- to post-FAS knowledge and enhanced understanding of the long-term impacts of gestational alcohol use for the developing child. Social work students felt more aware of the impact of alcohol use during pregnancy and were more confident to address these issues through future practice. The use of FAS neonate simulators as a pedagogic tool is beneficial to help elucidate student knowledge on alcohol use during pregnancy and to increase confidence working with people who are pregnant who may be using alcohol or substances.

Integrating the Grand Challenges for social work into an undergraduate capstone course

ABSTRACT Over the last decade, social work has focused on identifying widespread societal problems that should drive research, teaching, and practice in the coming years. There are very few scholarly articles about the integration of the Grand Challenges into curricula, despite reports that about half of social work academic institutions have done so. This study provides pre-post data from a cohort of social work students who focused their undergraduate capstone experiences on the Grand Challenges. The vast majority of undergraduate social work students were initially unaware of the Grand Challenges. Students felt that they had significantly more perceived competence to address almost all of the Grand Challenges at the end of the course. There was increased interest in addressing smart decarceration. Integration of the Grand Challenges into undergraduate curricula should occur, especially as social workers prioritize work on restorative justice and mass incarceration.

Academic Motivation of Students Experiencing Person-Environment Misfit in Social Work Educational Settings: The Role of Social Dominance Orientation.

Interweaving social dominance, person-environment fit, and self-determination theories, the present study sought to understand whether the attrition between students' levels of social dominance orientation and the hierarchy-attenuating function of the social work faculty in which they study may influence students' academic motivational pathways. A total of 221 undergraduate social work students participated in the study and completed a self-report questionnaire. Participants' social dominance orientation, person-environment misfit, and academic intrinsic and extrinsic motivation were measured. Results indicated that students' social dominance orientation was associated with an external rather than an internal regulation of their academic motivation, mediated by their perceived person-environment misfit. For those students who personally support group-based inequalities, exposure to hierarchy-attenuating contexts would lead to regulating their academic behavior toward the pursuit of extrinsic (vs. intrinsic) goals, that is, studying to gain financial benefits and social prestige, in accordance with the pursuit of their beliefs of social dominance.

Social work undergraduate curriculum and the readiness of the students to practice in the field of mental health

ABSTRACT With the growing economic and sociopolitical challenges, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing use of social media, Nigeria is recording a continuous increase in mental health problems. Social workers are expected to be at the forefront of mental health management, which begs the question of whether student social workers are ready for mental health practice. This paper sets out to find out the extent to which the content of the undergraduate curriculum of the Department of Social Work, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, prepares the students to practice in the field of mental health. In-depth interviews were used to collect data from 20 purposively selected undergraduate social work students. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the generated data. Findings show that the students who participated in the study believed that the curriculum has sufficient mental health courses to prepare them to practice in the field of mental health. Highlighting the paramount role of educators, the participants also indicated a need to improve the delivery of the course contents by educators. With this, it is necessary to introduce practical context-based and innovative delivery methods like the recent use of video simulations for mental health service delivery training.

“Get Out There, Learn Something New”: Impact of a Short Term Domestic Academic Sojourn on Social Work Students

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory study was to understand the impact of a US-based two-week domestic academic study away program on undergraduate social work students’ understanding of the scope of social work practice, identity as professional social workers, and professional interests in the field. Nine participants were interviewed two years following the program. Data from the semi-structured interviews, journals completed on the program, and reflection papers completed immediately following the program were analyzed. Findings indicated that this applied learning experience had a transformational impact on their understanding of themselves, their cultural competence, and their subsequent social work practice.

Social work and social justice advocacy: a survey of BSW students’ attitudes and perceptions

ABSTRACT Over the last century, the social work profession has gained acceptance and recognition as a primary provider of mental health treatment services in the U.S. Many within the profession have voiced concerns that such recognition came at the cost of social work’s dedication to macro-level advocacy and activism. Nonetheless, research indicates that the majority of social work professionals identify social justice advocacy as integral to their identities and viewed as obligatory. However, little is known about the attitudes and beliefs of current social work students regarding the fit and function of social justice advocacy, insight that could prove helpful in planning for the social work profession’s future among the helping professions. The present study surveyed undergraduate social work students currently enrolled in one of five CSWE-accredited programs in Western New York State regarding their views of social justice advocacy and anticipated involvement in such advocacy once they enter the field. Participants indicated a strong belief in the value of social justice advocacy and expectation that they will engage in such activities as professional social workers, though they lack confidence and feel somewhat ill-prepared for doing so. Implications for social work curricula and education are discussed.

Prevalence and predictors of statistics anxiety among sociology and social work students

Anxiety in the context of quantitative reasoning courses is a complex and highly prevalent problem, particularly among students majoring in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Gaining an accurate understanding of the anxiety levels experienced by students enrolling in statistics courses can be regarded as one of the most important factors affecting students’ learning and achievement in these courses. In the current study, the Statistical Anxiety Rating Scale was applied to explore the prevalence and predictors of statistics anxiety among sociology and social work undergraduate students at Sultan Qaboos University (n=142). The results show that almost 71% of the examined students had experienced some aspects of statistics anxiety, with sociology students scoring noticeably higher than social work students. The leading predictors of higher statistics anxiety levels found in this study were as follows: test and class anxiety (80.2%) and interpretation anxiety (79.1%). Moreover, Welch’s test results show significant gender differences, with female students reporting higher levels of anxiety across all subscales than their male counterparts. Finally, some practical strategies of reducing statistics anxiety are discussed.
 Keywords: Statistics anxiety, gender differences, sociology, social work, Oman

Action replay role-play: promoting social work students’ communication skills through video enhanced reflective practice

ABSTRACT This article evaluates a collaboration between social work academics and educational psychologists using Video Enhanced Reflective Practice (VERP) to support the development of social work students’ communication and interpersonal skills. VERP is a strengths-based model of reflective practice and professional development that involves a specific method of video reflection to enhance individuals’ capacity for ‘attuned interactions’. An adapted model of VERP was implemented with first year UK-based undergraduate social work students during a ‘Readiness for Direct Practice’ module. The project was evaluated with a focus on eliciting the views of the students on how using the approach had affected their development of communication skills. The findings, based on a qualitative analysis of students’ self-reflection forms and a focus group, indicate the potential of this model for developing students’ awareness of the micro-skills involved in sensitive, attuned interactions, and building their confidence and sense of agency in using these skills. Potential benefits and limitations of using VERP in social work education and practice are discussed.

‘Say it with a photograph!’ exploring Greek and Italian students’ opinions and feelings about social work and migration through photovoice

ABSTRACT Continuous refugee crises have led to increasing numbers of social workers working in the migration field, yet the subject is under-represented in social work curricula in many European countries. This international research project aimed to investigate undergraduate social work students’ opinions and feelings about social work practice and migration through photovoice in two Universities in Italy and Greece. Two focus groups took place and subsequently two events about social work practice with migration were co-organized for the whole student cohorts in each University with the participation of social work professionals in the migration field and migrants as experts by experience. Data were analyzed based on qualitative thematic analysis. The findings revealed that social work in migration field is an unknown, fascinating but also unattractive theme for social work students, resulting in shallow understandings and negative representations of the migrant identity as well as their own professional role. Several implications for social work education are highlighted such as the need to prioritize content on social work practice and migration as well as the value of using creative and participatory approaches in class, such as photovoice.

Ethical Dilemmas in the Fieldwork Training of Social Work Students

ABSTRACT Undergraduate social work students are exposed to ethical and legal dilemmas during their fieldwork training. This article presents a study that examined these ethical dilemmas in an Israeli sample of undergraduate social work students. 117 students who participated in a course in ethics submitted 31 written presentations of ethical-dilemma analysis. Their oral presentations were recorded and transcribed. Using a qualitative analysis, three major themes emerged: 1. The tension between the duty to maintain client's confidentiality and its violation under certain conditions; 2. The students’ conflict of loyalty toward the client vs. the organization; 3. The question of the clients’ right to self-determination when, in the student's view, this is against their best interests. Our findings point to the vital role of an ethics course in the social work undergraduate curriculum that can enhance students’ knowledge of specific laws relevant to the limits of confidentiality in social work and their ability to analyze ethical dilemmas as future professionals. Furthermore, it is essential to raise awareness in educators and supervisors concerning moral distress that may afflict students coping with ethical dilemmas at this early professional developmental phase.

Contents of a transformative developmental social work curriculum

ABSTRACT South Africa is recognized as the most unequal society in the world. In the National Development Plan 2030 in 2012 the South African government has called on social workers to participate in transformation by addressing inequality. A pursuit of social justice highlights the need for a social work curriculum that is transformative in nature and cultivates an anti-colonial Global South approach. Transformative developmental social work based on social development theory is a modality of choice when it comes to practicing social work in Global South countries. It empowers social workers to contribute to social justice in societies that are plagued by inequality. Although South Africa has incorporated developmental social work into its social welfare policies, a knowledge gap still exists that hampers social workers in bridging the gap between theoretical training and practicing in Global South countries. It is, therefore, necessary for South Africa to develop social development training, and practice which answers to its own socio-political, cultural, and economic environment. To reach this objective, a curriculum is crucial in which social justice, human rights, and equality are pursued. The aim of the study was to develop a curriculum for undergraduate social work training in transformative developmental social work to enable social workers to contribute to social justice. A multi-method and multi-phased study approach were used for the purpose of curriculum and programme development. In phase one, a scoping review was done about current social development teaching in the Global South. During phase two, a quantitative cross-sectional study with newly graduated social workers was done. They completed the Social Justice Scales of Torres-Harding et al. Phase three was a qualitative descriptive study with young South Africans that were used to describe their experience of social justice in South Africa. These phases were used to gather information to guide the process of curriculum development. Curriculum contents were then verified using the Delphi Technique by social work teaching experts. The research study produced a curriculum for transformative developmental social work training for undergraduate social work students.

The Pathway between Social Dominance Orientation and Drop out from Hierarchy-Attenuating Contexts: The Role of Moral Foundations and Person-Environment Misfit.

The present study examines the role of individuals' preference for unequal intergroup relations in exacerbating a process of differential attrition from organizations that value intergroup equality (i.e., hierarchy-attenuating contexts). We proposed that people functioning within a well-recognized hierarchy-attenuating context (i.e., students of social work) who were higher on social dominance orientation (SDO) would be more likely to leave their institution through two pathways; first, people higher on SDO would have fewer moral concerns of social fairness and human harm-avoidance (i.e., individualizing); in turn, a lack of individualizing morality would stimulate a perceived person-environment misfit, ultimately increasing their intention to leave. We conducted a single cross-sectional design study involving a convenience sample of 245 undergraduate social work students. Overall, the results of the serial mediation model suggest that people higher on SDO intend to leave their organization that supports inclusive equality via reduced individualizing morality and high perceived P-E misfit. These findings contribute to understanding the role of socio-political orientations and moral beliefs in hindering proper adaptation to contexts that value egalitarian social norms, with relevant implications for individuals and groups.

Social work teaching and learning in the era of COVID-19: Lessons for the future

In 2020, the UK and Ireland, and indeed most countries across the globe, found themselves unprepared to deal with a worldwide pandemic (BASW, 2020; Mellish et al., 2020). Indeed, in the UK and Ireland, health and social care workers had to respond to unprecedented situations and adapt quickly and extensively to the health, social and economic dimensions of the crisis (Egan et al., 2020; BASW,2020). It is timely, then, to consider the role of the social worker and the impact on social work training for undergraduate students in light of the changes that have taken place as a result of the global pandemic. The COVID-19 restrictions led to the rise of new forms of social engagement and interaction, as well as the need for professionals, including social workers, to develop new digital skills. This paper will draw on the findings from an online survey (using qualitative and quantitative question sets) conducted with 30 undergraduate social work students in 2021. The survey explored student experiences of online teaching during their ‘preparation for practice learning’ module and the extent to which this online teaching prepared them for their practice learning opportunity (PLO) that followed during a time of strict COVID-19 measures, including social distancing. Recent research has been conducted that highlights the benefits of blended learning (online and face-to-face) as a strong pedagogical approach (Finlay et al., 2022; Karma et al., 2021). As we transition back to face-to-face teaching and learning, this paper will consider the implications of online learning for social work students, analyse the benefits and limitations of this to the learning and practice environment and capture the lessons to hold on to for the future.

Video narratives as a trauma-informed pedagogical tool in remote social work education

ABSTRACT This article describes the use of video narratives with undergraduate social work students to assist with implementing explicit and implicit curricula during remote instruction due to COVID-19. While use of video narratives was not originally planned in a senior capstone course, technology was quickly employed to help students process feelings about grief and loss associated with abruptly ending classes and activities. Modification of assignments to promote student discussions about the mutual crisis is consistent with a trauma-informed teaching approach. Data collected from a cohort of undergraduate social work students reveals strong satisfaction by students with the use of video narratives and supports their use in social work courses in the future, regardless of the requirement for remote instruction. Ideas for promoting the use of video narratives as a social work pedagogical tool during times of mutual crisis and more broadly are presented.

Qualitative exploration of undergraduate social work students’ perceptions of sexual minorities in Nigeria

ABSTRACT Nigeria has been observed as a country with cultures, religious beliefs and legislation that drive negative perceptions, discrimination and oppression of sexual minorities. This calls for the intervention of social workers with the mandate of ensuring social justice and the protection of minorities. We explored the perception of potential social workers in the penultimate and ultimate years about sexual minorities to highlight their preparedness for this undertaking. The data collected from 18 students using semi-structured interviews were coded with NVivo 12 and analyzed in themes. We found that 16 of the sampled 18 students had negative perceptions of sexual minorities, which resulted in the widespread endorsement of oppression and abuse of homosexuals. We also found that Nigeria’s social work education curriculum is limited in preparing students for practice with sexual minorities. We concluded by recommending a review of the social work education curriculum for more inclusive training.