Predictors of Tribal and Nontribal Students' Readiness for Child Welfare Work

Background

Studies have shown that professionally educated social workers are better prepared for child welfare work, stay longer, and use best practices. Meanwhile, not only is there a shortage of professionally trained American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) social workers in the workforce, but higher education institutions struggle to recruit and graduate AI/AN students (Cross, Day, Gogliotti, & Pung, 2013).This study looked at differences in classroom, field, and personal factors predicting tribal and nontribal students’ perceived job readiness.  

Methods

Longitudinal data were collected from 64 BSW and MSW students who received child welfare stipends from 2008-2013. These tribal and nontribal students were enrolled in the same five social work programs. Surveys were administered in the fall of the first year of stipend receipt and the spring of each year of enrollment. Measures included Readiness for Child Welfare Work (Readiness), Field Placement Fit (FPF), Instructional Content (IC), and Perceptions of Child Welfare Work Scale (PCWS), all measured on a 6-point scale.

Participants were mostly female (86%) and pursued a BSW degree (55%). Self-reported ethnic identity were 25% AI/AN (tribal), 12% black/African-American, 8% Latino, 50% white/Caucasian, and 5% Other.

Results

Preliminary correlation analyses indicated a different pattern of relationships between variables for nontribal and tribal students. For nontribal students, all variables were significantly positively correlated with Readiness. For tribal students (n = 17), only FPF was significantly positively correlated with Readiness. A t-test indicated that tribal students reported greater readiness, on average, than did nontribal students, t(79) = 1.87, p = .066 (trend-level).

To determine which factors were most predictive of Readiness, we regressed it on FPF, IC, PCWS, and a dummy variable Tribal student (0=nontribal, 1=tribal). The model was significant, F(4, 59) = 7.45, p ≤ .001, model R² = .034. Significant predictors were PCWS and FPF, indicating that having a strong field education design and believing the public has a positive perception of child welfare related to higher perceived readiness. Both IC and Tribal student were trend-level predictors of readiness (p = .061 and .089, respectively).

Implications:

This study examined the relationship between stipend students’ perceived job readiness and aspects of their social work education and individual-level factors. Despite the small sample size, trend-level results indicated that tribal students felt better motived, ready, and committed to child welfare than did nontribal students in the same social work programs. While classroom education contributed to feeling ready, it was the on-the-job, practical application from their field education that helped students feel most prepared for child welfare work. In addition, results indicated that negative perceptions of child welfare by the public can undermine student readiness to be a successful child welfare professional. These findings contribute to the conversation about what social work education can do to help educate and retain a tribal student body and workforce.

References:

Cross, S. L., Day, A., Gogliotti, L. J., & Pung, J. J. (2013). Challenges to recruit and retain American Indian and Alaskan Natives into social work programs: The impact on the child welfare workforce. Child Welfare, 92(4), 31-53.