Learning Practice Competences As Signature Pedagoty in Social Work Curriculum

                                                                            Background

Council on Social Work Education (CSWE, 2008) designated field instruction as the signature pedagogy of social work profession. Through the field practicum, developing practitioners learn critical skills as fundamental for practice competence. Particularly, Shulman (2005a, 2005b) emphasized the integration of knowledge and skills in teaching and learning. Additionally, he explained that professional education involves socializing students into the way, practices, and habits of discipline (2005b). However, limited empirical studies are available to support the assertion that field instruction is the signature pedagogy of social work (Holden, Barker, & Rogenberg, 2011). Furthermore, Larrison and Korr (2013) critiqued the view that field education is the only signature pedagogies in social work curriculum. In response to the Larrison and Korr’s critiques, this study explores student’s learning process in social work curriculum. Particularly, this study looks at changes in student’s self-rated practice competences during an academic school year with research competence over the sequent research courses and field learning activities in field placement.

Purpose

This study explores how students develop practice competence and research competence during their academic year; (2) how students participate in learning activities during their field practicum. Additionally, this study examines impacts of field learning activities and research competence on practice competences. 

Methods

Sample included MSW students in a public university in Southeast Oho. As a part of longitudinal study, students were asked to complete a paper survey three times during an academic calendar year. Through a paper questionnaire, the study measured practice competences, field learning activities, research competences on 5 point scale, and personal characteristics. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to detect the differences in competences and learning activities over three time points.

Results

Sixty three students completed the survey questionnaires three times over their academic year from spring semester to fall semester: female (87.1%), currently employed (72.6%), and practice-experiences (77.0%). Students rated their practice competence (mean = 3.78, sd = .68) and research competence (mean = 3.86, sd = .69) as competent.

2^nd MSW students showed a significant improvement in practice competence over the three time points (F = 5.59, p < .006). Given this significant finding, a Bonferroni test indicated statistically significant improvements in practice competence between time points: time 2 and 3 (p < .01). The results also showed significant difference over the time points in research competence (F = 35.29, p < .000) and field learning activities. However, MSW foundation students (mean = 3.48, sd = .15) as control group reported significantly lower research competences than 2^ndMSW students (mean = 3.93, sd = .09) over three time points. 

Discussion and Implications

Overall, developing practice competence was associated with student’s learning opportunities in field placement. However, practice competence was also associated with research experience in social work research sequence courses.  Thus, MSW students learn professional skills and social work professional behaviors through field practicum and social work curriculum.  Signature pedagogy of social work may need to revise in order to include field practicum as well as social work courses in the curriculum.