Attitudes and Competencies Regarding Receptiveness to Evidence-Based Practice: Social Work and Students Other Helping Professions

Background

There has been increasing emphasis on the importance of using of evidence-based practice (EBP) in social work, as well as in other helping professions. The CSWE (2016) posits that EBP requires social workers to: critically examine the literature; determine appropriate interventions; consider how to apply these in practice.  To use EBP requires several steps, and is something of a science of its own.  The CSWE has also remarked on the importance and challenge of teaching students of social work how to employ EBP.  Despite this, few studies have focused on students’ receptiveness to using EBP.

The current study examined students’ receptiveness to using EBP. The sample included students majoring in social work, and those majoring in other helping professions (nursing, psychology, etc.) taking a social work course elective.  Researchers sought to examine: Are there differences in attitudes toward EBP between students of social work and students of other helping professions? 2) Are there differences in EBP competencies between students of social work and students other helping professions?

Methods

During fall 2015, researchers surveyed students enrolled in four social work courses at two universities, to gauge attitudes and competencies related to EBP. In total, 89 students met the inclusion criteria and completed the survey.  

Researchers used an abbreviated version of the Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale.  Researchers included questions relevant to 4 EBP competencies, including research skills and awareness of sources of information about EBP.  Additionally, researchers examined 9 attitudes related to EBP, including the beliefs that EBP is “too narrowly focused” and “not individualized”.

Responses to questions about the 4 competencies were grouped to create a continuous variable; possible responses ranged from 4 (low competence) to 29 (high competence).  Responses to questions about the 7 attitudes were grouped; possible responses ranged from 7 (negative attitude toward EBP) to 35 (positive attitude toward EBP).

Results

            Two t-tests were run to compare means between social work and non-social work majors on EBP attitudes and competencies.  Results suggest there is a significant difference between social work majors (M=16.64) and students in other helping professions (M=18.04) in self-rated EBP competencies, t(104)=-1.95, p=.05. However, there was a no significant difference between social work majors (M=21.09) and non social work majors (M=20.75) on EBP attitudes, t(104)=.56, p=.58.

Further analysis uncovered that there were significant differences between groups to many of the “attitudes” items, but they were not significant as a grouped variable.  For example, social work majors were significantly more likely to report willingness to utilize interventions developed by researchers (t=2.02), and less likely to believe that EBP is “not individualized treatment” (t=-2.64).

Conclusions

            Results of the current study indicate that social work majors may feel less competent in utilizing EBP than their peers in other helping professions. However, based on some significant differences in EBP attitudes, social work majors may have more positive attitudes and be more willing to utilize EBP.  Understanding these differences are important for educators, who should seek to engage social work students to improve their EBP competencies and attitudes.