An Exploratory Investigation of an Interprofessional Approach to Research Methods

Background

Social work education has been ahead of the curve in terms of the increasing trend in interprofessional education, specifically regarding student field experiences. Field education is social work’s token pedagogy and provides students with applied learning experiences. While field education is a practical forum for applied learning to take place, other areas of the social work curriculum can be enhanced through the adoption of applied learning. Moreover, applied learning is a valuable pedagogical approach that places students in experiences requiring them to integrate the learning that occurs in a formal classroom setting and apply that knowledge to broader real-world situations. In an effort to expand on the notion of interprofessional education and applied learning beyond field education, a social work department at a university in the southeast explored the idea of creating an interprofessional collaboration of research methods instructors from human services and social science disciplines. The purpose of this endeavor was to determine if such a collaboration was feasible, beneficial, and practical for multiple disciplines. This study examines the results of the focus group used to determine the need and establish the foundation for what is termed the Research Educators Applied Learning Collaborative (REAL-C).

Methods

The data presented in this study were collected during a focus group that consisted of 22 faculty representing 12 disciplines (e.g. Social Work, Nursing, Psychology, Sociology, and Public Health). All data were transcribed and imported into QSR NVivo 10 for analysis. A grounded theory approach (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) was used to analyze the data including forming open codes, axial codes, and finally forming themes.

Results

Four themes emerged from the data including 1) Interest in Interdisciplinary Teaching Collaborations, 2) Challenges in Teaching/Implementing Instructional Research, 3) Resources Available Across Disciplines, and 4) Next Steps for REAL-C. The four themes demonstrated the similarities and highlighted some differences across disciplines for faculty who teach research methods. Faculty in the study represented junior and senior faculty all of whom had a commitment to teaching and enhancing student experiences through applied learning. The participants agreed that collaborating in interdisciplinary teaching approaches and resource sharing will greatly improve the student learning experience. Faculty were concerned with instilling student appreciation to research while also blending newer technologies with old standards to engage students at all levels and areas of the curriculum.

Conclusions

Social Work faculty have an opportunity to be leaders in research education, particularly in mentoring students on designs redressing power imbalances, human centered foci, and decolonizing methodologies. This research reveals data from one university for whom faculty are engaged in improving curriculum across disciplines and being led by social work faculty. To date, the REAL-C is an active campus community group. The group has developed a platform to share and exchange class material, teaching tools, and scholarship. Several faculty members have developed and are currently implementing an RCT evaluating the effectiveness of applied learning experiences on learning outcomes across three disciplines. Implications will be discussed for developing and implementing a similar inter professional group among peer institutions.