Evaluating Efforts to Address Race & Racism in Social Work Education: Embracing and Exploring the Complexities

Background

Racism has been identified as America’s grand challenge (Davis, 2016). Race and racism are key constructs in social work education as they impact students’ capacity to challenge injustice and honor difference in practice. However, evaluating the impact of educational interventions aimed at a racially diverse groups of students poses challenges. Racism is intentionally elusive. Our understanding of racism is shaped by geography, experiences, and identities in ways that mute or heighten our ability to emotionally and intellectually connect with issues and one another. As such, educators must be able to evaluate their efforts from multiple perspectives, and embrace complexity in their design. Mixed methods have been posited as a methodological approach that encourages researchers to embrace complexity and contradiction (Greene, 2007). This paper will explore the contradictions raised in the evaluation of an educational intervention intended to equip social work students to address race and racism in their learning and practice.

Methods

Data were collected via an online pre/post survey of participants who attended a day-long, experiential, educational intervention focused on racial injustice. The survey aimed to assess participants prior to the event, and evaluate the educational intervention. Items assessed knowledge and awareness related to race and racism, and efficacy for and engagement in action. Secondary data analysis was conducted on the 2016 data to explore contradictions and complexity within which evaluative outcomes could be understood. Pre-test data included 48 respondents; post-test included 40 - predominantly female and under age 25. Thematic analysis of open-ended responses and independent samples t-tests of Likert-type items were conducted to identify areas participants differed by race in their experiences and perspectives. Independent samples t-tests were conducted on pre/post survey responses.

Results

Analysis of racial groups identified differences in experiences and expectations. Participants who identified as people of color reported growing up in households that discussed racism (t(46)=2.62, p<.05) to a greater extent, and living in communities that had a positive perception of law enforcement (t(46)=-4.25, p<.05) to a lesser extent as compared to whites. There was no significant difference in extent to which racial groups grew up in households that discussed race. Themes in open-ended responses identified that participants of color focused on the systemic nature of racism, whereas the white participants focused on individual and interpersonal impacts. Similarly, white participants described their expectations in a disembodied manner, emphasizing learning about race and racism from others. Independent samples t-tests conducted on pre/post-survey data identified significant increases in key intended outcomes, including confidence in working to address racism (t(85)=-4.44, p<.05), and comfort having dialogue with others (t(85)=-2.37, p<.05). Key areas of intended knowledge acquisition did not show significant changes.  

Conclusion & Implications

Exploratory analysis indicates students engaging in educational interventions to increase their capacity to address racial injustice have differing experiences that shape their perceptions and expectations. As such, social work educators should examine the use of data to inform curriculum design that meets students where they are, and that evaluates their competence and personal growth through a lens of complexity and context.