Social Work Student Perceptions of Preparedness for Macro Practice

Background: The history of the social work profession is based upon service delivery that aligns strongly with macro practice. Broadly speaking, macro practitioners are situated to address “organizational, community, and policy roots of social injustice,” a critical skill set needed to effectively support marginalized populations (McBeath, 2016, p. 5). However, while the complex social issues that clients and communities face require social workers to provide interventions that cut across micro, mezzo, and macro domains, emphasis on micro practice and education has limited learning opportunities for students interested in macro practice (Holtz Deal, Hopkins, Fisher, & Hartin, 2007). As a result, macro social work students are potentially ill-prepared for future practice. This study examines perceptions of preparedness for macro practice via two questions: (1) To what extent do students feel prepared for macro practice? And (2) What factors influence perceptions of preparedness?

Methods: Results from a national mixed-methods online survey comprising 56 items were utilized to assess BSW, MSW, and Ph.D. student (n = 290) perceptions of preparedness for macro practice based on their educational and field experiences. Logistic regression was used to examine factors influencing student perceptions of preparedness for macro practice. Grounded theory was utilized for open-ended responses with two independent coders using line-by-line opening coding and constant comparison until themes emerged. Memo writing and an audit trail were completed for measures of trustworthiness.

Results: Only 42% of students reported feeling prepared or very prepared for macro practice. Unsurprisingly, those self-identifying as macro or mezzo practitioners were more likely to report feeling prepared than all other students (p<.01), including those who identified as generalist practitioners. However, when examining individual (e.g., age, race, sex) and institutional (e.g., program size, provision of macro courses and internships) factors likely to influence feelings of preparation, only a stated interest in macro practice proved significant (p<.01).

Qualitative analysis provided key findings regarding perceptions of preparedness not measured in the survey, including the importance of Faculty Specializing in Macro Practice; Macro Practice Encouragement by Faculty; Quality of Macro Internships; Infusion of Macro Practice across Courses; and Classroom Discussion about Intersectionality between Micro, Mezzo, and Macro Practice. Additional sub-themes emerged identifying: Lack of Preparedness Due to Negative Perceptions of Macro Practice shared by Faculty; Disregard of Macro Practice within Classroom Discussions; and Inadequate Macro Course Offerings.

Conclusions & Implications: Integrating macro theory and frameworks across the curriculum may more effectively train and prepare social work students for macro practice. Faculty can facilitate macro content being infused across coursework and field experiences alike to positively impact student training and perceptions. Implications for social work education will be examined related to identifying barriers that impact student preparedness for macro practice.