Diversity Content in Social Work Education: Considering Faculty Perspective and Preparedness

Background and Purpose:

The evolving nature of diversity in higher education, the importance of including perspectives of faculty who teach through a multicultural lens, and the recent surge of social injustices in American society collectively calls for research that provides a unique perspective inclusive of diverse participants. This qualitative study used in-depth interviews to explore the experiences of thirteen undergraduate social work faculty. Participants were asked to describe how they implement diversity curriculum, examine their definition of diversity, and how they approached intersectionality in their classrooms. Faculty accounts can help inform anti-racist, culturally responsive, and inclusive teaching pedagogies that support moving students from culturally competent to culturally responsive.

Methods:

Few qualitative studies exist with a focus on faculty perspectives around teaching diversity and cultural competence (Comerford, 2004; Havig, 2013). This presentation will share the results of a qualitative research project focused on faculty perspectives and recognizing a crucial component of teaching diversity, equity, and inclusion in social work education is missing. Interviews included questions such as: How is diversity taught in your program? (i.e., infusion or single course design). How does your program determine which faculty teach diversity courses? How does your program define diversity? In what ways are topics of diversity brought into the classroom?

Data analysis for this study was completed by this researcher using the flowchart of data analysis process (Giorgi, et al., 2017). Unique to phenomenological data analysis is the inclusion of scientific reduction, a strategy that contributes to reliability of the data. It is through reduction that the researcher brackets personal knowledge and/or experiences of the phenomenon to stay present with exactly what is presented by participants (Phillips-Pula et al., 2011).

Results:

Through an exploration of how faculty experience teaching topics of diversity in undergraduate social work programs, this study was able, in part, to answer the question: How do faculty in accredited undergraduate social work programs address issues related to teaching diversity and cultural competence in the classroom? Findings from interviews show common experiences summarized as:

1. Faculty aim to present diversity in a sensitive manner with consideration for their students and defer to CSWE for defining diversity.
2. Faculty recognize their intersectionality, are sometimes willing to include this in the classroom and want to learn ways to facilitate conversations on intersectionality with students.
3. Faculty act as educational practitioners by engaging in reflective behaviors.

Conclusions and Implications:

This study produced previously unknown, detailed information from a diverse sampling of undergraduate social work faculty in the United States. Future research should continue efforts to understand faculty experiences with a goal of uncovering approaches to anti-racist social work education and be replicated using descriptive phenomenology to monitor the extent to which there is a progression towards anti-racist social work educational practices. Finally, what are the implications for faculty of color who teach at HBCU’s and carry the sole responsibility to teach diversity, social justice, inclusion, and culturally responsive social work practices? Can White faculty effectively facilitate learning environments centered on these topics as well?