Social Workers Explicit and Implicit Use of Theory and Methods in Practice: A Pilot Study

Background:

Social work practice is grounded in knowledge from social work, social sciences, and the humanities, which consists of theories, methods, concepts, practice wisdom, and research findings (Reid, 2002). Although the global definition of social work (IFSW, 2014) stipulates social work is underpinned by theory, and social work education programs within the US are required to integrate theory in their explicit curriculum (CSWE, 2022), there is a dearth of knowledge and evidence around how theory is being translated and used in professional practice both globally and within the US.

Methods:

This exploratory study employed a two-part qualitative design consisting of individual interviews and focus groups. The researchers developed a case vignette research tool to implement with social workers to help identify the explicit and implicit theories and methods they use in their practice, how social workers decide to use a theory or method in practice, and how they implement them in their practice while acknowledging any barriers and facilitators. The following additional research question was added: Are there differences in how social workers talk about their use of theories and methods in their practice when asked individually versus asked within a focus group setting? Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted virtually between November 2022 and January 2023 with 13 social workers licensed in New York or New Jersey. Additionally, two focus groups were conducted in March 2023 with ten social workers licensed in New York or New Jersey. The participants were presented with the two case vignettes and asked to discuss aloud how they would approach the case; any theories that influences their approach to this case; any information that was critical to their assessment of the case; any particular theories or methods they would want to implement; and any potential barriers or facilitators to implementing their knowledge in practice. A content analysis was conducted to analyze the data and identify themes.

Results:

In congruence with the researchers’ previous research, data analysis indicated that social workers do have knowledge of social work theories and methods. There was both implicit and explicit theory knowledge in that some social workers were able to verbalize theory use, and some theory and method use was implied despite the social workers being unable to name the theory. Through the focus group data, a total of 14 theories and methods were explicitly named and another four theories and methods were implicitly discussed, evidenced by the way the social workers described how they would approach the case vignette. Eight additional social work approaches (i.e. “meeting the client where they’re at”) were explicitly named and discussed by participants.

Conclusions & Implications:

This research seeks to further the knowledge of social workers’ use of theories and methods in practice to inform and shape the course content delivered in social work education, enhance the effectiveness of social work supervision and, thus, strengthen the future of social work practice.