Voces De Cambio: Student Interest in Spanish Language and Culture Integration into MSW Curriculum

Background/Purpose: The Latinx population is the one of the fastest growing racial demographics in both the local community where we conducted the research and the country. A significant portion of Latinx residents speak Spanish as their primary language, resulting in both language and cultural barriers when interacting with the healthcare system. This results in health disparities such as poorer health and higher rates of chronic conditions. Additionally, the current political climate has resulted in increased stress. Social workers, with their dedication to social justice, are in an ideal position to help reduce healthcare barriers. However, educational opportunities for MSW students are limited in this area. A brief Google review of current graduate school programs, courses, and certificate programs in the United States reveal only 16 nationwide, with none located in the DMV. The current study was carried out to gauge student interest for including a Spanish Language and Latinx Culture course in the current curricula.

Methods: Data was collected via survey distributed to current foundation MSW students (n=41, 8.72% of student population) and advanced MSW students (n=26, 10.63%) with the goal of assessing student interest in signing up for a course that would provide training in working with Spanish speaking and Latinx clients. The Qualtrics survey was distributed through a program-wide student group chat, emails sent to classes, and advertising in a weekly program-wide faculty email. The survey included 1 demographic question on current status as a student; 3 quantitative questions (4 for graduating students), and 1 qualitative question. Quantitative questions were analyzed via summary data. The qualitative question was coded independently by two coders (interrater reliability of 76.47%) with a third arbitrating for perceived interest in the course.

Results: Only 14% (n=3) out of (n=22) responding graduate students feel at least somewhat prepared to work with Spanish speaking populations. 90% of survey respondents (n=53) out of (n=59) strongly or somewhat agreed that they would choose to enroll in the proposed course. On average, survey respondents indicated that having Spanish language as a priority in their curriculum was a 4.03/5 and Latinx culture a 3.82/5 (with 5 being the highest priority). After coding the qualitative question, 37% of respondents (n=19) had the highest level of perceived interest in the course, and 41% (n=21) had the second highest level of perceived interest. Validity checks of the coded categories using summary data and bar charts indicated a trend of increasing agreement/priority on the quantitative questions based on level of perceived interest category in the qualitative question.

Conclusions/Implications: In an increasingly diverse society, delivering linguistically and culturally competent care is more essential than ever. This research highlights an opportunity for the MSW program to equip future social workers with the necessary skills to address the unique needs of Latinx populations. Implementing a specialized course focused on recognizing and considering cultural and linguistic factors in the care of Latinx populations would enhance the ability of social workers to effectively serve the mid-Atlantic city community, creating a more inclusive, responsive, and equitable public health system.