Showing papers in "Journal of Social Work Education in 1995"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe five steps in a developmental research project designed to take the sadistics out of statistics, and identify the instructional objectives and procedures to achieve them, and explore methods and tools for evaluating the course.
Abstract: Social work students generally dread statistics courses, and social work educators appear to share this apprehension. This article describes five steps in a developmental research project designed to take the sadistics out of statistics. First, statistics anxiety is examined and identified as an educational problem. Second, instructional objectives and procedures to achieve them are identified. Third, methods and tools for evaluating the course are explored. Fourth and fifth, strategies for and obstacles to making widespread use of this approach are considered.
105 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors report findings from a national survey of MSW programs on the situations or behaviors that led them to develop or consider developing policies for nonacademic-based student terminations.
Abstract: This article reports findings from a national survey of MSW programs on the situations or behaviors that led them to develop or consider developing policies for nonacademic-based student terminations. The authors describe the most common behaviors reported, analyze the policy and procedure documents submitted by the MSW programs, and make recommendations based on their analyses.
73 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe the establishment of a group that encourages doctoral students to write for publication while focusing on the quality of their written work, and discuss implications for other social work programs wishing to nurture publication productivity.
Abstract: Research Notes, a new feature of the Journal, presents short reports of current research in social work education. Each report presents a synopsis of the purpose, methodology, results, and conclusions of the study. The authors describe the establishment of a group that encourages doctoral students to write for publication while focusing on the quality of their written work. They detail the steps taken in starting the group, describe the group's internal review process, share results of an evaluation of the group's first year, and discuss implications for other social work programs wishing to nurture publication productivity.
52 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a model political social work curriculum for the University of Houston's MSW program, emphasizing the debates that surround politicized social work education, the importance of political actors and context in the development of the program, and the nature of its "integrated" approach.
Abstract: If social work education should be political, what should be the content of a model political social work curriculum? Reflecting the increasing demand in our profession for a truly culturally diverse, empowerment-based, and social justice-oriented curriculum, the University of Houston developed in a concentration in political social work for the MSW program This article describes this model curriculum, emphasizing the debates that surround politicized social work education, the importance of political actors and context in the development of the program, and the nature of its “integrated” approach to political social work
47 citations
TL;DR: The authors discusses the role of social work education-preparing students for culturally competent practice in the context of a broad societal conflict over multicultural education and calls for an open debate on the profession's competing perspectives and its failures to achieve goals in relation to multicultural education.
Abstract: This article discusses the role of social work education-preparing students for culturally competent practice—in the context of a broad societal conflict over multicultural education. Antithetical perspectives on three themes of the multiculturalism debate are examined: visions of community, educational quality, and social change. Examination of the themes in relation to social work education reveals that the debate within the profession is passive, indirect, and submerged compared with the open debate in higher education in general. This article calls for an open debate on the profession’s competing perspectives and its failures to achieve goals in relation to multicultural education and practice.
45 citations
TL;DR: The authors examined the major factors involved in choosing to enter social work for 746 undergraduate students studied over a 10-year period and found that although altruism remains the touchstone for their choice, students are motivated by both service to others and job self-interest.
Abstract: This article examines the major factors involved in choosing to enter social work for 746 undergraduate students studied over a 10-year period. Its findings suggest that, although altruism remains the touchstone for their choice, students are motivated by both service to others and job self-interest. The findings also indicate that the dimensions of motivation for choosing social work have not significantly changed over the last 10 years. The implications for these findings are also discussed.
43 citations
TL;DR: The authors explored the influence of social work education on students' professional identification and practice interests and found that most students are still attuned to social work's traditional mission, and that graduate education does have significant influence on practice interests, especially for beginning students.
Abstract: To explore the influence of social work education on students' professional identification and practice interests (and to examine recent concern that students' career goals no longer match social work's traditional mission), authors of this study surveyed 180 graduate students at one school of social work at the beginning and end of the 1991-92 academic year Analysis focusing on the students' interest in 12 practice areas was undertaken for three cohorts: beginning MSW students, second-year MSW students, and BSW graduates who entered directly into the second year of MSW study The results indicate that most students are still attuned to social work's traditional mission, and that graduate education does have significant influence on practice interests and self-identification, especially for beginning students Implications for the design of graduate programs are also explored
37 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that it may be useful to reconceptualize process recording as a continuum of techniques and make suggestions for incorporating a range of techniques into an enhanced learning experience for social work students, a model for training field instructors in these methods is described, and a recommendation for ongoing renewal of teaching methodologies.
Abstract: Process recording has been used in social work field education for many years. The traditional format for a process recording is a written verbatim report of the transaction between worker and client. This article argues that it may be useful to reconceptualize process recording as a continuum of techniques. The proposed continuum is outlined, strengths and weaknesses of the various methods are described, suggestions are made for incorporating a range of techniques into an enhanced learning experience for social work students, a model for training field instructors in these methods is described, and the article concludes with a recommendation for ongoing renewal of teaching methodologies.
35 citations
TL;DR: The academic affiliations of the authors of all articles published in six social work journals between 1989 and 1993 were reviewed and tabulated to produce a ranking of the colleges and universities whose faculty are making the most substantive contributions to the social work literature.
Abstract: The academic affiliations of the authors of all articles published in six social work journals between 1989 and 1993 were reviewed and tabulated to produce a ranking of the colleges and universities whose faculty are making the most substantive contributions to the social work literature. The results of this analysis are compared with the findings of two similar, previously published studies covering the five-year periods of 1979-1983 and 1984-1988.
34 citations
TL;DR: In this article, an ethnographic research method that is taught as a way of studying different cultural groups is described, where students learn to be sensitive observers of other cultures by conducting ethnographic interviews and forming assessments within a culturally relevant framework.
Abstract: This article describes an ethnographic research method that is taught as a way of studying different cultural groups. Students learn to be sensitive observers of other cultures by conducting ethnographic interviews and forming assessments within a culturally relevant framework. In using this approach, faculty, fieldwork instructors, and students alike have noted improvement in students’ awareness of diversity and their ability to bridge cultures with sensitivity. In essence, students learn how to learn about other cultures.
30 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focused on 1,349 full-length articles published by the faculty of 45 U.S. doctoral programs between January 1990 and September 1993 in 21 social work journals and 193 non-social work journals.
Abstract: The majority of previous studies of publication productivity of social work faculty reviewed only a handful of social work journals and did not distinguish between types of academic programs. This study focuses on 1,349 full-length articles published by the faculty of 45 U.S. doctoral programs between January 1990 and September 1993 in 21 social work journals and 193 non-social work journals. Analysis of the rankings of journals and of the total and per capita production of individual programs produced several notable findings: programs varied greatly in publication rates, but 42.2% averaged less than one article per faculty member during the 3 3/4 years studied; seven journals contained nearly 60% of the articles in social work journals; and over 40% of the articles appeared in non-social work journals. Implications of these findings for professional education are identified and discussed.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors address major educational issues related to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and present case law for admissions, classroom accommodations, and field placements.
Abstract: This article addresses major educational issues related to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Because students with disabilities are entering higher education in ever larger numbers, and with greater expectations for accommodation than those of a generation ago, social work educators and administrators should be aware of the implications of these two statutes and relevant case law for admissions, classroom accommodations, and field placements.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explored the relationship between scholarly productivity and institutional reputation among leading schools of social work and proposed an index, the critical mass of scholarly activity, for determining institutional scholarly productivity.
Abstract: This study explores the relationship between scholarly productivity—as evidenced in publication and citation rates—and institutional reputation among leading schools of social work. Using the Social Sciences Citation Index to establish publication and citation records for 333 faculty members from 13 schools of social work, the authors (a) examine 7 hypotheses on publication/citation rates and institutional productivity, and (b) compare their study to those conducted previously. They propose an index, the “critical mass of scholarly activity,” for determining institutional scholarly productivity.
TL;DR: The authors compare narrative approaches with psychodynamic and systemic approaches, and suggest ways to integrate their coverage into curricula built around the dominant traditional approaches and suggest that narrative approaches are well suited for the diverse populations served by social workers.
Abstract: Academic programs in clinical social work often focus on either psychodynamic or systemic approaches. Narrative approaches grounded in postmodern theory also merit attention, as they are well suited for the diverse populations served by social workers. In narrative approaches, practitioners help clients to deconstruct and reconstruct their own life stories, and thereby to empower themselves. This paper compares narrative approaches with psychodynamic and systemic approaches, and suggests ways to integrate their coverage into curricula built around the dominant traditional approaches.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that graduate students' values and personal orientations are important in determining their aptitude for human service management and that social work education should maintain or even strengthen its involvement in training future managers.
Abstract: This study argues that graduate students’ values and personal orientations are important in determining their aptitude for human service management. This article reports on a fall 1989 study which compared the answers of beginning MSW and MBA students to nearly 50 scaled statements on values and personal orientation. Because the qualities on which the MSW students outscored their MBA counterparts all support effective leadership of human service agencies, the authors posit that social work education should maintain or even strengthen its involvement in training future managers.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors compared the results of two methods of ranking the influence of journals based on citation counts: Social Sciences Citation Index (SCI) and core influence scores.
Abstract: This article compares the results of two methods of ranking the influence of journals based on citation counts. For 22 core social work journals, ranking by Social Sciences Citation Index’s “impact factors” is compared with ranking by “core influence” scores, which count citations only within the same core journals. The substantial differences between the rankings suggest that impact factors do not accurately indicate the most influential journals within the discipline of social work. The implications of these findings for faculty and libraries are discussed.
TL;DR: The growing practice of arranging and financing "foster placement" of abused and neglected children with relatives provides an opportunity to redefine relationships between extended families and the child welfare system as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The growing practice of arranging and financing “foster placement” of abused and neglected children with relatives provides an opportunity to redefine relationships between extended families and the child welfare system. The dilemmas and possibilities presented by kinship care as a child welfare service challenge schools of social work to provide intellectual leadership and to prepare social workers for changing child welfare practice. The author's ideas concerning responses to this challenge focus on key mandates of the Council on Social Work Education's Curriculum Policy Statement and on five principal curriculum areas in social work education.
TL;DR: In this article, the employment provisions of the recently enacted Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and its use in combating poverty for individuals with disabilities are examined and suggested for infusing this content into the professional foundation curriculum.
Abstract: Statistics consistently demonstrate that people with disabilities are the poorest, least educated, and largest minority population in America. This article examines the employment provisions of Title I of the recently enacted Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and its use in combating poverty for individuals with disabilities. The ADA in its entirety, and Title I in particular, is useful both as an advocacy and pedagogical tool to understand and alleviate poverty, oppression, and discrimination. Suggestions for infusing this content into the professional foundation curriculum are included.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored submission rates among social work faculty and examined the effects of gender, degree level, academic rank, tenure, and program type on manuscript submission, and found that high submission rates were associated with being male and having a doctorate.
Abstract: Although considerable attention has been given to the publication productivity of social work faculty, less attention has been given to submission rates. Using a national sample of 264 full-time, African-American social work faculty, this study explores submission rates among social work faculty and examines the effects of gender, degree level, academic rank, tenure, and program type on manuscript submission. The results reveal that most of the manuscripts were submitted by a minority of the respondents, that about half of the respondents’ submissions were accepted, and that high submission rates were significantly associated with being male and having a doctorate. Implications of the study’s results for future research are also discussed.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the publication productivity of BSW faculty, using self-reported data on journal articles, books, book chapters, and published conference proceedings, and found that the authors analyzed areas such as prevalent types of publications, topics addressed, journals in which articles appeared, distribution of publications among respondents, and comparisons of productivity with various independent variables.
Abstract: This article examines the publication productivity of BSW faculty, using self-reported data on journal articles, books, book chapters, and published conference proceedings. The authors analyze areas such as prevalent types of publications, topics addressed, journals in which articles appear, distribution of publications among respondents, and comparisons of productivity with various independent variables. Variables found to be related to productivity include size of both the institution and the social work program, faculty rank, public versus private auspices of the institution, administrative structure of the program, and institutional requirements for productivity. The article concludes by noting the parallel increases in demand for undergraduate faculty productivity and production of all types of publications, and by suggesting topics for further research.
TL;DR: The authors argue that DSM contradicts many basic tenets of social work, such as emphasizing the crucial role of families, small groups, and communities, a growth and develop ment model of human behavior, and a sensitivity and commitment to multicultural diver
Abstract: It is ironic that we are having a debate about using DSM as the basis for teach ing social work practice in the field of mental health, because the approach taken in DSM contradicts many basic tenets of social work Important social work per spectives—systems theory emphasizing the crucial role of families, small groups, and communities; a growth and develop ment model of human behavior; the indi vidualization of the client; a sensitivity and commitment to multicultural diver
TL;DR: This article found that differences in the way men and women communicate verbally and nonverbally impact social work education in at least three areas: training social work students, interaction among faculty members, and
Abstract: Differences in the way men and women communicate verbally and nonverbally impact social work education in at least three areas: training social work students, interaction among faculty members, and
TL;DR: The authors provided a brief history of social work education as an accredited educational enterprise, and reported descriptive data on BSW programs' experience with accreditation from 1989 through 1991, and identified and discussed those CSWE Evaluative Standards and areas in the Curriculum Policy Statement that are most problematic for BWC programs.
Abstract: Social work education at the baccalaureate level has become a rigorous educational endeavor. This is borne out by both the number of currently accredited BSW programs and the standards that BSW programs must meet to gain and maintain accredited status. This article provides a brief history of BSW education as an accredited educational enterprise, and reports descriptive data on BSW programs’ experience with accreditation from 1989 through 1991. The author also identifies and discusses those CSWE Evaluative Standards and areas in the Curriculum Policy Statement that are most problematic for BSW programs.
TL;DR: The authors compared the results of that study with the findings of eight other attempts to rank social work schools over the last 20 years and discussed similarities and differences among those studies in terms of what we may learn from them.
Abstract: Rankings of professional schools are often flawed and always controversial. This was certainly the case when, for the first time, U.S. News & World Report published a list based on “reputation” of the “best” schools of social work. This article compares the results of that study with the findings of eight other attempts to rank social work schools over the last 20 years. The similarities and differences among those studies are discussed in terms of what we may learn from them.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that social work is failing to fulfill its professional obligations to people in need, in part because its academic institutions are failing to perform their basic intellectual functions and that false reports of the effectiveness of the nation's social welfare services exaggerate the degree to which social therapeutics and professional techniques have been successful.
Abstract: This article asserts that social work is failing to fulfill its professional obligations to people in need, in part because its academic institutions are failing to perform their basic intellectual functions. The author presents evidence that false reports of the effectiveness of the nation's social welfare services exaggerate the degree to which social therapeutics and professional techniques have been successful, which has in turn prevented an accurate approach to resolving social problems and has diminished the claims of people in need. The author asserts that a reinvigorated role for academic social work requires credible research, a shift in curricular emphases, and a supportive constituency drawn from populations at risk and their organizations.
TL;DR: The authors report on a 1992-93 survey of faculty and student attitudes concerning various aspects of studying private practice in MSW programs, assesses the implications for social work education, and encourages creative approaches to integrate the realities of professional practice with the traditional values and mission of social work.
Abstract: Although an increasing number of social workers are engaging in private clinical practice and a majority of entering MSW students plan to do so, content on private practice is generally not included in MSW curricula. This article reports on a 1992-93 survey of faculty and student attitudes concerning various aspects of studying private practice in MSW programs. It compares the views of the two groups, assesses the implications for social work education, and encourages creative approaches to integrating the realities of professional practice with the traditional values and mission of social work.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors address the question: Should DSM be the basis for teaching social work practice in mental health, and make a brief rebuttal to the authors' arguments.
Abstract: Point/Counterpoint is a regular feature of the Journal of Social Work Education. Its purpose is to provide a vehicle for the expression of contrasting views on controversial topics in social work education. Our goal is to illuminate important debates and explore the diverse perspectives that are shaping social work education. In each issue of the Journal several social work educators are invited to comment on a topic about which they have differing viewpoints. The commentators are given an opportunity to make a brief rebuttal. In this issue, Janet Williams (Professor, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons), Robert Spitzer (Professor, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons), Herb Kutchins (Professor, California State University, Sacramento), and Stuart Kirk (Professor, University of California, Los Angeles) address the question: Should DSM be the basis for teaching social work practice in mental health?
TL;DR: Current biological, epidemiological, and medical knowledge about AIDS and HIV (including methods of preventing transmission) in a format suitable for social work students is summarized and various ways in which such information can be incorporated into BSW and MSW curricula are suggested.
Abstract: As the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) epidemic continues to grow dramatically, social workers increasingly need solid knowledge and training to serve persons infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and those close to them. This article summarizes current biological, epidemiological, and medical knowledge about AIDS and HIV (including methods of preventing transmission) in a format suitable for social work students. It also suggests various ways in which such information can be incorporated into BSW and MSW curricula.
TL;DR: The authors discusses the pitfalls and benefits of collaboration, describes the genesis and results of this model relationship, and outlines the inmate mental health assessment and plan that grew out of this partnership, and describes the problems, benefits and pitfalls of collaboration.
Abstract: When a Louisiana social work school and a federal court said " I do," their unusual partnership gave birth to a state plan enhancing inmate mental health services This alliance illustrates some of the pitfalls and pleasures of partnerships and can be a model for " town-gown " liaisons Despite problems of working across agency lines in rough political waters, the school and its students enjoyed substantial benefits, and community attention to the well-being of prison inmates increased This article discusses problems and benefits of collaboration, describes the genesis and results of this model relationship, and outlines the inmate mental health assessment and plan that grew out of this partnership
TL;DR: In this paper, the essential ingredients of an introductory course are presented on the basis of the authors' experience teaching Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) over the past two years.
Abstract: This article offers guidelines for learning and teaching structural equation modeling (SEM). The essential ingredients of an introductory course are presented on the basis of the authors' experience teaching SEM over the past two years. Also discussed are successful and unsuccessful methods of instruction, a practical way to organize the course, and a means to integrate this material into doctoral social work curricula. Teaching SEM can be a practical and worthwhile way to ensure that the profession will have well-trained researchers.