Integrating Evidence-Based Practice and Social Work Field Education

Abstract

The social work academic community is currently considering and critiquing the idea of evidence-based practice (EBP). Given the vital part that practicum education plays in the social work profession, understanding the views of field instructors on this subject is essential. The George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University surveyed 283 field instructors within 180 agencies and found that the majority (87%, N=235) viewed it as a useful practice idea. However, most of the indicators employed to assess use of scientific evidence in social work practice revealed that it occurs too infrequently. A lack of time was reported as the greatest obstacle. recently, the social work academic community has been considering and critiquing the idea of evidence-based practice (EBP), an important paradigm shift designed to promote the consistent use of scientifically validated information and effective interventions in social work practice (

Evidence-Based Practice Among Swedish Medical Social Workers

“…McNeece and Thyer (2004) argue that training programs for social workers should be reoriented along the lines that are advocated by evidencebased practice and that these principles should be incorporated into the social workers' clinical practice (McNeece & Thyer, 2004). They believe that an increased implementation of evidence-based practice is of both professional and ethical necessity (McNeece & Thyer, 2004 does exist, however, and some social workers and social work educators have expressed scepticism about the evidence-based practice movement (Bilsker & Goldner, 2004;Edmond, McGivern, Williams, Rochman, & Howard, 2006). Rubin and Parrish (2007) identified divergent views among faculty members in master of social work programs regarding what constitutes sufficient evidence to guide clinical decision making or to show that an intervention is evidence-based.…”

Teaching Statistics to MSW Students: Comparing Credit and Non-Credit Options

“…Given that professional disciplines prepare students for practice, the functional context, or academic learning that carries over to the field (Barnett & Ceci, 2002), is most important. Once in professional settings, graduates may face barriers in using research and statistics to inform and evaluate their practice, such as a lack of time and inconsistent access to the literature (Edmond, Megivern, Williams, Rochman, & Howard, 2006). Social work educators can help students become aware of these realities of practice, and become intentional and resourceful in retaining their knowledge, maintaining their skills, and locating statistical resources.…”

The Impact of Emotions on Practicum Learning

“…The practicum component of tertiary studies is frequently cited as the most memorable aspect of professional education (Edmond, Megivern, Williams, Rochman & Howard, 2006, Kadushin, 1991, and much has been researched and published on factors that influence student satisfaction with supervision and learning in the field, across a range of disciplines (Maidment, 2001;Fernandez, 1998). Although providing valuable information about methods to enhance workplace learning and supervision practice, previous research into the social work practicum has not addressed the impact of student emotion on the learning process.…”