Practitioner Expertise in Evidence-Based Practice Decision Making

McCracken, Stanley G.; Marsh, Jeanne C.

doi:10.1177/1049731507308143

Cited by 63 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Briefly EBP is about laying down general principles, based on evidence, to reinforce guidance and methods in practice (McCracken and Marsh, 2008). Social work is not left impervious.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ways of Understanding Evidence-Based Practice in Social Work: A Qualitative Study

Avby

Nilsén²,

Dahlgren³

2013

British Journal of Social Work

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Gunilla Avby has a Master of Arts with a major in Education and a Bachelor in Human ResourceDevelopment. She has extended working experience from the adult learning area, especially with a focus on executive training in the public sector. Her research interest lays in workplace learning and she is currently doing Ph.D. research into knowledge use among social workers. Per Nilsen is an associate professor of Community Medicine. His research has focused on health care interventions aimed at achieving health-related behaviour change and he has a particular interest in behaviour change mechanisms. Madeleine Abrandt-Dahlgren is professor in Medical Education. Her main research interest concerns student learning in higher education with a particular view to professional learning in different fields, as well as the relationship between higher education and working life.Corresponding author's contact details: Gunilla Avby, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden. E-mail: gunilla.avby@liu.se AcknowledgementNo funding has been received for this study.Ways of understanding evidence-based practice in social work: a qualitative study AbstractThis qualitative, empirical study explores and describes the variation in how evidencebased practice (EBP) is understood in social work. A phenomenographic approach to design and analysis was applied. Fourteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with politicians, managers and executive staff in three social welfare offices in Sweden.The main findings suggest that there are qualitatively different ways in which EBP is understood, described in five categories: (i) fragmented; (ii) discursive; (iii) instrumental; (iv) multifaceted; and (v) critical. The outcome space is hierarchically structured with a logical relationship between the categories. However, the informants found it difficult to account for EBP, depending on what was expressed as deficient knowledge of EBP in the organization, as well as ability to provide a seemly context for EBP. The results highlight the importance of acknowledging these differences in the organization to compose a supportive atmosphere for EBP to thrive rather than merely assume the case of evidence-based social work. The categories can be utilized as stimuli for reflection in social work practice, and thereby provide the possibility to promote knowledge use and learning in the evolving evidence-based social work.

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“…Briefly EBP is about laying down general principles, based on evidence, to reinforce guidance and methods in practice (McCracken and Marsh, 2008). Social work is not left impervious.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ways of Understanding Evidence-Based Practice in Social Work: A Qualitative Study

Avby

Nilsén²,

Dahlgren³

2013

British Journal of Social Work

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“…The changing character of professional work has been recognized as a 'movement of rationalization' (Hasselblad et al 2008) and trust in an instrumental rationality has undergone a revival since the beginning of the 21st century (Hood 1995;McCracken & Marsh 2008). Although there is considerable interest in evidence-based practice and its merits to guide and structure work and learning (Gambrill 1999;Gibbs & Gambrill 2002;Tengvald 2008), criticism has been levelled against evidence-based practice as a particular deterministic version of rationality that constrains work and limits professional development (Sheppard 1995;Webb 2001).…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Professional Practice as Processes of Muddling Through: a Study of Learning and Sense Making in Social Work

Avby

2014

Vocations and Learning

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Using an ethnographic approach, the aim of this study was to explore how social workers learn and make sense of experiences in their daily practices. Five events that took place during an ordinary day of child investigation work are described and serve as the basis for the analysis. The findings imply that investigation work is largely a social rationalization process and that the interaction between different actors in work is a strategy to enhance the level of knowledge and contribute to learning among the professionals. Thus, learning is embedded in daily activities, for example, consulting colleagues, framing problems and building relationships. Furthermore, the findings suggest the possibility of assuming a contextualized view of reasoning, a so-called contextual rationality, which maintains that practitioners need to make judgments in a way that is sensitive to and relevant for their own contextualized settings. Contextual rationality is a reasonable strategy to deal with complex problems in daily practices that cannot be completely analysed or solved. Contextual rationality is thus not about accuracy, rather it engages individuals to find meaning and order in the complexity of modern organizations where norms, values and expectations provide frameworks for explanations. Besides offering an explanation for the basis of practice, the study identifies a variety of learning opportunities in everyday practice that could potentially be used in efforts to organize a more reflective practice to facilitate improved workplace learning.

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“…Given various disciplines' reliance on EBP, graduate social science students need the skills and awareness to distinguish between quality and flawed research at each stage of the research process. The cake activity emphasises some common ethical problems while encouraging critical thinking and problem-solving skills which are crucial to conducting and consuming research (McCracken & Marsh 2008, Moore & Avant 2008. While this study has not been conducted in an undergraduate setting, the application in Bachelors research methods courses seems promising given similar levels of research resistance are experienced at the undergraduate level (Secret et al 2003, Maschi et al 2007.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Over the last decade there has been a strong push towards the implementation of an evidence-based practice (EBP) framework throughout the fields of medicine, psychology and, recently, social work (McCracken & Marsh 2008). However, regardless of discipline, the adoption of EBP is a moot point if the foundational steps of research design are not understood or valued by graduate students involved in social sciences research.…”

Section: Renewed Emphasis On Evidence-based Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The adoption of research strategies enhances critical thinking skills both by those who conduct research and by those who consume it (Thyer 2004, Rubin & Babbie 2007, McCracken & Marsh 2008. Research also plays a key role in testing the reliability and validity of theories, assessment tools, and interventions in various social science fields.…”

Section: Renewed Emphasis On Evidence-based Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

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Better Engaging Social Science Graduate Students in Introductory Research Methods Courses: A Class Activity

Zerden

Powers

Wretman

2014

Enhancing Learning in the Social Sciences

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This paper outlines a classroom activity to help students engage in research methods and lessen anxiety and apprehension commonly associated with research methods courses. The described class activity offers students a shared research experience to promote the skills necessary to understand, conduct and translate research into ethical social science practice. The activity was conducted in a graduate social work programme but is applicable across the social sciences. Content covered includes sampling, research design, ethical considerations, brief evaluation and helping students think critically about ways to improve research methods in order to facilitate competencies necessary for evidence-based practice (EBP). An introduction to the activity, class discussion points including integration throughout the course, and implications for curricula and practice are discussed.

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Practitioner Expertise in Evidence-Based Practice Decision Making

Cited by 63 publications

References 23 publications

Ways of Understanding Evidence-Based Practice in Social Work: A Qualitative Study

Ways of Understanding Evidence-Based Practice in Social Work: A Qualitative Study

Professional Practice as Processes of Muddling Through: a Study of Learning and Sense Making in Social Work

Better Engaging Social Science Graduate Students in Introductory Research Methods Courses: A Class Activity

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