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Volume 8, Number 1 Fall 2002 |
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Conquering Heterosexism: The Gay and Lesbian Challenge to Social Work Education At the beginning of the 21st century, it appears some social work educators are ambivalent about teaching gay and lesbian issues. At times, educators have been supportive of efforts by gay and lesbian people to fight heterosexism. However, social work education's overall record as advocates for gay and lesbian rights can be characterized as erratic. This article is a call for social work education to acknowledge its institutional heterosexism, to return to its roots of advocacy for all disenfranchised and oppressed people, and to take an unequivocal stand in support of gay and lesbian civil rights. This article also challenges individual educators to acknowledge their own personal heterosexism and to implement the profession's historical commitment to social justice for gay men and lesbians. Specific actions that social work educators can take to support the movement of gay men and lesbians toward equality are described. Improving Outcomes for Students, Social Work Education, and Agencies in Public Child Welfare This article describes three programs that Kentucky is using to link the classroom and the field practice of students and social workers. The state has developed a consortium of educational partnerships with nine state universities. This consortium has allowed for creative student educational experiences and child welfare placements at the baccalaureate level, master's-level education with a focus on agency needs and capacities, and a post-employment program that allows for evaluation of new worker abilities and knowledge base. Kentucky continues to improve both social work education and public child welfare practice with its innovative approaches to student and social worker development. Fields of Social Work Practice: Social Work Students' Attitudes and Interests This article reports the results of a study designed to examine factors that influence social work students' interest in eight fields of practice, through the use of a multidimensional measure of attitudes. BSW students indicated greatest interest in school social work, children's services, and child welfare services, whereas MSW students preferred medical social work, children's services, and mental health. A common predictor of students' interest in six settings was the belief that working in a particular field would be depressing. Social work educators must determine trend areas of highest demand for professional services and adapt curricula to enhance interest and prepare graduates to meet the changing needs of society. Autonomy and Resources in Small Baccalaureate Social Work Programs Small baccalaureate social work education programs have existed for a long time but only recently have their strengths and limitations been a subject for study. The research presented in this article is a statistical analysis of survey data regarding program directors' perceptions of strengths and challenges related to program autonomy and resources. Findings indicate that program directors housed in private institutions perceive greater levels of strength than those in public institutions. In addition, the program directors who reported strong community involvement also sensed greater strength in autonomy and resources. Factor analysis revealed no coherent clusters for further analysis concerning program challenges. These findings may indicate that while program directors have some shared perceptions regarding program strengths, program challenges may be more program-specific. Case Management and the BSW Curriculum BSW graduates are increasingly seeking employment in positions titled "case management" rather than "social work." These are positions that are also being filled by non-BSW's. This article is concerned with how the BSW curriculum can best prepare students to be successful in today's job market. Discussion includes a review of the historical development of social work and case management; presents an overview of case management definitions and models; compares the knowledge, skills, and values required by social work and case management; and highlights opportunities to improve the linkage between the profession of social work and the organizational strategy of case management. Teaching as Group Work The constructivist paradigm offers the possibility for making group process central rather than peripheral to the teaching/learning experience. From this perspective, the teacher is a facilitator rather than an expert, the classroom is a dynamic group, and teaching is a form of group work. "Grounded discussion," a teaching innovation developed from this paradigm, relies heavily on group process skills of the teacher/facilitator. Although clearly relevant to the teaching and modeling of group work in particular, it can be used across the social work curriculum. Teaching Effectiveness in the Social Work Practice Class: BSW Students' Views One hundred and ninety-two students from seven social work programs were surveyed regarding their instructor's use of classroom teaching behaviors, exams, papers, and role-plays and the instructor's knowledge, experience, and ability to serve as a role model. The association between these variables and three measures of teaching effectiveness was examined. Results suggest that the instructor's knowledge of the field practicum, the ability to convey this knowledge to students, and help students link classroom and field learning are critical The findings reveal the subtle role played by instructor experience in enhancing teaching effectiveness. Implications of the findings are discussed, including contradictions between what students found helpful and what they reported their instructor actually did. Baccalaureate Student Outcomes in Research Methods Programs seek innovative and useful approaches to demonstrate accountability for quality results through systematic evaluation and improvement of programmatic outcomes. In this undertaking the research curriculum is an important area for scrutiny. This study tested student outcomes in research methods classes in a baccalaureate program to examine the outcomes of research knowledge, attitudes, and self-confidence for a cohort of students as a whole (N=82) and for four different research class "options" provided in the program's curriculum. Outcome measures were test scores on the standardized Kirk-Rosenblatt Research Knowledge Scale, and a self-efficacy rating measure. Findings showed satisfactory student achievement overall in comparison to other reported BSW samples (posttest scores), mixed evidence to the program concerning knowledge gains and student self-confidence, but considerable consistency of outcomes across class options. Results illuminate useful areas for further investigation and enhancement. A Model for Teaching Research Methods Based on Cognitive-Behavioral and Social Learning Theories This article presents a teaching model addressing two important issues related to teaching research to social work students: the unnecessary fear some social work students have related to research coursework, and development of a hands-on learning environment in which the instructor models the role of researcher. The proposed model incorporates aspects of social learning and cognitive-behavioral theories as a way to address both concerns. The author designed and implemented an intervention to assess cognitions about research and to teach students how to clarify distortions and practice progressive relaxation techniques. This classroom-based intervention also served as the primary vehicle for hands-on exercises to illustrate the research process. The results of three different applications of this model suggest that students felt more confident and less fearful about their ability to conduct research. The author discusses teaching implications and further study of this model using comparison and control groups. Teaching BSW Students to Work with Complex Families New BSW social workers are likely to be hired into job positions in some of the toughest, most complex, multiproblem areas: child and adult protective services. It is a huge challenge for educators to prepare students for the reality ahead as BSW social workers, particularly students of the usual college age who have grown up in relatively conventional homes. This article illustrates a method for helping students make that transition using ongoing, semester-long casework with simulated, challenging families as clients. Students work in small groups with simulated families who are constantly changing and facing new issues as the semester progresses. In the context of working with their client families, students must use record-keeping skills, evaluate relevant research, advocate and broker, solve problems, identify strengths, engage in ethical decision-making, prepare for court appearances, and evaluate their work on an ongoing basis.
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