Professional Documents
Culture Documents
not likely to encourage students to promote social justice through their own
research. Arguments for the use of PAR in social work education are out-
lined below.
Several authors have called for a PAR approach to social work research
instruction (Longres & Scanlon, 2001; Martin, 1996; McNicoll, 1999;
Meulenberg-Buskens, 1996; Tolley & Bentley, 1996; Uehara, Sohng,
Nagda, Erera, & Yamashiro, 1999, cited by Longres & Scanlon), arguing
that a research project should not be considered complete until it has been
used in the service of social change, and that PAR promotes a just and
nonexploitative relationship between researcher and participants. PAR is
viewed by some as an intervention aimed at raising consciousness and em-
powering clients (Rodwell, 1998), and by some as a feminist research
method which emphasizes full collaboration by the research participants
(Marlow, 1993). Problem-based learning approaches which integrate so-
cial action with academic content have been found to increase understand-
ing of social problems compared to a control group (Batchelder & Root,
1994) and increase future political participation by students (Rocha,
2000).
One advantage of using this model for social work education is that it
integrates content from all courses in the core curriculum, illustrating to
82 JOURNAL OF TEACHING IN SOCIAL WORK
students their relevance for each other. Students often view research
class as an onerous requirement that they would never choose if given
an option (Royse, 1999), and the relevance of research for social work
practice is a mystery. Much effort is expended in the attempt to explain
the importance of research to our profession, but evidence exists that
when these students become practitioners, they nevertheless do not con-
duct research in practice (Royse, 1999). This author’s experience also
suggests that social work students may be unclear about the relevance of
theory, policy, and even statistics to research.
The knowledge gained in problem-based learning, however, is em-
bedded in context (Ryan, 1993), illustrating for students the importance
of each curriculum area to the others. The policy analysis helps them to
become aware of failed and successful attempts to resolve the problem,
and of theory about the causes of the problem. Social work values and
ethics are used to define the problem. The relevance of existing research
is reinforced through the literature review. Collaboration with the target
population increases students’ understanding of diversity issues. Study
of practice models used to intervene with the problem ties all these cur-
riculum areas together.
Another rationale for using this model with students is that they be-
come invested in research when they see its usefulness for social action.
According to Woods (1994) one advantage of this approach is increased
motivation and interest. In this author’s experience, students become
passionate and committed to the project, particularly after contact with
the target population. They are able to see illustrated in real life the im-
portance of their results for practice.
After selecting a general social problem for attention, the first step in
community intervention is assessment (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2001).
Policy analysis serves this purpose (for example, see the framework by
Karger & Stoesz, 1994) by helping to define the problem more specifi-
cally, understanding social work ethical concerns which lead to identi-
fying the situation as a problem, understanding theory regarding the
causes of the problem, and learning about the success of policies which
have been implemented in the past. In addition, part of the policy
analysis involves assessing the political and social context-considering
strengths of the target population, community assets, and supports for
the project, and opposition and barriers to resolving the problem. In this
way, students can begin to understand specifically what needs to change
and to develop more specific goals for their project.
study. It also integrates theory, practice, and policy content into the re-
search curriculum.
and the necessity for high quality work in such a project. Finally, in the
author’s experience, student interaction with practitioners, researchers,
social activists, and especially the target population engenders student
commitment to the project.
Student Empowerment
PROJECT EXAMPLE
The model was used to teach a combined social work research and
statistics course. The course spanned two semesters and included a
number of computer lab sessions. The purpose of the combined course
was to provide an approach to statistics which was more relevant to so-
cial work and to promote student understanding of the relevance of sta-
tistics to research. Presenting the material during two semesters allowed
time for completion of an in-depth project and for integration of statis-
tics concepts when relevant to the research methodology concepts.
During the first semester, the instructor presented research and statis-
tics content as needed to complete each successive step of the project.
Separate research and statistics textbooks were used (Royse, 1999;
Weinbach & Grinnell, 1998), with approximately half of each text as-
signed during each semester. Statistics content for the first semester in-
cluded descriptive statistics, the normal curve, and estimating probab-
ilities. These concepts helped students to understand the rationale be-
hind research methodology and prepared them for data analysis. Indi-
vidual computer lab assignments that addressed descriptive statistics
and the normal curve using unrelated existing data were included in or-
der to orient students to the use of the Statistical Package for the Social
Sciences. At the beginning of the first semester, students volunteered
for group assignments that would accomplish the actual work of the
project. These were supplemented with individual assignments and
in-class exercises.
Policy analysis. Making decisions about social action strategies
based on the policy analysis helped students to realize the relevance of
policy to practice.
Literature review. The literature provided a theory, the Missouri
Model (Lasted, 1995), which explains the process of recovery from nat-
ural disaster. When drawing practice implications at the end of the pro-
ject, students were able to see the relevance of the original theory,
practice, and research literature for social action.
Donna J. Reese 89
dents (Beta = .24, t = 1.81, p = .04), those with lower social support (Beta =
⫺.13, t = 1.90, p = .03), and those with higher pre-flood domestic violence
scores (Beta = .78, t = 11.53, p = .000) experienced higher post-flood do-
mestic violence. (5) Males had a higher level of domestic violence toward
their partners (t = 1.90, df = 108, p = .03). (6) Individuals with values more
approving of violence and domination in relationships experienced higher
levels of domestic violence (r = .29, p = .001).
Ongoing social action efforts. Students sought an impact on local
policy decisions through presenting their findings to the community.
Students volunteering for the presentation group assignment invited all
agencies addressing domestic violence–including the police depart-
ment, the local emergency room, domestic violence task force mem-
bers, and our local domestic violence treatment program partners. All
social work faculty and students were invited, along with the chair and
dean of our college. Students invited parents and friends, and even in-
vited the mayor and the press. Although the mayor and press did not at-
tend, there was representation by a number of local agencies in the
audience and wide community interest in the project. Several agencies
asked for a copy of the final paper, and there was particular interest in
the surprise finding that our elderly residents were having a particular
problem with domestic violence in conjunction with a relative lack of
social support. The students were invited to make a second presentation
to the local domestic violence task force, and independently managed
this, since the instructor had to be out of town at the time. Finally, a
group of students sought a wider impact on the profession through the
publication of their results (Clemens et al., 1999).
Evaluation. (1) Impact on domestic violence in the community. A full
evaluation of this project was not conducted due to time restraints. It is
our hope that through this project, practitioners were alerted to the risk
factors we demonstrated and developed service approaches to address
them. An evaluation project could assess the development of such ser-
vices, as well as any changes in the rate of domestic violence, through
feedback from the target population and practitioners. (2) Student out-
comes. Several students entered the domestic violence field as a re-
sult of the experience. Students subsequently conducted research
projects in their field placements, and one student did such an ex-
cellent job that she was hired to conduct a second study after gradu-
ation. Student evaluation scores for this course were the highest in
the department, despite the traditional low scores for research and
92 JOURNAL OF TEACHING IN SOCIAL WORK
CONCLUSION
Using a PAR model to teach research and statistics can result in better
student understanding of the relevance for each other of research, statis-
tics, theory, social policy, and practice. According to previous studies,
an active, problem-based learning approach to teaching results in better
student retention of information and readiness to apply this knowledge
in practice. The model described herein provides an approach to incor-
porating research and social action efforts into practice, through collab-
oration between practitioners, researchers, and the target population.
The practitioner may initiate the model; thus, this approach to teaching
may subsequently increase practitioner social action and research ef-
forts. Further research is needed to evaluate whether these effects actu-
ally occur.
Often tension exists between practitioners and academicians; the col-
laborative approach of this model offers a way for each to further the
other’s efforts. Practitioners benefit from the opportunity to conduct so-
cial action and gather evidence of the need for their services. Academi-
cians gain access to data and up to date knowledge on current practice
issues in the field. Finally, such a project provides evidence for state
legislators that the school provides important services to the commu-
nity, rather than merely “feeding at the public trough.” Demonstrating
such benefits is increasingly important in the contemporary climate of
limited public funding for higher education.
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