Research Literature Review on Social Work Education Instructional Methods: 1998–2008

Abstract

This article presents a review of research studies examining instructional methods reported in the social work education literature published between 1998 and 2008. From a sample of 91 studies, 31 were identified as having used either a single group pre/post test design or a comparison of two or more groups and inclusion of a learning outcome measure. Most of the studies were deficient in either the employment of comparison groups, pre/post designs, utilization of multiple learning outcome measures, or a clear delineation of the connection between teaching methods and learning outcomes. Very few studies were based on previous work. A challenge is made to the field to conduct better designed studies and several suggestions for doing so are offered.

Keywords:

• social work education
• instructional methods
• teaching social work students
• research of teaching
• evaluation of teaching methods

Notes

¹Issue availability for Advances in Social Work was limited to 2000–2008, Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work to 2002–2008, and Arete ceased publication in 2006.

²A bibliography of all reviewed studies is available from the authors.