Graduate Social Work Education and Cognitive Complexity: Does Prior Experience Really Matter?

Abstract

This study examined the extent to which age, education, and practice experience among social work graduate students (N = 184) predicted cognitive complexity, an essential aspect of critical thinking. In the regression analysis, education accounted for more of the variance associated with cognitive complexity than age and practice experience. When age and direct practice experience were controlled for, education accounted for 6% of the variance in cognitive complexity. Results suggest that education experience may play a more important role in social work student cognitive complexity than age or practice experience. Implications for social work education and assessing student cognitive development are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Perry Scheme
• cognitive complexity
• graduate social work education
• critical thinking skills
• Council on Social Work Education
• Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards
• age
• education
• experience