Assessing the Development of Cultural Proficiency Among Upper-Level Social Work Students

ABSTRACT

Graduate social work pedagogy is challenging to diverse faculty and students who work with diverse clients, often in international practice. We discuss the development, outcomes, and assessment of an assignment designed to stimulate students’ research on proverbs as cultural resources for practice and to promote attainment of six competencies related to diversity and social justice of the Council on Social Work Education’s Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards. We used procedures from grounded theory and Atlas.ti to analyze 40 student papers. More than 70% of papers reflected students’ mastery of three competencies, suggesting the assignment was insufficient to ensure attainment of all six competencies and signaling errors in the structure of the assignment and in the rubric. Ensuring students’ achievement of the competencies requires careful design and assessment of assignments and deliberate, structured assessment of the assignment outcomes.

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Notes on contributors

Guitele J. Rahill

Guitele J. Rahill is associate professor and Manisha Joshi is associate professor at the University of South Florida. Robert Lucio is director of academic assessment at St. Leo’s University. Brittany Bristol, Ariele Dionne, and Alexis Hamilton were research assistants at the University of South Florida at the time of manuscript preparation.

Manisha Joshi

Guitele J. Rahill is associate professor and Manisha Joshi is associate professor at the University of South Florida. Robert Lucio is director of academic assessment at St. Leo’s University. Brittany Bristol, Ariele Dionne, and Alexis Hamilton were research assistants at the University of South Florida at the time of manuscript preparation.

Robert Lucio

Guitele J. Rahill is associate professor and Manisha Joshi is associate professor at the University of South Florida. Robert Lucio is director of academic assessment at St. Leo’s University. Brittany Bristol, Ariele Dionne, and Alexis Hamilton were research assistants at the University of South Florida at the time of manuscript preparation.

Brittany Bristol

Guitele J. Rahill is associate professor and Manisha Joshi is associate professor at the University of South Florida. Robert Lucio is director of academic assessment at St. Leo’s University. Brittany Bristol, Ariele Dionne, and Alexis Hamilton were research assistants at the University of South Florida at the time of manuscript preparation.

Ariele Dionne

Guitele J. Rahill is associate professor and Manisha Joshi is associate professor at the University of South Florida. Robert Lucio is director of academic assessment at St. Leo’s University. Brittany Bristol, Ariele Dionne, and Alexis Hamilton were research assistants at the University of South Florida at the time of manuscript preparation.

Alexis Hamilton

Guitele J. Rahill is associate professor and Manisha Joshi is associate professor at the University of South Florida. Robert Lucio is director of academic assessment at St. Leo’s University. Brittany Bristol, Ariele Dionne, and Alexis Hamilton were research assistants at the University of South Florida at the time of manuscript preparation.