Does Practice Make Perfect?

Abstract

We tested an underlying assumption of social work field education, that more frequent practice of professional skills is associated with better student outcomes. One hundred eighty-eight students from four social work programs rated their skills and satisfaction and answered questions about frequency of practicing professional skills in field practicum. In addition, we had performance evaluations by their field instructors for 120 students. More frequent practice of nearly all 38 skills was associated with greater satisfaction with field education and greater self-evaluation of performance. Frequency of practicing about one-third of the skills was also associated with field instructors' evaluations of students. The results support the usefulness of repeatedly practicing skills in field education.

Key Words:

• Social work field education
• student outcome