scholarly journals Examining Predictors of Social Work Students’ Critical Thinking Skills

10.18060/197 ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Holtz Deal ◽  
Joan Pittman
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Personality Inventory ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
College Degree

This study examined BSW, MSW and PhD social work students’ (N=72) critical thinking skills using the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST). Social work students who tested as more open to experience on a personality inventory, took chemistry in college, and reported having both parents with a college degree had higher critical thinking skills. There was a trend toward higher levels of critical thinking as academic levels increased. Implications and recommendations are discussed for social work classrooms, field practica, and admissions.

A Comparison of the Critical Thinking Skills of BSW and MSW Students

2002 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugh G. Clark
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Thinking Skill ◽  
Critical Thinking Skill ◽  
Skill Levels ◽  
Msw Students ◽  
Work Education

The Council on Social Work Education's standards requires the teaching and measurement of critical thinking skills at both the baccalaureate and masters level of social work education. How to measure those skills is a difficult question for educators. Equally difficult is determining whether the skills are being taught to social work students. This research is the result of a study begun in 1998 that compared scores on the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) of recently graduated BSW students and MSW students who had completed their degree or were in their last semester. Surprisingly, little difference seems to exist between the critical thinking skill levels of BSW and MSW students.

scholarly journals ‘You Can’t Say That!’: Critical Thinking, Identity Politics, and the Social Work Academy

Societies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
Jane Fenton ◽  
Mark Smith
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Identity Politics ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills

Recent years have witnessed an eruption of what have been termed culture wars, often converging around the messier aspects of interpersonal relationships and corresponding identity issues that are complex, sensitive, and contested. These are emotive topics that are often colonised by activist groups, and consequently have become enveloped in particular regimes of truth and assertive identity politics. They are often also, by their nature, the kind of issues that are central to social work practice. This can lead to pressure on social workers and social work students to think that these orthodoxies ought to underpin and define the profession, which in turn can lead to the silencing of alternative opinions and the closing down of dissent. This article seeks to locate identity politics in a political and cultural context. It goes on to set out classic arguments for free speech, viewpoint diversity, and for the need for social work to embrace and engage with such. It explores the notion that the closing down of debate about contentious issues, the disincentives that exist to expressing controversial opinions, and the uncritical adoption of ideological orthodoxies work against the development of the critical thinking skills that are essential for social work practice.

People First: A Case Study in Partnering with the Community

2003 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas D. Bordelon
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Community Organization ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Social Work Educators ◽  
Macro Practice ◽  
People First

This case study demonstrates the process by which a class composed of senior social work students learns macro practice values and skills by partnering with a community organization. The products of this collaboration emerge from the real-life problem scenario in which students, community partners, and the social work educator collaborate to develop the skills necessary to resolve problems. Through community partnership, social work educators are in the position to expand the opportunities for students to develop critical thinking skills, and provide opportunities to practice community organization within the classroom setting.

Transforming Classroom Learning Through Community Study Projects in Macro-Social Work Practice Courses

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 192-210
Author(s):  
Madhavappallil Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Community Study ◽  
Community Practice ◽  
Macro Practice ◽  
The Usa

This article describes the use of an experiential community study project in teaching a macro-practice course with focus on community engagement in an advanced generalist practice Master of Social Work (MSW) programme in the USA. Implemented in stages, this project is designed to provide students an opportunity to develop community practice knowledge and skills. Quantitative and qualitative data collected from students show how this project developed in them the ability to analyse community characteristics and problems as well as helped them become more culturally sensitive. In developing community profiles and assessing community needs, students could also enhance their analytical and critical thinking skills. These experiential projects are very relevant and useful for social work students and programmes which do not have an opportunity for community practice in their field placement as part of their education. The author argues that such initiatives are likely to reduce the marginalisation of macro-practice courses in social work programmes. Pedagogical and practice implications for macro-practice courses and social work education are also discussed.

Are We Teaching Critical Thinking in the Classroom?

2001 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert C. Kersting ◽  
Ann Marie Mumm
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Teaching Methodology ◽  
Social Work Programs ◽  
Generalist Practice ◽  
Work Education

The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) requires social work programs to integrate critical thinking into their curriculum (CSWE, 1992). This article reports results from a pilot study designed to assess how well students integrate critical thinking skills after a one-semester generalist practice course. Forty-six students completed a pre- and posttest assessing critical-thinking skills and their attitudes about critical thinking. The results show some minimal changes in critical thinking. It is concluded that critical thinking is a difficult set of skills to develop and it requires more than a single, one-semester course to develop those skills. We suggest changes in teaching methodology. The article concludes with a discussion of issues regarding measurement of critical thinking for future research.

scholarly journals Peer Review in a Social Policy Course: Lessons Learned

10.18060/3160 ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 629-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shauna P. Acquavita ◽  
Carolyn J. Tice
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Policy ◽  
Peer Review ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Work Education ◽  
Social Work Policy

Peer review is a tool that provides students with a sense of how their work is perceived by others. Built on refection and feedback, peer review assesses the quality of academic processes and products based on well-understood criteria. Peer review was implemented in a baccalaureate social work policy course to enhance writing and critical thinking skills. Students were surveyed on their experiences and indicated that peer review activities provided beneficial learning exercises. The information gathered suggests methods for future implementation of peer review in social work education.

Creating Learning Opportunities for the Enhancement of Critical Thinking Skills in BSW Education

2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-140
Author(s):  
Noell Rowan ◽  
Lynetta Mathis ◽  
Fran Ellers ◽  
Jaime Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Clear Explanation ◽  
Vital Component ◽  
Work Education ◽  
Specific Project

The Council on Social Work Education has identified the enhancement of critical thinking skills as a vital component in social work education. Educators are challenged to create learning opportunities for knowledge and skill development as it relates to critical thinking. This article offers a description of a specific project to emphasize improvement in critical thinking skills through a newly created Writing Skills for Social Workers course and increased rigor in a BSW capstone project. The process of obtaining funding for the project and the methods in place to sustain it are also provided. Results indicate 88% of the students involved in the overall project demonstrated the ability to use social work critical thinking skills necessary to examine evidence, provide a clear explanation of reasonable alternatives, and evaluate possible consequences. Recommendations to continue providing learning opportunities to enhance critical thinking skills in BSW education are discussed.

Minding the Media and Analyzing the Agenda: Teaching Critical Thinking Skills to Social Work Undergraduates

1996 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 15-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Hawkins
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Cognitive Complexity ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Political Agenda ◽  
Reasoning Process ◽  
Social Work Educators ◽  
The Media

Although most students rely on the media as a primary source of information, many of them may lack the reasoning ability to make intelligent decisions about its form or content. When there is a decrease in the cognitive complexity of the reasoning process, there is a propensity toward stereotyping and prejudice as well as cynicism and despair. As social work educators, we must teach students critical thinking skills so that they become “mindful” of the nature of the media and how it sets the political agenda in this country. We must employ teaching strategies that help students to understand the media and use it effectively, both as consumers and producers of information and images. The mindful reasoning process will empower students to analyze a complex social problem, to construct a reasoned response, and to advocate effectively for humane social welfare policies.

Trauma-Informed Contemplative Pedagogy: Implications for Undergraduate Course Revision

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-152
Author(s):  
Britt E. Rhodes
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Classroom Environment ◽  
Interpersonal Violence ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Contemplative Practices ◽  
Trauma Informed Care ◽  
Trauma Informed

Trauma-informed care has garnered considerable attention over the last 2 decades as neuroscientists and scholars have examined the implications of early childhood trauma across the lifespan (Felitti & Anda, 2009; Fallot & Harris, 2009). Although social work students are preparing to work in trauma-informed environments, the principles of trauma-informed care have not been applied to the classroom environment. These principles, combined with contemplative practices, are particularly relevant in undergraduate social work education where students grapple with complex issues related to trauma. Contemplative practices have been noted to improve self-awareness, mediate practice, and content-related stress in social work, and have positive implications for metacognitive and critical thinking skills. This article weaves together principles of trauma-informed care and contemplative practices and describes a course revision to an undergraduate social work course on crisis intervention and interpersonal violence.

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