SOCWK 330-Social Work
Research Methods I
Dr. Jacque E. Gibbons, MSW,
Ph.D., LSCSW
This course is part of the
research sequence. It is taken before or concurrently with a basic course in
statistics. This course lays the
foundation for the second social work research methods course.
This course should be taken
concurrently with SOCWK 515, HBSE I, for students who will graduate one year
from this coming summer, or it should be taken concurrently with SOCWK 560,
Social Work Practice I, for those students who will graduate one year from this
coming May. Anyone who does not meet either of these
criteria should talk to the instructor.
This course draws on the
research methodologies experienced by students in the various social science
foundation courses taken before this research methods course. It also draws on the scientific method as a
“way of knowing” taught in the basic natural and physical science classes taken
by students prior to enrolling in this research methods course.
SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM
OBJECTIVES
Program objectives refer to the
knowledge, values, and skills that a student should have when she/he graduate
from the Social Work Program. The
following 16 objectives are those specific to the Social Work Program, and
those in bold are specific to this course.
2. Practice within the values and ethics of the
social work profession.
3. Practice with an understanding of and
respect for the positive value of diversity.
4. Demonstrate the professional use of self.
5. Understand the forms and mechanisms of
oppression and discrimination.
6.
Understand the strategies of change that advance social and economic
justice.
7. Understand the history of the social work profession
and its current structures and issues.
8. Apply the knowledge and skills of generalist
social work to practice with systems of all
sizes.
9. Apply knowledge of bio-psycho-social
variables that affect individual development and
behavior.
10. Use theoretical
frameworks to understand the interactions among individuals and
between individuals and social systems (i.e., families, groups,
organizations, and
communities.).
11. Analyze the impact of
social policies on client systems, workers, and agencies.
12. Evaluate research
studies and apply findings to practice.
13. Evaluate, under
supervision, her/his own practice interventions and those of other relevant
systems.
14. Use communication skills
differentially with a variety of client populations, colleagues, and
members of the community.
15. Use supervision
appropriate to generalist practice.
16. Operate within the
structure of organizations and service delivery systems, and under
supervision, seek necessary organizational change.
.
The goals of this course are
to insure that students develop an appreciation for social research and an
understanding of its impact on and application to practice. Students should be able to identify and
describe the scientific method, to use basic statistical methods, and to
formulate and conduct beginning level research on social work practice
questions and concerns related to social welfare policy and practice with
communities, organizations, families, groups, and individuals.
Upon completion of the
course students should be able to explain, give examples of and apply the
following to social work research:
Please note that we will
meet 75 minutes twice a week. Plan to be
in class for the full period, as we have considerable ground to cover this
semester. Also note that students are
expected to set in the chairs toward the front of the room. Since I am experiencing a loss of hearing
(and I do not have a hearing aid yet), this will help me hear your questions
and comments better, and it will help you hear my questions and comments better
(although I seldom experience a loss of voice).
As part of the process of determining the effectiveness of teaching the content of this course, and as part of the process of assessing outcomes from the course, there will be a pre-test and a post-test over the content of this course. The pre-test will be administered the first day of class and the post-test will be administered as part of the final examination, or on the last day of class.
The course grade will be based on demonstrated skill and knowledge in social work research, and on class attendance and participation. Skill and knowledge will be assessed through classroom exercises and assignments, examinations, quizzes, and a comprehensive final examination. Attendance and participation will be graded by a combination of ratings from the instructor and each student’s “self-rating.”
The
percentage of the grade will be as follows:
Quizzes 30,
Exams 35,
Workbook 20, and
Attend/Participation 15..
Final grades will be assigned according to the
following:
90 or above A,
80 to <90 B,
70 to <80 C,
60 to <70 D, and
<60 F.
Attendance is expected. It is
also expected that students will attend class prepared to discuss assigned
readings and exercises. Students
should write down questions that arise in completing reading or other assignments
to be raised during class. Some of the
text material is rather complex and confusion is not an unreasonable by-product
of reading it. Students are encouraged
to ask questions in class since your colleagues may well have the same
questions but they may be too shy to ask.
There are no "dumb questions" in a research methods
course. If you are uncomfortable asking
questions in class, be certain to see me before or after class with your
questions, or submit them in writing (anonymously?) before class. A sign-in sheet is available for you to
initial at the beginning of each class meeting.
It is your responsibility to get this done. Students are permitted two missed classes
during the semester. Each missed
class beyond two automatically reduces your final grade by two percent. Attendence and participation count for
fifteen percent of the final course grade. Under extraordinary circumstances a student
may have up to two additional excused absences for illness requiring a
physician’s care, or a death in the family.
It is the students responsibility to notify the instructor of these
extraordinary circumstances.
Quizzes will be given at the
completion of the discussion of an assigned chapter from the text. These quizzes may be true/false or short
answer. They will be presented on overheads.
Quizzes will be worth ten points each.
Quizzes count for 30 percent of the final course grade
so they assume considerable importance.
Missed quizzes may not be made-up, but the low quiz score will be dropped
for calculation of the final course grade.
Workbook assignments form
the basis of class discussion on both statistics and research methodology. From time to time, you will hand-in
assignments from the workbooks. Workbook
assignments count for 20 percent of your final course grade. Missed workbook assignments may not be
made-up, but the low workbook score will be dropped for calculation of the
final grade.
There will be four in-class
examinations. These examinations will be
true/false, multiple choice, and/or short answer. The in-class examinations will be scheduled
for approximately 30 to 40 minutes and may be graded in class. Examinations will count for
35 percent of the final grade..
At his writing no decision has been made on the development of study
guides. We can discuss this in
class.
The final examination will
be comprehensive. It will cover all the
material in the course. It will be an
open book, all essay examination. The
examination is scheduled for Monday, May 9 from 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM. The final examination score may be
substituted for a prior examination score.
All assignments are due the
last day of class. Materials not
received by then may not be included in the calculation of the course
grade. If special circumstances will
keep you from meeting this deadline, then you need to make a special
arrangement with the instructor. Special
arrangements will only be made under extraordinary circumstances and will include
lowering the grade for the work by one letter grade for being late.
Students are expected to use an e-mail system that
is accessible through KSU. Students are
expected to use the Internet to get course and other materials from that
source. E-mail and other communications
will be sent to your KSU eID. If you are
unable to download the material or otherwise do not receive it, please make
arrangements to obtain it from a classmate.
Bruning, James L. and Kintz, B. L. Computational
Handbook of Statistics.
Longman, 1997 (4th edition or most recent) ISBN 0-673-99085-0 (PAPERBACK) REQUIRED
Holcomb, Zealure C. Interpreting
Basic Statistics.
ISBN 1-884585-51-5 (PAPERBACK) REQUIRED
Lomand, Turner C. Social
Science Research.
ISBN 1-884585-36-1 (PAPERBACK) REQUIRED
Pyrczak, Fred. Making
Sense of Statistics: A Conceptual Overview.
Pyrczak, 2003 (3rd). ISBN 1-884585-28-0 (PAPERBACK) REQUIRED
Yegidis, Bonnie L., and Weinbach, Robert W. Research Methods for Social Workers.
Please review this policy in
the KSU General Catalog. The
University Senate has requested that this information be included in all course
syllabi. No student should experience
discomfort in the classroom, or anywhere on campus, related to sexual
harassment.
Information on your rights
and responsibilities may be found in the general catalog of the University and
in the Social Work Student Handbook.
Please review these sources to be certain you understand your rights as
a student. If you have questions you may
ask any faculty member, or contact the Office of Student Life.
If you have any condition that limits your ability
to complete the work outlined in this syllabus, please contact the instructor
to clarify what assistance you may need to successfully fulfill the
requirements of this course.
"Plagiarism and
cheating are serious offenses and may be punished by failure on the exam, paper or project; failure of the
course; and/or expulsion from the university.
For more information refer to the 'Academic Dishonesty' policy in Inside
KSU." (Direct quote required
for inclusion by the Faculty Senate.)
The University has adopted
an honor code with which you should be familiar. The following is excerpted from
http://www.ksu.edu/facsen/policy/honorcod.htm.
The Kansas State University
Honor System is defined by the following Honor Code:
a. That as K-State students they will not give or receive aid in examinations; that they will not give or receive unpermitted aid in class work, in the preparation of reports or in any other work that is to be used by the instructor as the basis of grading.
b. That as K-State students
they will do their share and take an active part in seeing to it that others as
well as themselves uphold the spirit and letter of the Honor System. This includes reporting an observed dishonesty.
3. The Honor Pledge
Statement
On all course work,
assignments, or examinations done by students at
On my honor as a student I
have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this assignment.
This statement means that
the student understands and has complied with the requirements of the
assignment as set forth by the instructor.
Week of Reading Activity Assignment
|
1/13 Orientation
to the course, discussion of objectives, Pre-test |
|
assignments, and course
expectations. |
|
|
|
Critical
thinking and social work |
|
|
|
1/17 How Do We Get Our Knowledge Y-Ch.
1 Quiz #1 P-1, 2, 11, 16
L-App A, 3, 16, 25 |
|
Introduction to Statistical
Analysis B-Part
I 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 H-1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
6
|
|
|
|
1/24 Ethical Issues in Social Work Research Y-Ch.
2 Quiz #2 H-8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13,
14, 15 |
|
Frequency Distributions and Graphs |
|
|
|
1/31 Research Problems and Questions Y-Ch.
3 Quiz #3 |
|
|
|
Central Tendency and Variability |
|
|
|
2/7 Using Existing Knowledge Y-Ch.
4 Quiz #4 EXAM I |
|
|
|
Normal Distributions |
|
|
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2/14 Focused Research Questions and Hypotheses Y-Ch. 5 Quiz #5 P-App D, 17, 18 |
|
|
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Introduction to Hypothesis Testing |
|
|
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2/21 Introduction to Research Design Y-Ch.
6 Quiz #6
|
|
|
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Sampling Distributions and Hypothesis Testing |
Week of Reading Activity Assignment
|
2/28 Qualitative Methods Y-Ch.
7 Quiz #7 L- 6, 16, 17, 18 |
|
|
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EXAM II |
|
|
|
3/7 Selecting a Statistical Test Y-Ch.
8 Handout L-10, 11, 12, 13, 24 |
|
H-26 |
|
Quantitative Methods-Cont. Y-Ch.
8-cont.. Quiz #8 L- 8, 9, 19, 20 |
|
H-26 |
|
3/14 Case Sampling Y-Ch.
9 Quiz #9 P-15 H-31 |
|
|
|
Measurement concepts and
issues
Y-Ch. 10 Quiz
#10 L-14, 15 H-40, 41 |
|
|
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3/21 SPRING BREAK |
|
|
|
3/28 Correlation B-Part
III 3.1 to 3.8 EXAM III P-12, 13, 14, App B
H-24,
25, 27, 28, 29 |
|
|
|
4/4 Cross-Tabulation/Confidence Intervals B-Part II 2.1 to 2.5 H-16,
17, 18, 32, 33 |
|
|
|
4/11 t Tests and Analysis of Variance B-Part
I 1.4 to 1.8 L-1,
2 P-19, 20
H-34, 35, 36,
37 |
|
|
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4/18 Use of Data Collection Instruments Y-Ch.
11 Quiz #11 To be assigned
B-Part IV 4.1 to 4.13 |
|
Course Evaluation |
|
4/25 Analyzing Data and Disseminating Findings Y-Ch. 12 Quiz #12 |
|
|
|
Evaluating Programs Y-Ch.
13 Quiz #13
B-Part VII 7.7, 7.8, 7.3 L-7, 21, 22,
23
H- 47, 48, 49, 50
P-23,
App E H-21 |
|
5/2 Evaluating Individual Practice
Effectiveness
Y-Ch. 14 Handout |
|
EXAM IV |
5/9 Monday-Final Exam 2:00-3:50
[In addition, see
bibliographic listings at the end of each chapter of the text.]
Applegate, Jeffrey S. The impact of subjective measures on
nonbehavioral practice research: outcome vs. process. Families
in Society (ISSN 1044-3894) v73 p100-8 February '92
Bloom, Martin; Fischer, Joel;
and Orme, John G.. Evaluating Practice: Guidelines for the Accountable Professional. (3rd)
Blythe, Betty J.; Goodman,
Deborah R. Agency board members as
research staff Social Work (ISSN 0037-8046) v32 p544-5 November/December '87
Caputo, Richard K. The role of research in the family service
agency. Social Casework (ISSN 0037-7678) v66 p205-12 April '85
Chavkin, Nancy Feyl The practice-research relationship: an
organizational link. Social Service Review (ISSN 0037-7961)
v60 p241-50 June '86
Cook, Cynthia A. Loveland;
Freedman, Jay A.; Evans, Ron L. Research
in social work practice: benefits of and
obstacles to implementation in the Department of Veterans Affairs Health
and Social Work (ISSN 0360-7283) v17 p214-22 August '92
Donovan, Rebecca. Stress in the workplace: a framework for
research and practice. Social Casework (ISSN 0037-7678) v68
p259-66 May '87
Epstein, William M. Science and social work. Social
Service Review (ISSN 0037-7961) v60 p145-60 March '86
-----. Rational claims to effectiveness in social
work's critical literature. The Social Science Journal (ISSN
0362-3319) v27 no2 p129-45 '90
Galinsky, Maeda J.;
Turnbull, Joanne E.; Meglin, Diane E.
Confronting the reality of collaborative practice research: issues of practice, design, measurement, and
team development. Social Work (ISSN 0037-8046) v38 p440-9 July '93
Gilgun, Jane F. A case for case studies in social work
research. Social Work (ISSN 0037-8046) v39 p371-80 July '94
Gordon, Kenneth H. Improving practice through illuminative
evaluation. Social Service Review (ISSN 0037-7961) v65 p365-78 September '91
Green, Robert G.; Hutchison,
Elizabeth D.; Sar, Bibhuti K. Evaluating
scholarly performance: the productivity of graduates of social work doctoral
programs. Social Service Review (ISSN 0037-7961) v66 p441-66 September '92
Grinnell, Richard M.;
Austin, Carol D.; Blythe, Betty J.
Social work researchers' quest for respectability (comment on K. B.
Tyson). Social Work (ISSN 0037-8046) v39
p469-70 July '94
Haas, Bruce. How can agencies help practitioners link
research with practice? Families in Society (ISSN 1044-3894) v71
p504-5 October '90
Hanrahan, Patricia; Reid,
William J. Choosing effective interventions. Social
Service Review (ISSN 0037-7961) v58 p244-58 June '84
Hartman, Ann. Many ways of knowing. Social
Work (ISSN 0037-8046) v35 p3-4 January '90
Hogarty, Gerard E. Meta-analysis of the effects of practice with
the chronically mentally ill: a critique and reappraisal of the
literature. Social Work (ISSN 0037-8046) v34 p363-73 July '89
Holbrook, Terry. Current renewed interest in personal document
research. Social Casework (ISSN 0037-7678) v67
p403-9 September '86
Ivanoff, Andre; Robinson,
Elizabeth A. R.; Blythe, Betty J.
Empirical clinical practice from a feminist perspective. Social
Work (ISSN 0037-8046) v32 p417-23
September/October '87, Discussion.
34:557-9 N '89
Karger, Howard Jacob. Science, research, and social work: who controls
the profession? Social Work (ISSN 0037-8046) v28 p200-5 May/June '83
Kagle, Jill Doner; Cowger,
Charles D.. Blaming the client: implicit
agenda in practice research? Social Work (ISSN 0037-8046) v29 p347-51
July/August '84
Klein, Waldo C.; Bloom,
Martin. Social work as applied social
science: a historical analysis. Social Work (ISSN 0037-8046) v39 p421-31
July '94
McCroskey, Jacquelyn;
Nelson, Judith. Practice-based research
in a family-support program: the Family
Connection Project example. Child Welfare (ISSN 0009-4021) v68
p573-87 November/December '89
Meyer, Carol H. Integrating research and practice. Social
Work (ISSN 0037-8046) v29 p323
July/August '84
Mutschler, Elizabeth. Evaluating practice: a study of research
utilization by practitioners. Social Work (ISSN 0037-8046) v29 p332-7
July/August '84
Nurius, Paula S.; Tripodi,
Tony. Methods of generalization used in
empirical social work literature. Social Service Review (ISSN 0037-7961)
v59 p239-57 June '85
O'Hare, Thomas M. Integrating research and practice: a
framework for implementation (part of a symposium on: Social workers at
work). Social Work (ISSN 0037-8046) v36 p220-3 May '91
Penka, Cindy E.; Kirk,
Stuart A. Practitioner involvement in
clinical evaluation. Social Work (ISSN 0037-8046) v36 p513-18
November '91
Reid, William J. The empirical practice movement. Social
Service Review (ISSN 0037-7961) v68
p165-84 June '94
Reid, William J.; Hanrahan,
Patricia. Recent evaluations of social
work: grounds for optimism. Social Work (ISSN 0037-8046) v27 p328-40
July '82; Discussion. 28:74-5+ Ja/F '83
Schilling, Robert F.;
Schinke, Steven Paul; Gilchrist, Lewayne D.
Utilization of social work research: reaching the practitioner. Social
Work (ISSN 0037-8046) v30 p527-9 November/December '85
Scott, Dorothy. Practice wisdom: the neglected source of
practice research. Social Work (ISSN 0037-8046) v35 p564-8 November '90
Simon, Ellen Perlman. Research for the research phobic: developing
research expertise in hospital social work.
Health and Social Work (ISSN
0360-7283) v16 p118-22 May '91
Sirles, Elizabeth A. Who responds to follow-up studies? Social
Casework (ISSN 0037-7678) v65 p354-6 June '84
Swigonski, Mary E. The logic of feminist standpoint theory for
social work research. Social Work (ISSN 0037-8046) v39 p387-93
July '94
Tyson, Katherine B. A new approach to relevant scientific
research for practitioners: the heuristic paradigm. Social
Work (ISSN 0037-8046) v37 p541-56 November '92; Discussion. v39 p469-70 Jl '94
Videka-Sherman,
Wasow, Mona. What are we doing to ourselves? (pressure to
produce and publish research to gain
tenure promotes shallow work). Social Work (ISSN 0037-8046) v37 p485-7
November '92