Syllabus

Master of Social Work

SSWO 503 – Social Work Research I – Spring 2019

Credits - 3

Description

The MSW research sequence (SSW 503 and SSW 504) prepares students to become critical consumers as well as producers of research in order to inform their practice and contribute to social change. Students are exposed to research as a systematic problem identifying and problem solving process with parallels to other forms of social work practice where naming the issues to be addressed functions as a foundation for ongoing action planning. Enhanced critical thinking and conceptual skills are emphasized throughout. The relevance of fundamental social work values to social work and social science research is explored through attention to ethics, value conflicts, institutionalized bias and prejudice, validity and reliability of human observation, and critical comparison of various methods of knowing. The research sequence of the MSW program is composed of two 3-credit courses.

Research as a means to promote social change will be emphasized throughout the course sequence. This includes attention to creating empowering research processes and using research outcomes to advocate for social and economic justice. Research I (SSW 503) provides an orientation to the history of science and the range of methods for informing evidence-guided social work practice. Knowledge generation and its application to social work research will be examined critically from a paradigmatic level. Students will explore the continuous relationship between research, theory development, and practice principles and will develop an understanding of the context of research, ethics and values, use of research resources, problem formulation, measurement, sampling, and research design.

Materials

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

School of Social Work Program Outcomes:

Graduates of the UNE SSWO will demonstrate knowledge, skills, and leadership in the following:

1. Practice social inclusion to enable people, populations, and communities to fully participate in society, enhance human bonds in the context of cultural diversity and ensure improved quality of life and equitable resource distribution. EPAS Competencies 2 & 3
2. Engage in culturally-informed relationship building, being respectful of the complexity and diversity of contexts and circumstances. EPAS Competencies 3 & 6
3. Utilize theories of human behavior, social systems and social inclusion when offering interventions with people and their environments. EPAS Competency 8
4. Promote ethical reflection, critical consciousness and shared decision-making based in social work values and with consideration of the broader contexts of the world in which we live. EPAS Competency 1
5. Balance the roles of helpers, activists, and advocates through collaboration with communities to build healthy and sustainable resources. EPAS Competencies 2, 5, & 6
6. Engage as critical consumers and producers of research as it relates to assessment, intervention and evaluation of clinical and community practices. EPAS Competencies 4, 7, 8 & 9
7. Practice person-centered and collaborative community partnerships across diverse settings. EPAS Competency 6

Course Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Articulate the linkages between scientific methods and social work practice. PROGRAM OUTCOME 6. As measured by 1) DISCUSSION FORUMS, 2) JOURNAL ENTRIES, and 3) WHAT DOES RESEARCH LOOK LIKE IN THE REAL WORLD? PAPER .
2. Develop and formulate research questions, operationalize variables, and develop testable hypotheses where appropriate. PROGRAM OUTCOME 6. As measured by 1) DISCUSSION FORUMS and 2) METHODOLOGY.
3. Determine whether a quantitative or qualitative approach is most appropriate given one’s research question, and distinguish between exploratory, descriptive and explanatory research. PROGRAM OUTCOME 6. As measured by 1) DISCUSSION FORUMS, 2) METHODOLOGY, and 3) FINAL PROPOSAL WITH SURVEY QUESTIONS.
4. Demonstrate knowledge needed to critically assess the inherent strengths and limitations of published social work research, with special reference to the implications of such studies and findings for marginalized groups within our society. PROGRAM OUTCOME 6. As measured by 1) DISCUSSION FORUMS, LITERATURE REVIEW, and JOURNAL ENTRIES.
5. Assess ethical issues relevant to conducting research in accordance with the federal regulations guiding the protection of human participants in research and Social Work’s professional ethical standards. PROGRAM OUTCOME 4. As measured by 1) DISCUSSION FORUMS, 2) SURVEY QUESTIONS, and 3) JOURNAL ENTRIES.

Assignments

Assignments

This course is designed as a project-based course; therefore, you will complete a comprehensive project that will be submitted during week 8. To assist you in completing the project, additional assignments are developed that require your attention to meeting certain benchmarks throughout the course.

Reflective Journal (Due Weeks 1-8)

The reflective journal assignment provides an opportunity for students to free-write each week regarding their learning experiences, questions, and interpersonal reflections of course content. Free writing is relaxing and allows the mind to process events and learning experiences that have occurred in light of new information obtained or interactions with others, via the course room or outside of the course room (field practicum, work, home, volunteering, etc.). The key component of this assignment is to include 2-3 paragraphs each week reflecting on the educational experience of this course.

What Does Research Look Like in the Real World (Due End of Week 3)

Overview – This written assignment provides you the opportunity to discuss the linkages between scientific methods of inquiry and social work practice. To complete this assignment, you will reflect on a social service setting that you are familiar with. This can be a place of current or previous employment, where you volunteer, or where you or a member.

Conduct a brief literature review on this setting (or topic of the setting) and discuss an area within the setting that could benefit from employing methods of scientific inquiry (research methods). To do this, discuss an area within the setting that you feel is of concern and articulate how scientific methods of inquiry can impact social work practice within the setting you chose.

1. Introduce the setting/topic
2. Conduct a brief literature review
3. Identify a problem within the setting
4.  Discuss how the problem can be resolved impacting social work practice

Expectations

• Write 3-5 pages following APA 6th edition formatting (including title page, abstract, and references)
• Include 3-6 scholarly in-text citations and full citation information in References. Scholarly sources can
  include, but not limited to, the agency website, journal articles, books, government/census websites, etc.

Literature Review (Due End of Week 4)

Overview 

Review the topic, research questions and/or hypotheses you formulated in Week 1. Then, review various scholarly articles/sources on this topic from the last 5-10 years. Select 3-5 of them to examine in your paper. (You may find it helpful to select more than five scholarly articles/sources, depending on your topic and the divergent perspectives present in the literature.) Identify and discuss themes, patterns, and gaps that exist in the articles you selected. Compose a 4-6 page paper in APA 6th edition formatting in which you use the literature to establish a framework on the selected topic. Please note that this is not a report on what each article states. Instead, your goal is to critically analyze the findings, limitations, strengths, and potential opportunities for the published work.

Paper Components

• Identify the topic selected (from Week 1)
• Conduct a literature review on the selected topic and discuss the topic using at least 3-5 scholarly articles/sources
• Identify and discuss themes and patterns (i.e. positive or beneficial information) that exist in the literature on this topic
• Identify and discuss gaps (i.e. what is lacking or needs development) that exist in the literature on this topic
• Identify and discuss the need for additional research efforts on the selected topic.

Expectations

• Write 4-6 pages following APA 6th edition formatting (including title page and References)
• Include a review of at least 3 different scholarly sources. Scholarly sources can include, but are not limited to, agency websites, journal articles, books, quantitative studies, qualitative studies, government/census websites, etc.
• Write objectively and professionally (use of first-person not acceptable).

Survey Questions (Due Week 6)

Overview – Review the topic, research questions and/or hypotheses you formulated in Week 1. Review the literature review conducted in Week 4. Create a 10-question survey designed to further research the selected topic. Submit this assignment to the Assignment Dropbox by Day 7 of Week 6.

Expectations 

• 1-2 pages in length, formatted as a Word document (doc or docx format)
• Include a title of the survey (you can create your own title)
• Questions are concise, are easy to understand, and avoid bias
• Questions must demonstrate ethical design practices
• Questions must clearly aim to answer your research questions and/or hypothesis
• Use of first-person is not acceptable

Methodology (Due Week 7)

Overview

At this point of the course, you are familiar with your selected topic, created a research question and/or hypotheses, identified reasons that additional research should be conducted, and created a survey instrument. The next step of the research process is to provide the details of your Methods.

Compose an essay of approximately 4-6 pages following APA 6th edition formatting and propose your research design (otherwise known as the “Methodology”).

Discuss your 1) participants; 2) instruments and; 3) procedures. To discuss your participants, identify and discuss your study population (known as participants). Please note that the study population for each paper will include students enrolled in SSW 503 with the University of New England’s MSW Online Program. Include characteristics of the participants, where they might be from, and how many you forecast might participate in your study. Next, identify and discuss your measurement instrument. Please note that this refers to the survey created in Week 6. Describe the measurement instrument, how it was developed, and the concerns related to reliability and validity. Finally, identify and discuss your design procedures. This includes which research design you will employ (i.e. qualitative or quantitative), the type of data to be collected, and the steps involved in the process. Also, in the procedure section, you will want to be sure to cover how participants will be recruited, selected sampling frame, and how to conduct the informed consent process. The procedure section should read as replicable by any other researcher – be concise yet detailed enough for someone else to be able to replicate the study. The procedures section should read as somewhat of a recipe for conducting the project. Submit this assignment to the Assignment Dropbox by Day 7 of Week 7.

Note: Additional items to include in your Methodology chapter include: compensation practices, time frame allowed for participants to complete the survey, confidentiality practices, why the IRB will not be consulted in your project, and any other elements you feel should be included based off of what you have learned about preparing a methodology chapter.  

Expectations 

• Write 4-6 pages following APA 6th edition formatting. (Your paper should include a title page and references page, which are not included in the page count)
• Write in a straightforward, step-by-step manner. Cite sources as needed.
• As a method proposal, use of first-person is acceptable (i.e. I created, I plan to, I will, etc)
• Use the future tense (I propose to…, I will…)

Additional Notes – Please refer to the “Methodology Template” provided in the “Resources” section of your discussion board area. This template provides a sample of the levels of headings that should be used for this document.

Final Proposal with Survey (Due Friday of Week 8)

Overview

Upon completion of this Module, you will have created a research study proposal! You completed Chapter 2 (the Literature Review) and Chapter 3 (Methodology). All that is left is Chapter 1, known as the Introduction. Write your Introduction Chapter (2-3 pages) following APA 6th edition formatting where you discuss the scope and significance of the selected topic and then combine all components of the proposal into one document for final submission. Submit this assignment to the Assignment Dropbox by Day 3 of Week 8.

Paper Components 

• Write Chapter 1: Introduction (include the following subsections: Introduction, Background, Significance, Research questions and/or Hypothesis
• Include Chapter 2: Literature Review (review and update to include any changes needed)
• Include Chapter 3: Methodology (review and update to include any changes needed)
• Include References at end of the document
• Include Appendix A: Survey (review and update to include any changes needed)

Introduction Expectations 

• Write 2-3 pages following APA 6th edition formatting, provide citations as needed
• Write objectively and professionally; use of first-person NOT acceptable

Final Proposal Expectations (to be submitted by Day 3 of Week 8)

• Final proposal should be no less than 12 pages in length following APA 6th edition formatting
• Required content:
• APA formatted title page
  • Chapter One: Introduction (to be written and included in the final proposal submission)
  • Chapter Two: Literature Review (completed in Week 4)
  • Chapter Three: Methodology (completed in Week 7)
  • References o Appendix: Self-created Survey (completed in Week 6)

Discussion Forum & Participation Expectations

Discussion Board: The entire collection of discussions is accessible via the course menu

Discussion Forum: The individual forum (venue) for each question.

Discussion Question: The actual question within the discussion forum. 

Each week there are discussion questions within the main classroom discussion board area. The #1 discussion forum requires an initial response by the end of Friday, midnight, ET and any additionally assigned forums require an initial response by Sunday, midnight, ET. However, feel free to post your work earlier in the learning week if you choose. 

What are responses?

Responses are posts that demonstrate that you are responding to another student. These are generally what you think of as “participation” posts. You are expected to actively participate in the forums each week. To actively participate in the forums means to respond to a minimum of 2 different students (in each forum) per week.  Your initial post does not count towards responses to others. 

Note: DO NOT post all of your participation replies on the last day of the week! Doing so does not facilitate student-to-student interaction and minimizes the learning experience for all! Your instructor may choose to reduce points given if you post all replies on the same day.

Responses to others must add substantively to the discussion by building upon classmates’ ideas or posing critical questions to further the discussion. For example, a posting of “I agree with what people are saying” is not sufficient. What is considered sufficient is initiating further discussion; promoting further thought; providing critical or integrative dialogue; providing effective support or encouragement; challenging by showing supporting literature or other documentation, and/or self-reflecting regarding the topic. An ideal response to another student looks like:

Example Response

Student Name, 

I appreciated reading your initial post this week as you highlight many of the difficulties in approaching research from a qualitative perspective. However, in their work, Jones (2011) notes that qualitative research is an approach to gathering data that is both inquisitive and challenging. Moreover, what I respect about the process of qualitative inquiry is that in-depth and personally significant questions or inquiry can be asked. Do you agree or disagree with Jones’s (2011) statement that qualitative research is both inquisitive and challenging…and what would you say is the difference between qualitative and quantitative inquiry? Thoughts? 

Regards, 

My Name

References: 

Jones, B. (2011). Qualitative approaches to data collection. Journal of Qualitative Research, 12(2), 334-354.  

You will be graded each week according to your initial postings as well as the quality and quantity of your participation. Your instructor will grade both your discussion forum initial postings and participation based on their own discretion. Please check with your instructor the first few days of class to become fully aware of any further expectations not already noted in the Course Syllabus. 

Grading Policy

The School of Social Work uses the following grading system for all courses with the exception of field education courses. Students are expected to maintain a “B” (3.0) average over the course of their study. Students with less than a GPA of 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. Students must have an overall GPA of 3.0 in order to receive their Master’s Degree.

Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:

Grade Breakdown

Assignment	Points	% of Grade
Discussion Questions	200 points (10 points x 20 discussion forums)	20%
What Does Research Look Like in the Real World? (Due Week 3)	100 points	10%
Literature Review (Due Week 4)	150 points	15%
Survey Questions (Due Week 6)	100 points	10%
Methodology (Due Week 7)	150 points	15%
Final Proposal With Survey (Due Week 8)	200 points	20%
Reflective Journal	100 points (12.5 points X 8 weeks)	10%
Total:	1,000 points	100%