Social Work Research

Code

SOCW2004

School

Social Work

Level

2

Credits

20

Semesters

Spring UK

Summary

Research perspectives: When and how do social workers use research?

The module considers the ways in which social workers (should) use research in practice and explores the concept of research-mindedness in social work. Social workers need research to practise effectively; to understand service users' lives, make informed decisions and to change/develop organisations. Putting empirical evidence into practice will be explored using an applied approach and concrete examples from peer-reviewed papers.

The overall pass mark for the module is 40% and all module elements are non-compensatable (i.e. students must pass each assessment at 40%).

Target Students

Only available for year 2 BA Hons Social Work students.

Classes

Teaching will be 2 x 5 hour sessions per week for 3 weeks (6 x 5 hour workshops in total).

Assessment

• 50% Group Presentation: 30 minutes.
• 50% Coursework: 2,000 words.

Assessed by end of spring semester

Educational Aims

Learning Outcomes

1.    Enable students to reflect on the legal and ethical frameworks required for effective research into social work practice (SWE PS: 2.6).

2.    Use information from a range of appropriate sources to inform evidence-based practice (SWE PS: 3.2).

3.    Understand the difference been quantitative and qualitative research methods and their suitability or otherwise as a mode of investigation for different phenomena (SWE PS: 3.5).

4.    Search online digital platforms to identify relevant research and other sources of evidence and convey key information clearly in visual and written digital formats (SWE PS: 3.10).

5.    Keep practice up to date and record the use of research through a framework for research minded practice that can be sustained through knowledge of how to access research and to identify, analyse and appropriately apply relevant evidence to practice (SWE PS: 4.3).

Conveners

• Dr Lisa Warwick