ERIC Number: EJ1306279
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1043-7797
EISSN: N/A
The Great Divide between Social Work Educational Policy and Licensure Examinations: Differing Approaches to Identifying Competency That Are Challenging the Profession
Apgar, Dawn
Journal of Social Work Education, v57 n3 p519-533 2021
In 2008, social work education underwent a major shift from accrediting undergraduate and graduate programs based on curriculum design and structure to focusing on student outcomes. These competencies are believed to be inclusive of the proficiencies needed for competent social work practice. Central is the notion that social work competency can only be assessed by observation of behavior in real or simulated practice settings. In addition, these educational competencies are based in the strong social and economic justice perspectives that are at the heart of the social work profession. This approach to identifying competency starkly contrasts assessments used for social work licensure. Licensure examinations are based on assessing knowledge for tasks that licensed social workers "actually do" in their jobs. Thus, there is a disconnect, with educators on one side asserting competency can only be assessed through behavioral observation of what social workers "should" be "doing" and regulators on the other focusing on knowledge that is driven by real world market conditions. This article examines this existing divide and provides suggestions for bridging it in the future.
Descriptors: Social Work, Counselor Training, Licensing Examinations (Professions), Caseworkers, Observation, Knowledge Level, Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students, Accreditation (Institutions), Educational Change, Student Evaluation, Outcomes of Education, Job Skills, Work Environment
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A

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