Abstract
Self-efficacy is a critical component in the development of social work practice skills. If students lack self-efficacy, it can impact their preparation and performance during field placement. Therefore, the self-efficacy of students enrolled in the Bachelor of Social Work program at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) was examined. Social work pedagogy and curriculum were adapted to include the four sources of self-efficacy to address deficits in the students' self-perception and self-concept. Students' self-efficacy was measured using the social work self-efficacy scale before and after the completion of the first mock case study and at the completion of the second mock case study.
TopBackground
According to Bandura (1977), people are “at least partial architects of their own destinies” (p. 8). Bandura’s (1997) construct of self-efficacy stems from the Social Learning Theory. Self-efficacy is defined as “beliefs in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given attainments” (p. 3). It affects an individual’s motivation, emotional response, and behavior (Bandura, 1977). Efficacious individuals have positive self-confidence and believe in their capabilities. They can confront challenging situations and are resilient if unsuccessful. Those with a negative perception of self-efficacy tend to avoid problematic situations and have difficulty coping with failures (Bandura, 1977). African American students majoring in social work can be at a disadvantage when self-efficacy is not assessed. In general, self-efficacy is an essential factor among African American students in higher education (Phinney & Haas, 2003). Favorable self-concept and self-perception of African American students influences their ability to cope with social and environmental barriers as well as their academic performance (Walker, 2018).
Self-efficacy is also an important component for social work practice skills development. It impacts resiliency and is an indicator of future behaviors. Self-efficacy can also affect student performance and outcomes (Pedrazza et al., 2013), which are important aspects of social work programs governed by the CSWE. Student performance and outcomes are influenced by students’ perceptions of their ability to demonstrate the core competencies designated by the CSWE (Tapp et al., 2012). More research efforts need to focus on assessing the relationship between self-efficacy and social work practice skills development. There is also a need for social work programs to incorporate self-efficacy evaluation instruments in addition to the traditional competency-based instruments that assess theoretical knowledge, behaviors, skills, and tasks (Tapp et al., 2012). Tapp et al. (2012) believed that social work programs should include a self-efficacy assessment instrument, such as the Social Work Self-Efficacy (SWSE) scale, which facilitates a comprehensive evaluation of student performance and future practice behaviors.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Simulation: An experiential learning process that includes opportunities for feedback, evaluation, and reflection. Students take on the role of the social worker while professionals play the role of the client. The facilitator evaluates the session while the student reflects on their performance and receives feedback from other students and the facilitator.
Social Work Curriculum: A plan to deliver educational materials during the learning process.
Self-Efficacy: Belief in one’s ability to carry out specific tasks and responsibilities.
Experiential Learning: Hands-on learning. An opportunity to learn knowledge and skills through experience.
Social Work Supervision: Field supervisors and faculty provide one-on-one sessions with students to discuss their progress and needs as well as to provide feedback and support.
Role-Play: An experiential learning process that demonstrates social work practice skills and behaviors while assuming the role of a social worker.
Social Work Education: The overall process of learning social work knowledge, values, and skills.
Case Study: Real-life situations or examples utilized by social work educators to help students practice their skills, engage in critical thinking, problem solve, and demonstrate putting theory into practice.
Field Placement: A supervised internship for social work students. Students can demonstrate their practice skills in a real human-service setting under the close guidance of a field supervisor.