Teaching preparation in social work doctoral programs : a national study of new social work faculty.

Social work doctoral education directly impacts the future of the profession. Faculty members who are not prepared to teach may not be well-equipped to prepare future practitioners. Research is the primary focus of many social work doctoral programs today although teaching preparation was historically a focus of doctoral programs. Past research has shown that teaching is important to social work doctoral students, that individual teaching preparation methods are beneficial, and that teaching preparation varies largely by institution. Social work doctoral graduates are likely to obtain teaching roles upon graduation, but because social work doctoral programs are not accredited, they are free to choose what to include in their curriculum. Despite recommendations from prominent governing bodies about how to adequately prepare social work doctoral students for roles they are likely to assume upon graduation, some institutions are still not incorporating ample teaching preparation into their doctoral programs. Through responses to a national online survey from new social work faculty, Chapter 2 covers the teaching preparation methods received in social work doctoral programs and the overall levels of perceived preparedness to teach as new faculty among various demographic groups. Chapter 3 utilizes a phenomenological approach to qualitative research to obtain an in-depth understanding of the shared experience of social work faculty in their first year of teaching. The data from these two studies contribute to Chapter 4, a comprehensive article about the addition of engaging in anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI) work in the newest version of the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards for Baccalaureate and Master’s Social Work Programs and the ways social work programs at Christian institutions are uniquely positioned to engage in this important work. This dissertation provides an overview of the methods of teaching preparation received by new faculty who are also recent graduates of social work doctoral programs to understand how social work doctoral students are being prepared to teach, what teaching preparation methods are helpful, and where there is room for improvement in the teaching preparation offered by the doctoral programs.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Grantor

Baylor University.

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Ander, Grace Elizabeth, 1995-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Scales, T. Laine.

• Social work graduate education.
• Teaching preparation.
• Teaching preparedness.
• Phenomenology.
• Antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI)

Statement dc:rights

• Baylor University works are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact libraryquestions@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission.

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2104/13981

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:baylor-ir.tdl.org:2104/13981