University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Masters Theses Graduate School 5-2003 Student and faculty perceptions and attitudes about the master's thesis in social work Donna J. Cherry Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.edu/utk_gradthes Recommended Citation Cherry, Donna J., "Student and faculty perceptions and attitudes about the master's thesis in social work. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 2003.edu/utk_gradthes/5202 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange.
For more information, please contact trace@utk. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a thesis written by Donna J. Cherry entitled "Student and faculty perceptions and attitudes about the master's thesis in social work." I have examined the final electronic copy of this thesis for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, with a major in Social Work. Stan Bowie, Major Professor We have read this thesis and recommend its acceptance: Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R.
Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official student records.) To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a thesis written by Donna J. Cherry entitled "Student and Faculty Perceptions and Attitudes About the Master's Thesis in Social Work." I have examined the final paper copy of this thesis for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Social Work, with a major in Social Work. We have read this thesis and recommend its acceptance: VJ. ---- Acceptance for the Council: Vice Provost and De Graduate Studies STUDENT AND FACULTY PERCEPTIONS AND ATTITUDES ABOUT THE MASTER'S THESIS IN SOCIAL WORK A Thesis Presented for the Master of Science in Social Work ·Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Donna J.
Cherry May 2003 DEDICATIONS This thesis is dedicated ·to my husband, Bill, for his unfailing support, friendship, and sense of humor. I also dedicate this to future social students with the hope that this work will contribute toward the College's ongoing improvements of the program. 11 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many people contributed at various levels to the shaping and implementation of this study. ·To begin, I wish to acknowledge those who provided informal but critical support.
Cruthirds, who altruistically and unknowingly sparked my interest in writing issues of students by sharing a social work journal that contained a timely and provocative article. Thanks to my classmates in Knoxville who participated in the focus groups and to the students and faculty who took the time to complete the survey. Also thanks to Dr. Bill Nugent, who provided vital feedback on IRB approval issues as well as data analysis approaches.
Next, I wish to thank Dr. Catherine Dulmus and Dr. David Dupper, who agreed to serve on my thesis committee and provided valuable input and support throughout the process. They each co�tributed additional ideas and dimensions to the original research question that resulted in an extensive and rewarding study.
Thanks also to Dr. Dupper for facilitating contact with the Associate Deans at the Nashville and Memphis campuses that enabled the survey to be administered in the classrooms. Lastly, I would like to acknowledge the person who has been with me for the entire journey: Dr. Among the many, many things I have learned through this process is that the pursuit of a thesis is impossible without the proper care and feeding of the student by a devoted mentor.
Bowie fulfilled this role and more. I wish to thank him for the countless hours he so enthusiastically devoted to each step of my study: from sifting through and shaping up the research topic; guidance on conducting focus groups; constructing the surveys; strategizing on data collection and data analysis; and clear and thoughtful direction on tackling the writing process. I hope to repay him some day by providing mentorship to others. lll ABSTRACT The general aim of this study was to examine student and faculty perceptions of barriers to pursuing the thesis.
This was in response to the relatively limited knowledge base, research, and literature addressing the thesis/capstone option for the master's program in social work, and lack of theses successfully completed at the University of Tennessee College of Social Work. Specifically, the study investigated the background characteristics, curriculum choices, and attitudes of a sample of current and former students enrolled in the MSSW program at the University of Tennessee as well as current faculty at the same institution. The data were obtained from a purposive sample of 364 current and former MSSW students and 25 current faculty from the three campuses of University of Tennessee College of Social Work located in Knoxville, Memphis, and Nashville. The data were collected in October and November 2002 through the use of a survey questionnaire that included a quantitative and qualitative design.
Findings revealed that students feel positively about research and writing, which are the main components of a thesis, and appreciate the value of the thesis and research for both personal and professional growth. Statistically significant findings utilizing Pearson's Chi Square Test of Independence were realized. Significant relationships were found between undergraduate majors and writing ability (Chi-square(l 2) = 27.05), between undergraduate majors and the perception of writing skills required for a thesis (Chi-square(l2) = 24.05), and between undergraduate majors and interest lV in research (Chi-square(12) = 22. Both students and faculty expressed that the lack of time and the lack of support from the College of Social Work were significant barriers to pursuing or supporting the thesis option.
The implications for social work education and future research are discussed in relation to this study. There is a need to reconsider how to support the thesis option. In addition, there is a substantive level of expressed student interest in an alternative capstone option that would realize the essence of a thesis but be tailored to accommodate time constraints and the need for a formal structure. Therefore, there is a need to consider how to support the thesis option or alternate capstone for students who are interested in pursuing it and for faculty who are interested in supporting it.
V TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION 1 Problem Statement 1 Purpose of Study 2 Significance 3 II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 5 Goals of Social Work Education 5 Approaches to Accomplish Educational Goals 6 Value of Thesis to Master's Students 10 The Social Work Profession 12 Barriers to a Thesis 16 Summary 21 III. METHODOLOGY 23 Research Questions 23 Rationale 23 Design and Instrumentation 25 Sampling Procedures 29 Data Collection Procedures 30 Data Analysis 32 IV.
RESULTS 33 Student Background Characteristics 33 Faculty Background Characteristics 34 Research Questions 34 V. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS 47 Summary of Study 47 Discussion of Findings 47 Barriers for Students and Faculty 48 Comparative Differences between Students with Different Undergraduate Majors 56 Perceived Importance of Research in Social Work 57 Limitations of Study 59 Implications for Social Work Education 59 Vl LIST OF REFERENCES 63 APPENDICES 73 A. Cover letter to current students 74 B. Current student questionnaire 76 C.
Letter of instruction to instructor 83 D. Cover letter to graduates 85 E. Cover letter to faculty 94 G. Tables 102 VITA 131 vu LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1.
Student Background Characteristics 103 2. Faculty Background Characteristics 105 3. Student Barriers to Completing a Thesis: Writing Issues 106 4. Student Barriers to Completing a Thesis: Research Issues 107 5.
Student Barriers to Completing a Thesis: Thesis Issues 108 6. Student Barriers to Completing a Thesis: Institution and Faculty Issues 110 7. Student Barriers to Completing a Thesis: Other Issues 111 8. Student Background Characteristics by Undergraduate Major Categories 112 9.
Student Barriers to Completing a Thesis by Undergraduate Major Categories: Writing Issues 115 10. Student Barriers to Completing a Thesis by Undergraduate Major Categories: Research Issues 116 11. Student Barriers to Completing a Thesis by Undergraduate Major Categories: Thesis Issue 117 12. Student Barriers to Completing a Thesis by Undergraduate Major Categories: Institution and Faculty Issues 118 13.
Student Barriers to Completing a Thesis by Undergraduate Major Categories: Other Issues 119 14. Undergraduate Major Categories and Enjoyment of Writing Crosstabulation 120 15. Undergraduate Major Categories and Writing Ability Crosstabulation 120 16. Undergraduate Major Categories and Writing Ability for Thesis Crosstabulation 121 17.
Undergraduate Major Categories and Research Interest Crosstabulation 121 Vlll 18. Undergraduate Major Categories and Research Anxiety Crosstabulation 122 19. Undergraduate Major Categories and Outside Exposure to Research Crosstabulation 122 20. Undergraduate Major Categories and Conducting Research Crosstabulation 123 21.
Undergraduate Major Categories and Understand Thesis Requirements Crosstabulation 123 22. Undergraduate Major Categories and Difficulty of Thesis Crosstabulation 124 23. Undergraduate Major Categories and Concern about Thesis Topic Crosstabulation 124 24. Undergraduate Major Categories and Thesis Relevance Crosstabulation 125 25.
Undergraduate Major Categories and Thesis Helpful for Securing Job Crosstabulation 125 26. Research in Career and Sufficient Thesis Information Crosstabulation 126 27. Research in Career and Encouragement of Orientation Crosstabulation 126 28. Research in Career and Faculty Support Crosstabulation 127 29.
Interest in Pursuing a Ph. Field of Interest 128 31. Faculty Barriers to Supporting a Thesis: Value to Student 129 32. Faculty Barriers to Supporting a Thesis: Structural Constraints 130 IX CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Problem Statement The social work profession continues to striv� to understand how to develop graduate students with a higher level of competence in research.
The Task Force on Social Work Research (1991) described the state of scholarship in social work as being in crisis, a position underscored by the fact that there is a paucity of empirical research addressing the characteristics of students, curricula, and instructional style to enhance understanding of this predicament (Rosenthal & Wilson, 1992). Fostering research is just part of the challenge in the preparation of �tudents in social work. Fraser (1994) pointed out that social work struggles to reconcile the need to concurrently prepare students for practice and to train scholars to generate knowledge for the profession. Although not all practitioners will become researchers, Fraser argues that stronger training on research methods is needed not only at the doctoral level, but at the master's level as well.
As the profession continues to struggle for its identity, it is also in a position of contending with other fields for legitimacy. For instance, the more traditional social work careers in mental health and clinical practice compete with other social science fields. such as psychology, while the increasing presence of social workers in health care settings pits the profession against nursing. Social workers in the macro practice arena are in competition with Master's of Business Administration (MBAs) and Master's of Public· Administration professionals.
The variegation does not stop there, however, because the complexion of social work careers is so vast. Potential fields for social workers include substance abuse treatment, aging and gerontology, child welfare, justice and corrections, 1 school social work, developmental disabilities, public welfare, health care, research, politics, policy and planning, mental health, employment/occupational social work, community organization, management and community practice, and international social work (Morales & Sheafor, 2001; Segal, Gerdes, & Steiner, 2004). The challenge is therefore obvious: there is a need to provide a palate of skills in a two-year master's program to students who enter the program with a variety of undergraduate degrees and who will need to be prepared to enter a wide array of fields upon exit from the program The choices made available to students within the scope of the program reflect the priorities �d values of a given academic institution. For example, some universities offer the choice of completing a thesis as a capstone option.
In addition to socializing future doctoral students to research, the thesis ostensibly fosters better researchers and consumers of research for students entering practice with a master's degree.