This study examined the extent to which four groups of social workers empirically evaluated their practice and also identified client, agency and practitioner factors that affect practice evaluation activities. A total of 317 social workers from four different groups were surveyed. / Data were collected by a self-administered mail questionnaire. The instrument was designed to obtain information regarding the respondents' training in and knowledge of single-case methodology, as well as the respondents' current use of the technology. In addition, questions were asked about the respondents' agency context regarding support for practice evaluation activities as well as the characteristics of both the social work practitioner and the clients served. / The findings revealed significant differences between the four groups of social workers regarding the extent to which they empirically evaluated their practice. The most common single-subject designs used by the respondents were the single-subject pretest-posttest design and the AB design. / Four significant predictors of practice evaluation were also identified in this investigation. These predictors were: (1) the practitioners' level of agreement with integrating research procedures into clinical practice; (2) the amount of formal coursework taken while in graduate school; (3) the effectiveness of training in empirical clinical practice; and (4) the level of supportive contingencies within the agency for the empirical evaluation of practice. / Recommendations for future training and research are offered, including the need to integrate efforts of Schools of Social Work and their respective field training placements in the area of empirical clinical practice. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-03, Section: A, page: 1056. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1985.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_75783 |
| Contributors | CHEATHAM, JAMES MARION., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 163 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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