Advancing Social Work Education through Mixed-Methods Research: Exploring the Influence of a Workforce Development Initiative on Students’ Self-Efficacy

Background/Rationale: The United States faces a growing shortage of social work healthcare providers. This shortage highlights the need for innovative approaches to social work education and training. In response, a workforce development program was established to provide training that enhances undergraduate students' self-efficacy and prepares them for careers in healthcare. This study contributes to the ongoing conversation in social work education about effective strategies for developing the next generation of social work professionals. Using a sequential mixed-methods design, this study investigated quantitative changes in self-efficacy scores among undergraduate students before and after participation in the workforce development program, as well as qualitative insights into how students' program experiences shape their perceived self-efficacy over 18 months post-program.

Method: This sequential mixed-methods study included 61 undergraduate students in a workforce development program. Quantitative data were collected using a pre-posttest design to assess self-efficacy across six indicators related to program learning objectives. Paired-sample t-tests examined changes, with effect sizes calculated using Cohen's d. Qualitative data were gathered through three focus groups at the end of the program with program participants, and through interviews with at least 10% of participants at 12 and 18 months after program completion. Qualitative data were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Quantitative changes in self-efficacy were compared to and integrated with qualitative findings.

Results: The 61 participating students were 22-72 years of age (M = 35, SD = 9.22), and were primarily female and Black, with 77% being first-generation college students. All six indicators showed significant improvement between pre- and post-test. For instance, there was a significant difference in the scores for students’ (a) ability to demonstrate awareness of careers in social work health care improved between pre-test (M = 3.13, SD =1.26) and post-test (M =3. 88, SD = 1.26); t(51) = -3.00, p = <0.001, with a medium effect size (Cohen’s d of 0.61); and (b) use of evidence-based study strategies for academic success pre-test (M = 3.17, SD = 1.24) and post-test (M =4.00, SD=1.02); t(51) = 4.1, p < .001 .03, with a large effect size (Cohen’s d of 0.83). The qualitative findings support the quantitative results. Further, we found that students reported that self-efficacy improved due to group mentoring sessions and the ability to apply learned content up to 18 months post-program.

Conclusion: The findings of this study have implications for social work education, highlighting the importance of incorporating specialized training and workforce development programs into undergraduate curricula and using mixed-methods research to examine their influence on students. This study identified several best practices for social work education, including the integration of experiential learning opportunities, mentorship, and career development support. By adopting these strategies, social work educators can better prepare students for careers in healthcare and contribute to developing a more competent and confident workforce that is essential to advancing the common good.