Group Work in Graduate Social Work Education: The Price of Neglect

Social Work Students' Perceived Knowledge of and Preparation for Group-Work Practice

“…In the field, similar to previous studies (Birnbaum & Auerbach, 1994;Knight, 1999;Steinberg, 1993), students in this sample had limited exposure to group work and the learning opportunities associated with group in their field practicum. Almost one fifth of the students reported that they had never facilitated a group.…”

“…Ironically, however, there has been a significant decline in the teaching of group work in social work education (Birnbaum & Auerbach, 1994;Knight, 1999). Furthermore, it is not clear how best to teach students about and prepare them for group-work practice.…”

“…To maximize the benefits of a group experience for members, however, students must be taught to identify "specific contributions to group members that differ from the benefits of one-to-one intervention" (Wayne & Cohen, 2001, p. 5). Evidence suggests that coverage of group-work content in graduate and undergraduate social work education has declined, resulting in fewer social workers being adequately trained in or prepared to engage in this important treatment modality (Birnbaum & Auerbach, 1994;Parry, 1991;Steinberg, 1993).…”

“…Two of the studies explored group-work content. Birnbaum and Auerbach (1994) studied group-work content in social work master's level programs. They found that only about one fifth of the schools surveyed required group-work courses, while less than one half of the schools have group-work electives to offer.…”

Why Did They Choose Group Work: Exploring Motivations and Perceptions of Current MSW Students of Group Work

“…Goodman and Munoz (2004) explained that internationally recognized group-work educators (e.g., Kurland & Salmon 2002;Middleman & Wood, 1990;Newmann, 1999;Steinberg, 1999;Tropp, 1978) deplore the current state of group-work practice in the field. Less than 20% of social work schools require any type of course in group work, and only 10%-15% of students graduate with any specialized group-work knowledge (Birnbaum & Auerbach, 1994). Other commentators concur that education in social group work has profoundly diminished over the years (Billups & Julia, 1987;Birnbaum & Auerbach, 1994;Goldberg & Lamont, 1992;Goodman & Munoz, 2004;Kurland & Salmon, 1992;Rittner & Albers, 1999;Strozier, 1997).…”