Context matters : a multilevel analysis of patterns of mobility to non-poor neighborhoods for poor renter households.

The goal of this longitudinal, multilevel study was to develop a better understanding of poor renter households\u27 mobility patterns by identifying the relative importance of individual and contextual variables. Variability in neighborhood poverty rates (NPR) was analyzed for 1564 poor, renter households living in 179 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) across the continental U.S. during the 1990s. Household heads were typically black (73%), middle age (mean=37 years) females (59%) who had 12 or fewer years of education (77%). Each household completed three to nine Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) surveys. Using geocodes, census data were linked with survey data to provide information about the NPR and metropolitan opportunity structure at each survey occasion. Multilevel modeling was used to analyze this hierarchically-structured data (measurement occasions nested within households nested within MSAs). While 58% of variability in outcomes was due to between-household differences, 15% was due to between-MSA differences (the remainder was between-measurement occasion variability). Each of the three blocks of predictors significantly improved the model: individual decisions (work, housing, fertility and marriage), personal characteristics (race, age, gender and education) and MSA characteristics (segregation, housing, labor market and area poverty conditions). Controlling for other predictors, race was the most important predictor, increasing a black household\u27s NPR by over ten points and interacting with several other predictors. Being black amplified the negative effect of having more children, weakened positive effects of increased income and a better MSA opportunity structure, and interacted with MSA segregation to the disadvantage of black households. Increased education lowered the NPR. Across income levels, the average white household lived in a non-poor neighborhood while the average black household had an NPR nearly twice as high. Living in public housing was associated with a 4.7 percentage point differential in NPR (compared to no assistance). Other forms of government-assisted housing also increased the NPR, but by less than one percentage point. Mobility lowered the NPR, as did becoming a homeowner. Individual choices made a difference, but characteristics individuals were born with amplified or diminished effects of their efforts. The NPR was further influenced by housing type, tenure and mobility. Most importantly, metropolitan context mattered

Students’ Perceptions of Service-Learning in an Advanced Research Course

Social work students are often anxious, apathetic, or resistant to learning research knowledge and skills. They may view research courses as irrelevant and disconnected from social work practice. Studies suggest that service-learning improves learning outcomes in social work research courses, but less is known about the processes through which these outcomes are achieved. This study explored the perceptions of 70 Masters-level social work students enrolled in an advanced research course that included a pro bono program evaluation of a shelter serving homeless men. Content analysis of students’ narratives revealed three main themes. First, students perceived that they had changed their thinking about homelessness in positive ways. Second, students made connections between their research experience and the social work curriculum. Finally, an unanticipated theme of curriculum integration emerged. Critical reflection about a meaningful experience—an integral aspect of service-learning—supported students in developing metacognitive insight. This helped students to develop and apply social work research skills. The service-learning project supported students’ mastery of other social work competencies and improved their integrated practice abilities. Because this approach is effective in helping students to embrace research and integrate it with social work practice, application and evaluation of service-learning are recommended for social work education

Engaged Teaching-Learning: Outcome Evaluation for Social Work Students in a Graduate-Level Service Learning Research Course

The challenges of engaging social work students in the research curriculum are well-documented, and the literature supports the use of service learning to increase engagement. This study explores self-efficacy as one measure of learning outcomes. Changes in students’ (N=88) assessment of their ability to perform research and program evaluation tasks skillfully were measured by administering the Evaluation Self-Efficacy Scale (ESE) on the first and last days of a graduate-level advanced research class that included a service learning project. ESE scores on the last day of class were significantly higher than on the first day of class. The effect size was larger than in prior similar studies, suggesting that service learning contributed to students’ sense of mastery of course content. These results support the use of an engaged-learning model such as a service learning project in advanced social work research courses to improve students’ evaluation self-efficacy