Research Self-Efficacy

TLDR

Social work research education effectiveness is questioned, with student evaluation validity and utility being hotly debated in higher education. The study develops a Research Self‑Efficacy scale to gauge social work students’ confidence in completing specific research tasks. Instructors use various traditional measures, and the authors created the scale to address their limitations. Initial results show the scale has reliable, valid, and sensitive change detection properties.

Abstract

Does social work research education work? To answer this question, instructors employ an array of traditional measures, each with its own limitations and compromises. The validity and utility of student evaluations, for instance, continue to be intensely debated topics in higher education. This article presents the development of the Research Self-Efficacy scale which was designed to assess social work students' confidence in their ability to complete specific research activities. Preliminary evidence regarding reliability, validity, and sensitivity to change is presented.