PHS 145
Participatory Action Research
Social Work _____
(3 units)
Prerequisites: SWRK 200, SWRK 220, and SWRK 291. Using participatory and social change-oriented methods for community needs assessment and program evaluation.
Social workers use a great variety of skills to promote social change. Some of these skills are inter-personal, involving the art of motivating people identify social problems, conducting empirical research to document the problem, and engaging in social action to alleviate the problem. Other skills are analytical in nature. They involve the collection and interpretation of data by the social worker in partnership with community constituents. Analysis is necessary in order that the best and most effective social change strategies are used. The purpose of this course is to provide graduate students with curriculum that promotes the use of research skills and Internet resources needed to conduct community-based research. It is also anticipated that students will acquire the inter-personal skills necessary to engage in participatory action research with community constituents.
Course Description
Offered as an alternative to Social Work 292, this seminar meets the department requirement as the first of two semesters students are required to complete in fulfilling their Social Work 298/299 Thesis/Project course requirements for the MSW degree. It is expected that the research conducted in partnership with a community group will cumulate in the student’s production of a research product (thesis or project) that will evidence originality, appropriate organization, clarity of purpose, critical analysis, and accuracy and completeness of documentation. It is expected that students will produce research that includes a significant critical analysis of the practice of social work and that the research can be used to guide social change.
This one semester, required course, will provide students with guided instruction and consultation for ensuring the successful completion of an approved 298/299 prospectus, which will include the formulation of a social work problem, conducting a literature review, the development of the methodology for solving a problem, and a plan for convening a chair, and implementing and completing the thesis/project by the end of the second semester of thesis/project enrollment. Students may elect to conduct their research project in partnership with a class member. It is expected that the students working in teams will complete a written agreement for task assignment and completion.
Students will enroll in the second semester of Social Work 298/299 with a chairperson for independent instruction in completing the research project or thesis developed by them in the SWRK 292 seminar. It is expected that the sequencing and format of the two courses will afford all students to complete their SWRK 298/299 requirements within two consecutive semesters and within the framework of a two year full time or six semester part time enrollment graduation plan.
1. Apply basic concepts of Participatory Action Research and the principles of empowerment, social justice, and diversity to conducting research in partnership with constituents of a community group.
2. Working with a community group, formulate a research problem that contributes to social work knowledge and practice and complete a formal written proposal that meets Departmental standards and is approved by an identified faculty chair and committee.
3. Complete a comprehensive literature review on the identified social problem drawing on the available theoretical and empirical literature.
4. In partnership with the community group, choose a research design, create data collection instruments for answering the research questions, and develop plans for sampling respondents, collecting data, and analyzing the results.
5. Complete a draft (proposal and literature review) of the first three chapters of the final thesis or project.
The student will be able to:
b. Develop the inter-personal, group work skills to successfully develop the proposal in partnership class members and with a community group.
c. Articulate and apply the basic principles associated with the participatory action approach
in setting up and conducting the research study.
1.3 Describe how the Participatory Action Approach enhances social justice, empowerment,
and diversity.
1.4 Use appropriate research methods and inter-personal skills to establish the validity and reliability of data collected in partnership with a community group.
1.5 Produce data and a written report for use by the community group that can be used in the process of social change.
2.1 Understand and adhere to the Department's published requirements for acceptable/unacceptable SWRK 298 or SWRK 299 project/thesis.
2.2 Develop legal and ethical protocols for the protection of human subjects and have it approved by the student’s project chair, course instructor, and by the agency in which the study is conducted.
d. Produce a research proposal; containing the required components for SWRK 298 or SWRK 299, including approved writing style and formatting.
e. Obtain approvals for the scope of work, the human subjects protocol, and the thesis/project proposal, from course instructor and the student’s thesis/project chair.
f. Conduct library and Internet searches for “best practice,” theoretical, and empirical
literature relevant for understanding the identified problem.
g. Using the available literature, develop a conceptual model for understanding the problem and/or describe basic assumptions associated with a specific approach to conducting research (for example, feminist, ethnographic, or participatory action research).
h. Use available literature sources to describe the scope of the identified problem.
i. Identify recent trends in the theoretical and empirical literature
j. Identify any obvious gaps in the empirical research.
k. Working in partnership with a community group, identify and apply an appropriate research design for answering research questions
l. Working in partnership with a community group, identify and apply data collection methods consistent with the research design for carrying out the proposed research.
and the level of measurement
4.3 Pre-test data collection instruments or information sources.
4.4 Identify a sampling frame and select a sample.
4.5 Develop a plan for data analysis that is appropriate for the research design and the level of measurement of the variables.
m. Develop a written agreement with the community group that identifies the problem to be addressed, the general nature of the research to be conducted, the research question, the resources needed to conduct the study and a time frame.
n. Complete a draft copy of first three chapters of the final project/thesis report (problem identification, literature review, methodology, human subjects material, and data analysis plan).
o. Obtain approval of the draft of the first three chapters of the thesis/project from the course instructor and the students thesis/project chair.
Each seminar class will meet for three hours a week. For instruction purposes, this class will utilize large and small task oriented group process, class discussion and student presentation, self-directed student study and preparation, and lectures.
Course Content (See Course Schedule Attached)
Section I
A. Basic assumptions and principles associated with Participatory Action Research.
B. The association of PAR methods with social work ethics and the principles of empowerment, social justice, and diversity.
C. The purpose of involving service consumers, staff, and community constituents in needs assessment and program evaluation.
D. Establishing initial contact and developing relationships with community groups.
E. Understanding organization and group dynamics.
F. Applying appropriate inter-personal skills to establishing a working partnership with community groups.
G. Establishing procedures to ensure reliability and validity of the data collected in the PAR process.
Understanding basic research methods associated with community research such as feminist approaches, ethnographic research, needs assessment, or program evaluation.
H. Develop a written agreement with the community group that identifies the problem to be addressed, the general nature of the research to be conducted, the research question, the resources needed to conduct the study and a time frame.
I. Obtain the written approval for the “scope of work” agreement from the course instructor and the student’s thesis/project committee chair.
J. Understand team approaches for conducting research with a classmate and in conjunction with a community group.
Section II. Overview and review of Departmental requirements for SWRK 298 and SWRK 299.
A. Experiences acceptable and unacceptable as either SWRK 298 or SWRK 299
B. Minimum requirements for SWRK 298 or SWRK 299.
C. Review of steps in the research process.
D. Ensuring legal and ethical protection of human subjects.
A. Steps in selecting faculty chair and committee members for thesis/project.
B. Writing the research proposal.
Section III Identification of social work research problem and review of the theoretical and
empirical literature.
A. Literature sources: best practices, theoretical, and empirical in social work and other social science disciplines.
B. Using the literature for problem formulation and justification for proposed research.
C. Using the literature for identifying and formulating variables in operational terms.
D. Using the literature for identifying and formulating a research design and other methodological components (e.g. data collection instruments, sampling, data analysis tools and analysis, etc.)
E. Components of written problem identification, theoretical basis, justification, implications and literature review.
Section IV. Conceptualization and development of research methodology.
A. Selecting an appropriate design for answering research questions or hypothesis testing.
B. Formulating research questions or hypotheses.
C. Identifying and defining variables or concepts
D. Identifying and developing procedures for sample selection.
E. Identifying and creating data collection instruments.
F. Pre-testing data collection instruments.
G. Identifying data analysis tools and a plan for data analysis.
H. Identifying and creating computer programs for data analysis.
I. Developing procedures for human subject informed consent, protection against harm, agency, and University approval.
Section V. Reporting research results and using data to complete theses or projects.
A. Analyzing research findings.
B. Including community group members in analysis of data.
C. Reporting results that can be used by the community group to change programs or policies.
D. Complete the first three chapters of the final project/thesis report (problem identification, literature review, methodology, human subjects material, and data analysis plan).
E. Completing the final project or thesis report.
Required texts
Cronk, B. (2002) How to use SPSS. Los Angles: Pyrczak.
Pyrczak, F., Bruce, R. (2000). Writing empirical research reports. Los Angles: Pyrczak.
Stringer, E. (1999). Action research (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed). Washington, D. C.: Author.
The course syllabus, calendar, exercises, assignments, and supplemental material are posted on Dr. Hardina’s web site. All students are required to have an e-mail account and access to the Internet (either via the University or an at-home Internet connection).
Additional articles from the library database accessible on the web. Dr. Hardina will distribute hard copies of the course materials upon request if downloading them becomes a problem.
Grades will be determined based on the quality and quantity of required course assignments. Quality will be assessed based on demonstrated critical thinking, use of conceptual integrity in applying research knowledge, adherence to departmental standards for SWRK 298 or SWRK 299, written communication, and writing style. Quantity will be assessed based on the number of education goals accomplished by the end of the semester.
Grading:
Final Version of Three Chapters (Proposal & Literature Review Combined) 20%
Participation 10%
The participation grade will be based on three components:
1) Completion (working in a group) of Class Exercises
Grading Criteria for the Assignments are attached to the assignments and posted on Dr. Hardina’s website.
Note: The project should undergo a human subjects review by the instructor and the student’s chair. Except for some exempt projects (for example, secondary data analysis), the university requires that a human subjects form be submitted to the department with a minimum of two faculty signatures for each research project. (See university guidelines)
Assignments should be formatted using the APA style manual (Version 5).
A brief guide to APA format is posted on Dr. Hardina’s web site. There are also easy-to-read APA manuals at the bookstore.
(Course expectations are rigorous. However, it is anticipated that some aspects of project development are subject to unanticipated delays i.e.: Human Subjects Approvals from agencies). Reasonable accommodations will be made upon consultation with the instructor.
The course syllabus, calendar, exercises, assignments, and supplemental material are posted on
the website for this course.
All students in this course are required to have an email account and access to the Internet. If you cannot afford or do not wish to purchase Internet service from your home, you may access the Internet through the library or in one of the campus computer labs. However, you must have a campus email account to do so.
Note: In this course, progressive political perspective regarding the distribution of wealth in the U.S. is incorporated into class materials. This is in keeping with the theoretical assumptions that guide community organization practice (see Rivera & Erlich, 1998).
For example, we will discuss the distribution of resources in terms of the “haves” and the “have-nots” (Alinksy, 1971). We will also discuss the impact of oppression on marginalized groups. The “isms” discussed in class include:
C Classism
R Racism
A Ableism
A Ageism
S Sexism
H Heterosexim
All papers must be typed and double-spaced. Papers should be well written. APA format (Version 5) must be used. The two primary components of APA are in-text citations and the reference list. In-text citations should include author name and date. Page numbers should also be included for direct quotations.
For example: (Jones, 1997) or (Jones, 1997, p. 35)
The following are examples of the correct use of a citation in a sentence:
According to Jones (1997), all social workers should learn administrative practice skills.
Gutierrez (1992) identifies a number of strategies that limit service utilization among people of color: “waiting lists, intrusive intake procedures, or rigid eligibility requirements” (p. 324).
Simplified APA manuals are available from the university bookstore. A brief guide to APA is posted on the course website.
Each of the three assignments is "practice-oriented" rather than "theoretical." If you cite authors or make refer to agency reports or documents, citations must be included in a reference list.
Final grades will be based on accumulated points from each assignment. Grades will be based on the following point spread:
93 - 100 A
80 - 92 B
70 - 79 C
69 and below D
Students with Disabilities: Upon identifying themselves to the instructor and the university, students with disabilities will receive reasonable accommodation for learning and evaluation. For more information, contact Services to Students with Disabilities in Madden Library 1040 (278-2811).
Cheating and Plagiarism: “Cheating is the actual or attempted practice of fraudulent or deceptive actions for the purpose of improving one’s grade or obtaining course credit; such acts also include assisting another student to do so. Typically, such acts occur in relation to examinations. However, it is the intent of this definition that the term ‘cheating’ not be limited to examination situations only, but that it include any and all actions by a student that are intended to gain an unearned academic advantage by fraudulent or deceptive means. Plagiarism is a specific form of cheating which consists of the misuse of the published and/or unpublished works of others by misrepresenting the material (i.e., their intellectual property) so used as one’s own work.” Penalties for cheating and plagiarism range from a 0 or F on a particular assignment, through an F for the course, to expulsion from the university. For more information on the University’s policy regarding cheating and plagiarism, refer to the Schedule of Courses (Legal Notices on Cheating and Plagiarism) or the University Catalog (Policies and Regulations).
Computers: “At California State University, Fresno, computers and communications links to remote resources are recognized as being integral to the education and research experience. Every student is required to have his/her own computer or have other personal access to a workstation (including a modem and a printer) with all the recommended software. The minimum and recommended standards for the workstations and software, which may vary by academic major, are updated periodically and are available from Information Technology Services (http://www.csufresno.edu/ITS) or the University Bookstore. In the curriculum and class assignments, students are presumed to have 24-hour access to a computer workstation and the necessary communication links to the University’s information resources.”
Disruptive Classroom Behavior: ”The classroom is a special environment in which students and faculty come together to promote learning and growth. It is essential to this learning environment that respect for the rights of others seeking to learn, respect for the professionalism of the instructor, and the general goals of academic freedom are maintained….Differences of viewpoint or concerns should be expressed in terms which are supportive of the learning process, creating an environment in which students and faculty may learn to reason with clarity and compassion, to share of themselves without losing their identities, and to develop an understanding of the community in which they live….Student conduct which disrupts the learning process shall not be tolerated and may lead to disciplinary action and/or removal from class.
Draft Completed July 2000
Syllabus developed by D. Hardina in 7/02 using material from SWRK 292 outline developed by the DSWE Research Sequence and incorporating basic principles of Participatory Action Research.