RECENT PRACTICE EXPERIENCE OF SOCIAL-WORK METHODS FACULTY

This study was conducted to determine the extent of practice experienc e of graduate social work faculty members teaching methods courses. A survey of 705 faculty members produced 365 able responses. The group r eported a mean of 8 years' post-MSW practice experience, but a mean of 12.3 years had elapsed since the faculty members had been involved in full-time practice experience. Sixty-eight percent reported that they were currently involved in social work-practice on a regular basis. T he most common methods of securing practice experience were supervisio n of social work students in a field placement (55% of the respondents ) or private practice (41% of respondents). There was strong agreement among the group that current social work practice experience was impo rtant for teaching (only 4% indicate it was not important), yet 65% of the respondents indicated that their school did not encourage faculty to secure current practice experience.