Abstract
The purpose of the study was to assess the student feedback component of the implicit curriculum in the Division of Social Work at California State University Sacramento. The study examined the use and perceived efficacy of seven identified feedback channels and sought to identify barriers to effective feedback and suggestions to improve feedback within the Division. The study surveyed a non-probability, purposive sample of 73 Master of Social Work (MSW students); Two key informant interviews of faculty members were also conducted for this study. The tools for data collection included a structured questionnaire for the students and an interview guide for the key informants. Study findings indicate that teaching evaluations were the most commonly used feedback channel followed by in-class discussions, email/online communication, and informal conversations. Participation in governance was the least used feedback channel with 80% of respondents having never given feedback through this channel, while participation in both social work and other student organizations were listed as rarely used by students as channels for providing feedback. Response trends reflect that the more commonly used feedback channels, except for teaching evaluations, were perceived as the most efficacious (taken into consideration by, important to, and acted upon by the Division faculty and/or staff), by the students. There was a medium correlation (r=.412) between frequency of use and perceived efficacy of feedback channels. Student responses to open-ended questions and key informant interviews revealed some of the barriers to participation in feedback channels and to efficacious feedback. Barriers included students fear of being penalized by grades or being viewed negatively, a culture or environment in which students aren’t comfortable providing feedback, limited time and resources, and lack of accountability both of faculty and staff for responding to feedback, and accountability of students for providing constructive feedback. Suggestions to improve student feedback in social work education included implementing policies that formalize and make students aware of existing feedback channels with an emphasis on the utilization patterns of the feedback they provide. Findings based specific recommendations include facilitation of communication between students and Division faculty and staff, improved accountability, and promotion of increased participation in feedback channels. The research findings strongly indicate the need for increased discourse between students and faculty about student feedback within the MSW program at CSUS. The study proposes a targeted instrument for the assessment of student feedback that schools of social work can maintain for purposes of assessment of the student feedback component of the implicit curriculum.