Swimming Against the Current

Most social work students approach research classes with some reluctance. Aversion is greatest among non-traditional students, who are older, more pragmatic, more apprehensive about research ventures. Faced with a class of such students, the author arranged an experimental research project at a shelter for abused women. The project encountered real-life pitfalls in that setting, and the students came to realize that subjectivity invades obejctive and rational processes. Learning research in an agency-based setting united this reluctant class into a cohesive team. Although experiential approaches to teaching research techniques are not new, this article advances some cautions about the conditions necessary for a successful outcome.