Bridging the Gap Between Research, Evaluation, and Evidence-Based Practice

This study organized a participatory action research team to investigate Council on Social Work Education policies and their effect on the teaching and production of evaluation at the master's level. Data were collected in the form of 282 theses, 27 surveys, and 7 telephone interviews with field instructors to examine the use of evidence-based practice with students in field instruction. The study results indicate that students produced fewer theses and practice-based research papers compared to conceptual papers. Although field instructors valued evaluation in social work practice, the majority of respondents did not feel adequately prepared to engage students in its use in field instruction. The study suggests ways in which schools of social work can bridge the gaps between research and practice through evaluation.