MSW Master of Social Work Research and Program Evaluation Questions and Answers

Question 1

A school social worker wants to evaluate a new anti-bullying intervention for a single student.
The social worker collects baseline data on the student's aggressive behaviors for two weeks (Phase A), implements the intervention for four weeks (Phase B), and then briefly withdraws the intervention to see if aggressive behaviors return (Phase A).
Which research design is the social worker using?

Accepted Answer

An ABA single-subject design

Answer

A quasi-experimental design

Answer

A longitudinal cohort study

Answer

A cross-sectional survey

Question 2

A researcher develops a new instrument to measure burnout in social workers. The instrument is administered to the same group of social workers twice, two weeks apart, and the results are highly consistent. However, a review by experts reveals the questions primarily measure general work stress, not the specific dimensions of burnout (e.g., emotional exhaustion, depersonalization). This instrument has:

Accepted Answer

Low validity and high reliability

Answer

High validity and high reliability

Answer

Low validity and low reliability

Answer

High validity and low reliability

Question 3

A community agency is developing a new program to support older adults who are caregivers for their spouses. Before designing the intervention, the agency director wants to understand the scope of caregiving needs, identify existing community resources, and pinpoint service gaps. Which type of program evaluation should be conducted FIRST?

Accepted Answer

A needs assessment

Answer

An outcome evaluation

Answer

A process evaluation

Answer

A cost-benefit analysis

Question 4

In a study examining the hypothesis that a new job-training program (the intervention) increases the employment rate (the outcome) among formerly incarcerated individuals, the employment rate is the:

Accepted Answer

Dependent variable

Answer

Independent variable

Answer

Control variable

Answer

Confounding variable

Question 5

A social worker is conducting a study on the experiences of transgender youth who are experiencing homelessness, a population that is often difficult to access. The social worker initially recruits a few participants from a local LGBTQ+ center and then asks those participants to refer other eligible individuals they know. This sampling method is BEST described as:

Accepted Answer

Snowball sampling

Answer

Simple random sampling

Answer

Stratified sampling

Answer

Convenience sampling

Question 6

An agency director is reviewing a program that has been running for five years. The director wants to determine the program's overall effectiveness and make a final decision about whether it should be continued, expanded, or discontinued. Which type of evaluation is MOST appropriate for this purpose?

Accepted Answer

Summative evaluation

Answer

Formative evaluation

Answer

Process evaluation

Answer

Needs assessment