Research & Evidence-Based Practice Flashcards
7 cards from real SSW practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Research & Evidence-Based Practice flashcards as text
A school social worker wants to evaluate whether a new anti-bullying program is effective. Which research design provides the strongest evidence of causality?
Answer: Randomized controlled trial with control group
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the gold standard for establishing causality because random assignment controls for confounding variables.
When reviewing a research article, a school social worker notices the p-value is 0.03. What does this indicate?
Answer: There is a 3% probability the results occurred by chance
A p-value of 0.03 means there is a 3% probability that the observed results occurred by chance if the null hypothesis were true.
A school social worker uses motivational interviewing with students. This approach is best described as which type of evidence-based practice?
Answer: Well-supported treatment with multiple RCTs
Motivational interviewing has been supported by numerous randomized controlled trials across diverse populations, classifying it as a well-supported treatment.
Which sampling method would best ensure a representative sample of all students in a large urban school district for a needs assessment?
Answer: Stratified random sampling by school and grade
Stratified random sampling ensures proportional representation across key subgroups (schools, grades), maximizing generalizability to the full district.
A school social worker is conducting a focus group with parents about mental health services. This is an example of what type of data collection?
Answer: Qualitative primary data collection
Focus groups collect rich narrative data directly from participants (primary) in a qualitative format, exploring perspectives and experiences in depth.
What is the primary purpose of a literature review in school social work research?
Answer: To synthesize existing knowledge and identify gaps
A literature review synthesizes what is already known about a topic and identifies gaps in knowledge that justify new research.
A school social worker finds a study showing that therapy dogs reduce student anxiety with a Cohen's d of 0.80. How should this effect size be interpreted?
Answer: Large effect with substantial practical significance
By Cohen's conventions, d = 0.80 is a large effect size, indicating a substantial and practically meaningful difference between groups.