Engage in Practice-Informed Research and
Research-Informed Practice

According to this competency, any desired practice must be investigated and practice-informed by the findings. This means that social workers’ practice is informed by both research and practical experience. This ability is crucial to our work since research has shaped the social work profession in a big way, dictating how we practice. It is significant because, as social workers, we base our practice decisions on the most recent data and trends. This ability requires me to follow the appropriate ethical and inclusive guidelines that the area mandates, in addition to regularly conducting research in my profession.    This is a challenge for me as a social worker to carry out research even after my official education is over. Whether it’s carrying out a real study design or keeping up to date with the most recent findings in our sector. 

I am committed to the challenge of being a social worker who will conduct research as a life-long learner. I will keep up to date with the most recent findings in our sector.

Evidences 

4.1 Critically review current research on evidence based and contemporary best practices to improve practice, policy, and programs

Field Evidence: DHSI Student Success Committee Presentation

As a graduate intern involved in the implementation of Southern Adventist University’s Title V DHSI grant, I demonstrated this competency by gathering and presenting best practices learned through the DHSI Student Success Committee and follow-up conversations with Calumet College of St. Joseph and Dalton State College, two institutions also funded by Title V grants. These peer institutions offered unique, evidence-informed approaches to supporting Hispanic and first-generation students such as bilingual writing labs, mental health services (P.A.T.H.), extended academic support hours, peer mentorship models, and hiring a social worker to directly address student needs.

Drawing on social work knowledge of evaluation and systems-level intervention, I analyzed which strategies could realistically be adapted to our university’s context. I employed skills in critical thinking, professional communication, and evidence synthesis to develop a clear, accessible summary of scalable practices for our Student Success team.

In alignment with the values of equity and access, I prioritized practices that removed barriers for historically underserved students. I also applied theories of culturally responsive pedagogy and person-in-environment to assess how structural supports like peer tutoring, flexible faculty interaction, and language access can shape student outcomes in minority-serving institutions.

This work engaged both the affective and cognitive domains as I reflected on the broader systemic inequities impacting Hispanic students in higher education and how grant-funded interventions can either reinforce or dismantle those barriers. By bringing these insights back to our internal planning efforts, I contributed to the development of more inclusive and evidence-informed programming at Southern.

4.2 Conduct and disseminate research that responds to social work practice needs and uses ethical, culturally informed, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive strategies to advance the purposes of social work

Additional Evidence: Perceptions of Belonging Survey 

As a graduate research assistant in the Office of Diversity & Strategic Planning, I am the lead research assistant for the ongoing, campus-level research to better understand and address the evolving needs of diverse student and employee populations. This year, I collaborated with the Center for Learning and Institutional Research (CLIR) to revise the university’s 2024–25 Belonging Survey, a key institutional tool for measuring the felt experiences of inclusion, safety, and representation across campus. This multi-dimensional project reflects core social work knowledge in research design and ethical inquiry, with a specific focus on social context, institutional dynamics, and power.

The revised survey included targeted questions across academic, spiritual, and community spaces, as well as identity-affirming domains such as cultural respect, emotional safety, and wellness support. These revisions were informed by best practices in culturally informed, anti-oppressive research that centers the lived experiences of historically marginalized students and employees. Through this process, I exercised skills in critical analysis, inclusive language, and community feedback incorporation by ensuring that the instrument was both meaningful and accessible to participants of diverse backgrounds.

Guided by theories such as intersectionality and systems theory, I aimed to design a survey that could capture the nuanced and overlapping identities that influence one’s sense of belonging within an academic institution. This work also required ongoing self-reflection and awareness in the affective and cognitive domains of examining how my own assumptions might shape the structure and phrasing of survey questions.

This research is a direct contribution to building a more equitable and inclusive campus environment by generating actionable data rooted in ethical, anti-racist, and culturally responsive practices—an approach that reflects the larger purposes and responsibilities of social work.