Enhancing Student Commitment to the Micro-Mezzo-Macro Continuum

Abstract

Despite the importance of macro practice to the social work profession, research related to social work students’ preparation and enthusiasm for macro practice suggests that there is significant room for improvement within macro social work education. The purpose of this report is to describe and explore a novel macro social work pedagogy that is designed to encourage student engagement within macro practice social work courses. The Macro Practice Assignment (MPA) offers students a real-world learning exercise with embedded micro, mezzo, and macro social work applications with one vulnerable population. The results of a multiple case study exploring the effectiveness of the MPA reveals that the MPA 1) reduces students’ negative perceptions of macro practice courses and careers, 2) fosters students’ interest in future macro practice, and 3) helps students see macro practice as a necessary component of the micro-mezzo-macro practice continuum. In order to address shortcomings in macro social work education, educators should consider adding real-world macro practice learning exercises such as the MPA, grounded in Bloom’s Taxonomy, with the goal of enhancing social workers’ lifelong commitment to macro practice.

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