Evidence-Based Practice in Social Work Education

Evidence-Based Practice in Social Work Education: An Educational Intervention Study

This educational intervention study evaluates evidence-based practice (EBP) education among social work students. The study will assess changes in students' engagement with the EBP process, attitudes toward evidence-based interventions, information literacy, and perceived social work competence following the educational intervention.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Evidence-Based Practice
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Evidence-Based Practice Education

Detailed Description

This educational intervention study evaluates an evidence-based practice (EBP) education program for social work students. The program is designed to support students' understanding and application of the EBP process in social work, including identifying practice questions, searching for and appraising research evidence, integrating evidence into practice decisions, and evaluating practice decisions.

Participants will complete questionnaires before and after the educational intervention. The primary outcome is engagement with the EBP process. Secondary outcomes include attitudes toward evidence-based interventions, information literacy, and perceived social work competence. The study will also assess EBP implementation intention and knowledge of EBP-related information resources and digital tools.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 300
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• China
  • Guangdong
    • Zhuhai, Guangdong, China, 519087
      • Beijing Normal University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Aged 18 years or older;
2. Currently enrolled as a social work master's student in the participating one-semester course;
3. Able to understand and complete the study questionnaires in Chinese;
4. Willing to participate and provide informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Not enrolled in the participating course during the study period;
2. Declines to provide informed consent;

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Evidence-Based Practice Education; Intervention Description: A educational intervention designed to develop social work students' knowledge, skills, attitudes, and readiness related to evidence-based practice.

Behavioral: Evidence-Based Practice Education; Participants will receive a one-semester evidence-based practice education program integrated into a social work course. The program will include instruction and practical activities related to formulating practice questions, searching for and appraising research evidence, integrating evidence with professional judgment and client circumstances, applying evidence to social work practice, and evaluating practice decisions. All participants will receive the same educational intervention.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Evidence-Based Practice Process Assessment Scale (EBPPAS) score	The primary outcome is the change in participants' EBPPAS score from baseline to post-intervention. The EBPPAS assesses participants' evidence-based practice process outcomes. Items are rated on a 5-point response scale, with higher scores indicating more favorable evidence-based practice process outcomes.	Baseline, 3 months (mid-intervention), and 6 months (immediately after completion of the course)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in perceived social work competence	The secondary outcome is the change in participants' score on the Perceived Social Work Competence Scale (PSWCS) from baseline to post-intervention. Items are rated on a 5-point confidence scale, with higher scores indicating greater perceived social work competence.	Baseline, 3 months (mid-intervention), and 6 months (immediately after completion of the course)
Change in Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale (EBPAS) score	The secondary outcome is the change in participants' score on the Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale (EBPAS) from baseline to post-intervention. Items assess participants' attitudes toward evidence-based practice, with higher scores indicating more favorable attitudes toward evidence-based practice.	Baseline, 3 months (mid-intervention), and 6 months (immediately after completion of the course)
Change in EBP implementation intention	The secondary outcome is the change in participants' score on a 3-item measure of intention to implement evidence-based practice from baseline to post-intervention. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale, with higher scores indicating stronger intention to implement EBP.	Baseline, 3 months (mid-intervention), and 6 months (immediately after completion of the course)
Change in adapted Information Literacy Scale (ILS) score	The secondary outcome is the change in participants' score on the Information Literacy Scale (ILS), adapted for social work and evidence-based practice contexts, from baseline to post-intervention. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale, with higher scores indicating greater information literacy.	Baseline, 3 months (mid-intervention), and 6 months (immediately after completion of the course)
Change in knowledge of EBP-related resources and tools	The exploratory outcome is the change in participants' score on 7 items assessing knowledge of EBP-related databases, literature-searching resources, reference-management tools, artificial intelligence tools, research ethics, and data privacy. Items are rated on a 5-point familiarity scale, with higher scores indicating greater self-reported knowledge.	Baseline, 3 months (mid-intervention), and 6 months (immediately after completion of the course)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Beijing Normal University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Xue Weng, Beijing Normal University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 31, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 28, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): October 5, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): October 5, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 28, 2026
• Last Verified: September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Educational intervention; Evidence-based practice; Social work education
• Other Study ID Numbers: EBP education study

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No