Using R in Research Classes: A Challenge to Adopt New Technology to Improve Social Work Education and Clinical Practice
Main Article Content
Abstract
Engaging in anti-oppressive, evidence-based practice in the social work field demands preparation for research methods during social work education. However, while faculty members at institutions of higher education have access to more technology than ever before and teach graduate students who use technology constantly in their personal lives, barriers still exist that limit the implementation of these new technologies, despite benefits in accessibility and equity in doing so. This study examined faculty members' perspectives related to their use of R as a free statistical analysis tool in their teaching of research classes. Findings indicated that the primary barriers included faculty perceptions of the technology.
Downloads
Article Details

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
- Authors retain copyright and grant the Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (JoSoTL) right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License, (CC-BY) 4.0 International, allowing others to share the work with proper acknowledgement and citation of the work's authorship and initial publication in the Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.
- Authors are able to enter separate, additional contractual agreements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in the Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.
- In pursuit of manuscripts of the highest quality, multiple opportunities for mentoring, and greater reach and citation of JoSoTL publications, JoSoTL encourages authors to share their drafts to seek feedback from relevant communities unless the manuscript is already under review or in the publication queue after being accepted. In other words, to be eligible for publication in JoSoTL, manuscripts should not be shared publicly (e.g., online), while under review (after being initially submitted, or after being revised and resubmitted for reconsideration), or upon notice of acceptance and before publication. Once published, authors are strongly encouraged to share the published version widely, with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in the Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.
References
Aarons, G. A. (2004). Mental health provider attitudes toward adoption of evidence-based practice: The evidence-based practice attitude scale. Mental Health Services Research, 6(2), 61-74.
Aarons, G. A., Fettes, D. L., Flores, L. E., & Sommerfeld, D. H. (2009). Evidence-based practice implementation and staff emotional exhaustion in children's services. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 47(11), 954-960.
Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy (2020). A toolkit for centering racial equity within data integration. Retrieved from: https://www.aecf.org/resources/a-toolkit-for-centering- racial-equity-within-data-integration
Addis, M. E., Wade, W. A., & Hatgis, C. (1999). Barriers to dissemination of evidence‐based practices: Addressing practitioners' concerns about manual‐based psychotherapies. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 6(4), 430-441.
Ajjan, H., & Hartshorne, R. (2008). Investigating faculty decisions to adopt Web 2.0 technologies: Theory and empirical tests. The Internet and Higher Education, 11(2), 71–
https://doi.org/10.1016/j. iheduc.2008.05.002
ATLAS.ti Scientific Software Development GmbH [ATLAS.ti 22 Mac]. (2022). Retrieved from https://atlasti.com
Auerbach, C., & Zeitlin, W. (in press). SSD for R: An R package for analyzing single-subject data. New York: Oxford University Press.
Baer, J. S., Wells, E. A., Rosengren, D. B., Hartzler, B., Beadnell, B., & Dunn, C. (2009). Agency context and tailored training in technology transfer: a pilot evaluation of motivational interviewing training for community counselors. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 37, 191-202.
Blin, F., & Munro, M. (2008). Why hasn’t technology disrupted academics’ teaching practices? Understanding resistance to change through the lens of activity theory. Computers and Education, 50(2), 475–490. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2007.09.017.
Capshew, T. F. (2005). Motivating social work students in statistics courses. Social Work Education, 24(8), 857–868.
Carman, J. G., & Fredericks, K. A. (2010). Evaluation Capacity and Nonprofit Organizations Is the Glass Half-Empty or Half-Full? American Journal of Evaluation, 31(1), 84–104.
Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). (2022). Educational policy and accreditation standards. Alexandria, VA: Author.
Elliott, W., Choi, E., & Friedline, T. (2013). Online statistics labs in MSW research methods courses: Reducing reluctance toward statistics. Journal of Social Work Education, 49(1), 81–95.
Evans, S. W., Koch, J. R., Brady, C., Meszaros, P., & Sadler, J. (2013). Community and school mental health professionals' knowledge and use of evidence based substance use prevention programs. Administration and Policy in Mental Health, 40, 319-330.
Flaherty, H. (2019). Bridging the gap between research and practice: A discussion about how to integrate evidence-based interventions in clinical practice through education. Journal of Practice Teaching & Learning, 17(2).
Gambrill, E. (2012). Social work practice: A critical thinker’s guide. New York: Oxford University Press.
Gappa, J. M., Austin, A. E., & Trice, A. G. (2007). Rethinking faculty work: Higher education’s strategic imperative. New York: Nolan Wiley & Sons Inc.
Garland, A. F., Brookman-Frazee, L., Hurlburt, M. S., Accurso, E. C., Zoffness, R., Haine- Schlagel, R. A., et al. (2010). Mental health care for children with disruptive behavior problems: a view inside therapists' offices. Psychiatric Services, 61, 788-79.
Georgina, D. A., & Olson, M. R. (2008). Integration of technology in higher education: A review of faculty self-perceptions. The Internet and Higher Education, 11(1), 1–8.
Grady, M. D., Wike, T., Putzu, C., Field, S., Hill, J., Bledsoe, S. E., ... & Massey, M. (2018). Recent social work practitioners’ understanding and use of evidence-based practice and empirically supported treatments. Journal of Social Work Education, 54(1), 163-179.
Herman, J. H. (2012). Faculty development programs: The frequency and variety of professional development programs available to online instructors. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 16(5), 87–106.
Hoagwood, K., Kelleher, K. J., Feil, M., & Comer, D. M. (2000). Treatment services for children with ADHD: A national perspective. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 39, 198-206.
Johnson, T., Wiśniewski, M. A., Kuhlemeyer, G., Isaacs, G., & Krzykowski, J. (2012). Technology adoption in higher education: Overcoming anxiety through faculty bootcamp. Online Learning, 16(2), 63–72. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v16i2.240.
Keller, C. (2005). Virtual learning environments: Three implementation perspectives. Learning, Media and Technology, 30(3), 299–311. doi:10.1080/17439880500250527.
Kirkup, G., & Kirkwood, A. (2005). Information and communications technologies (ICT) in higher education teaching – A tale of gradualism rather than revolution. Learning, Media and Technology, 30(2), 185–199. doi:10.1080/17439880500093810.
Kopcha, T. J. (2010). A systems-based approach to technology integration using mentoring and communities of practice. Educational Technology Research and Development, 58(2), 175–190. https://doi. org/10.1007/s11423-008-9095-4.
Lawless, K. A., & Pellegrino, J. W. (2007). Professional development in integrating technology into teaching and learning: Knowns, unknowns, and ways to pursue better questions and answers. Review of Educational Research, 77(4), 575–614. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654307309921.
Lederman, D. (2017, June 14). Barriers to digital learning? Time and training more than resistance. Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2017/06/14/lack-faculty-time-and-training-limits-digital-learning-more
Lunt, N., Fouché, C., & Yates, D. (2008). Growing research in practice (GRIP): An innovative partnership model. Wellington, New Zealand: The Families Commission.
Manrique, C., & Manrique, G. (2011). Leveraging learning resources: Social networking, online teaching utilities, digital media and the modern classroom experience. International Journal of Arts and Sciences, 4(21), 215–222.
Mayberry, J., Hargis, J., Boles, L., Dugas, A., O’Neill, D., Rivera, A., & Meler, M. (2012). Exploring teaching and learning using an iTouch mobile device. Active Learning in Higher Education, 13(3), 203-217.
Morrow-Bradley, C., & Elliott, R. (1986). Utilization of psychotherapy research by practicing psychotherapists. American Psychologist, 41(2), 188.
Pomerantz, J., & Brooks, D. C. (2017). ECAR study of faculty and information technology (Vol. 97, No. 80, p. 94). 2017.
Polly, D., Martin, F., & Guilbaud, T. C. (2021). Examining barriers and desired supports to increase faculty members’ use of digital technologies: perspectives of faculty, staff and administrators. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 33(1), 135-156.
Prochaska, J. O., & Norcross, J. C. (1983). Contemporary psychotherapists: A national survey of characteristics, practices, orientations, and attitudes. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 20(2), 161.
Rogers, J (2012). Anti-oppressive social work research: Reflections on power in the creation of Knowledge. Social Work Education, 31:7, 866-879, DOI: 10.1080/02615479.2011. 602965
RStudio Team (2020). RStudio: Integrated Development for R. RStudio, PBC, Boston, MA URL http://www.rstudio.com/
Samarawickrema, G. & Stacey, E. (2007). Adopting web-based learning and teaching: A case study in higher education. Distance Education, 28(3), 313–333.
Schacht, S. P., & Aspelmeier, J. E. (2005). Social and behavioral statistics: A user-friendly approach. Westview Press.
Seale, J. K. (2014). E-learning and disability in higher education accessibility research and practice. New York: Routledge
Selwyn, N. (2007). The use of computer technology in university teaching and learning: A critical perspective. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 23(2), 83–94.
Senik, R., & Broad, M. (2011). Information technology skills development for accounting graduates: Intervening conditions. International Education Studies, 4(2), 105–110.
Smith, A. E., & Martinez-Moyano, I. J. (2012). Techniques in teaching statistics: Linking research production and research use. Journal of Public Affairs Edcation, 18(1), 107–136.
StataCorp. 2021. Stata Statistical Software: Release 17. College Station, TX: StataCorp LLC.
The R Project for Statistical Computing. (n.d.). What is R? Retrieved from http://www.r-project.org/about.html.
Watty, K., Mckay, J., & Ngo, L. (2016). Innovators or inhibitors? Accounting faculty resistance to new educational technologies in higher education. Journal of Accounting Education, 36, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaccedu.2016.03.003.
Wonderlich, S. A., Simonich, H. K., Myers, T. C., LaMontagne, W., Hoesle, J., Erickson, A. L. …Crosby, R. D. (2011). Evidence-based mental health interventions for traumatized youth: a statewide dissemination project. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 49(10), 579- 587.
Zarei, E., Kheiri, M., & Yazdgerdi, N. A. (2014). The level at which accounting professors use
information technology at universities. Journal of Accounting Research, 4(2), 159–174.