Testing the Validity of an Interdisciplinary Education Model for Students in Social Work Education, Health and Social Sciences: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

Social workers and other health and human sciences professionals participate in planned, joint activities to serve clients and patients across many fields of practice (O'Hare, 2020; Rumping, Boendermaker, & de Ruyter, 2019). This study aimed to determine the validity of an interdisciplinary educational program developed based on existing literature (Khan & Wells, 2023) and concepts drawn from teamwork (Obiekwe, Obiekwe, & Oiku, 2023) and experiential learning theory (Seaman, Brown, & Quay, 2017). The program consisted of four stages: planning, education, training, and evaluation. 76 students representing 5 disciplines (social work, exercise science, nutrition, sports administration, and nursing) were randomly selected and divided into 2 groups: a control group (N=42) and a working group (N=34). The working group received educational materials on interdisciplinary knowledge and teamwork and participated in a joint experience in which teams of students from the five majors reviewed a case and developed a joint assessment and evaluation. An instrument comprising 18 items was developed to assess students' understanding of interdisciplinary concepts, joint assessment and intervention, and program evaluations. The instrument has an overall reliability (Alpha) of .79. The study results show significant differences between the two groups at the post-test in all four program sections, t = -5.92, p = .001. Finally, the study indicates a need to develop innovative and practical models to train students in these majors in interdisciplinary knowledge and practice.