Characteristics of Social Work License Examinees: Contextualizing Exam Outcome Within Educational Inequalities

IF 1.7 4区社会学 Q1 SOCIAL WORK

Research on Social Work Practice Pub Date : 2025-03-17 DOI:10.1177/10497315251326894

Joy J. Kim, Michael M. Joo

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objectives: Drawing on the social science literature, this study aims to contextualize the racial disparities in social work licensing exam outcomes as educational inequality stemming from cumulative lifetime (dis)advantages. Method: It conducts descriptive analyses of the 2022 ASWB Clinical ( N = 25,088) and Masters ( N = 26,550) licensing examinees and tests three hypotheses to identify indicators of lifetime disadvantages of examinees from historically minoritized groups. Results: Significantly higher percentages of examinees from marginalized groups began their postsecondary education with an associate degree. They, particularly Black examinees, earned their educational degrees and took their first licensing exam at significantly older ages than their White counterparts. They had more years of work experience, typically in non-direct service positions, than their White counterparts. Conclusions: The educational and training paths of the marginalized groups were negatively affected by cumulative lifetime disadvantages before they took their first ASWB exams, calling for a structured perspective to understand the racial disparities.

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来源期刊

Research on Social Work Practice SOCIAL WORK-

CiteScore

3.50

自引率

11.10%

发文量

105

期刊介绍： Research on Social Work Practice, sponsored by the Society for Social Work and Research, is a disciplinary journal devoted to the publication of empirical research concerning the methods and outcomes of social work practice. Social work practice is broadly interpreted to refer to the application of intentionally designed social work intervention programs to problems of societal and/or interpersonal importance, including behavior analysis or psychotherapy involving individuals; case management; practice involving couples, families, and small groups; community practice education; and the development, implementation, and evaluation of social policies.