Perspectives on Technology Use in Social Work: Scale Development and Validation

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated technology use in social services, underscoring the need to assess social work students’ readiness for ethical tech integration. Existing tools overlook the ethical context of social work. The Perceptions of Technology Used for Social Work (PTUSW) scale was developed to address this gap, incorporating ethical compatibility, self-efficacy, and perceived usefulness. Method: Experts evaluated items for content validity. A purposive sample of 112 social work students (mean age = 34, 80% female) completed the scale. Factor analyses were conducted to assess model fit, and construct validity was examined. Results: Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis supported a three-factor structure. The 18-item PTUSW scale comprises three subscales and demonstrated strong content and factorial validity with good model fit and reliability (stratified α = .91). Discussion: The PTUSW scale supports reflective learning and ethical preparedness in the use of technology for future practitioners. Further validation with more diverse student and practitioner populations is needed.