Project Investigator(s): Antoine Coulombe, Assistant Professor of Teaching; Hannah Kia, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, Faculty of Arts
Project Description
This project will explore how the School of Social Work (SSW) prepares students to work with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, Queer, Two-Spirit, and other gender and sexual minority groups (LGBTQ/2S+). We will conduct a curricular and literature scan in this area to determine what is currently known about preparing social work students for practice with these populations. Drawing on insights from our scan, we will then conduct three focus groups with relevant stakeholder groups (faculty and students) to explore pedagogical and curricular strategies to better prepare students for engagement with
sexual and gender minorities.
Research Questions
- What is the state of the literature on pedagogical and curricular strategies for preparing undergraduate and
graduate to practice with LGBTQ/2S+ populations? - Informed by our findings in the literature, we will assess what is done at the UBC SSW with these questions:
- How is the UBC SSW currently preparing students to work with LGBTQ/2S+ populations (curriculum, topics, pedagogy)?
- What strategies can the UBC SSW develop and implement to address current gaps – and leverage existing opportunities – related to the inclusion of SOGIE content across its programs?
Impact on teaching and learning at UBC
We will draw on findings from our literature review and our focus groups to develop pedagogical and curricular strategies that we will then implement at the UBC SSW. These insights will provide our SSW and other SSW with a solid foundation for improving inclusive practices. Furthermore, the lessons learned from this project will provide insights into the necessary conditions for assessing SOGIE inclusion in a SSW, which provides the groundwork for a follow-up study examining practice with LGBTQ/2S+ people in SSW across Canada. We will share the findings at the UBC SSW and Canadian SW education events.