Abstract

Facilitated Practice-based Research: An innovative approach to alleviating research anxiety and sustaining research capacity in social work practitioners
Introduction: This oral paper presents findings from an ongoing long-term Participatory Action Research Project which questions: how can we bridge the gap between social work research and practice?
Aims and Objectives: Utilising Bourdieu's field theory, it is posited that social work students, practitioners and educators have essential research skills and knowledge, but do not possess the symbolic capital to reframe these in the field of social work research and thus are habituated into research anxiety. FPR is an innovative model, which was developed and tested with three local organisations as a potential solution. It includes a short, intensive research-mindedness teaching programme structured around a bespoke group practice research project, where research terminology is temporarily moved aside while practice skills are re-framed.
Methods: FPR has so far been fully tested with three organisations: in person with a Local Charity (n=4); online with a national charity (n=3); and online with children’s services practitioners at a Local Authority (n=5). Three focus groups (n=10) were then completed with practitioners who participated in these FPR programmes.
Findings: Findings suggest practitioners habituate research anxiety at the start of the programme; that the innovative approach of the programme helps them see the links between research and their practice, and their research confidence develops and is potentially sustained through beginning to name their work as research.
Conclusion: It is concluded that, based on the evidence, FPR is an innovative approach in addressing research anxiety in practitioners. However, it is not a quick fix but requires sustainable commitment from both practitioners and organisations.
Implications for Practice: It is argued that FPR’s innovative approach, positioning itself as a tool to reframe research anxiety in practitioners, both encourages and potentially sustains research-mindedness in social work practice.
KW: Facilitated Practice-based Research; Innovative; Research Anxiety, Bourdieu