Example social work and education dissertation topic 2:

Evidence-based practice: A model for lifelong learning

Within undergraduate and postgraduate social work degrees the importance of promulgating evidence-based practice is accepted and well grounded. However, for the more seasoned practitioner, the habitual use – and acceptance of – intuition-based practice can lead to resistance in the adoption of theories of evidence-based practice. This dissertation accordingly evaluates the extent to which professionals within the field who are in their late 40s and 50s would benefit from career professional development that takes them back into the classroom to revise their theoretical understandings of key issues and to do so with reference to evidence-based case studies that have been academically evaluated.

Suggested initial topic reading:

• Grinnell, R.M and Unrau, Y.A. (2011) Social work research and evaluation: Foundations of evidence-based practice (9th edn) .Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Kazi, M.A.F., Pagkos, B. and Milch, H. (2011) ‘Realist evaluation in wraparound: A new approach in social work evidence-based practice’, Research on Social Work Practice, Vol. 21(1), pp. 57-64.