Evolution of group work education in social work

The purpose of this historical dissertation is to describe the evolution of group work education in social work, to identify salient factors in the evolution of group work education, and to describe the experiences and recommendations of experienced group work educators. This study traces the history of group work education from 1932 to 2002. The author uses multiple data sources including primary and secondary data sources. The author reviews program course descriptions from the 71 oldest MSW programs in the United States and CSWE policies from 1952--present. In addition, the author conducted 12 oral history interviews with experienced group work educators. The author found that group work is most commonly taught by a combination of lecture and experiential methods. In addition, the author found that group work courses have decreased over time. Recommendations include requiring stand-alone group work courses for all social work students. Additional recommendations include teaching group work using a combination of lecture and experiential methods.