Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Understanding Writing Challenges Of Rural Msw Students: Preparing Students For Ethical Practice, Jennifer A. Shadik, Sarah B. Garlington, Terry Cluse-Tolar, Glenn Abraham

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

This study explores the attitudes and reflections of rural MSW students regarding writing. Twenty-seven students completed the modified Writing-to-learn Attitudes Survey (WTLAS). Fourteen completed an open-ended reflection where they were asked to assess their strengths and challenges in writing, as well as strategies for improvement. Results of WTLAS indicated students were anxious about writing, had difficulty organizing their thoughts, presenting their ideas clearly, and had little confidence in their writing. Results of the writing reflection indicated students were able to identify multiple challenges and strengths as well as means to remedy shortcomings. Qualitative analysis indicated the most frequent challenges were: …