Survey Research, a Self-completion Questionnaire
Survey Research, a Self-completion Questionnaire

Author: Leona Mickles-Burns

Publisher:

Published: 2018

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9781526441911

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For my doctoral dissertation, I collected data using survey research, which may sound like an easy task, but the process can have many challenges. I began collecting data with the use of a mailed questionnaire. However, after having experienced a poor return rate, I decided to use a self-completion questionnaire that I would administer face to face. The acceptable number of surveys collected for a dissertation is not necessarily the acceptable number of surveys required for publishing the findings in a peer-reviewed journal. Therefore, after collecting the data for my dissertation, I collected additional data 12 years later using a self-completion questionnaire and encountered additional challenges. Some of the challenges included obtaining institutional review board approval, locating and contacting the authorized people/decision makers, the logistics of collecting the data, protecting the confidentiality of the data, missing survey information, and trying to make meaning of all the data. Self-completion questionnaires have many challenges; however, they are a useful research technique that can be used to gather reliable and useful data.

Exploration of Graduate Social Work Students' Knowledge and Attitudes Towards People Living with HIV/AIDS
Exploration of Graduate Social Work Students' Knowledge and Attitudes Towards People Living with HIV/AIDS

Author: Christina Marie Handal

Publisher:

Published: 2017

Total Pages: 196

ISBN-13:

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This study utilized a quantitative, cross-sectional, survey design to explore the knowledge and attitudes, including stereotypes, held by graduate social work students towards People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). It specifically studied the relationship between the following two identified areas: (1) knowledge about the HIV virus, epidemic, and best-practices in working with PLWHA; and (2) personal biases towards those commonly infected. A nonprobability, purposive sample of 72 MSW II graduate students constituted the respondents of this study. Study findings indicate that respondents who were least comfortable providing HIV services endorsed higher levels of blaming PLWHA for contracting their disease, higher levels of personal bias towards HIV-positive pregnant women or parents, and AIDS phobia. Respondents who indicated that they were most comfortable providing HIV services, also expressed that they have attained a greater amount of information regarding HIV/AIDS treatments within their MSW program. T-tests for independent groups found that students who identified as religious were less comfortable delivering HIV services to clients, and endorsed higher levels of HIV stigma than students who identified as non-religious. The common types of HIV stigma that were endorsed at higher levels by respondents who identified as religious included: homophobia, transphobia, victim blame, AIDS phobia, and bias toward HIV-positive pregnant women or parents. Age emerged as a factor in the existence of bias, students over the age of 30 reported increased levels of bias towards commonly stigmatized HIV/AIDS groups than those in the 20 - 29 age range, this included homophobia, racism, and AIDS phobia. Additionally, findings indicate that students who had previously encountered an HIV-positive client at their field placement were more comfortable discussing HIV-related topics. Although majority of respondents fared well on the knowledge about HIV Transmission Quiz, detailed content about HIV/AIDS, including the HIV Treatment Quiz was poorly identified by the respondents with several unsure and incorrect answers. Recommendations include the imperative need to develop inclusive curriculum that integrates the diversity competencies required in the graduate social work program, with the competent knowledge and attitudinal requirements for helping PLWHA.