Keila Finklea

Agents of Change: Social Work and Policy Advocacy Keila Finklea

This quantitative study of 58 MSW I & II students was designed to explore students' participation in policy advocacy. It also examined if and how the social work program has facilitated their participation in policy advocacy and if the program impacted their confidence in and motivation for policy advocacy. The alignment of students' political attitude and ideology with NASW's policy positions on social justice was also explored. Study results indicate that keeping informed and political knowledge were the strongest predictors of MSW student's policy activity. This study concludes that incorporating skills for political action into MSW curricula may increase students' perceived efficacy, thereby enhancing the likelihood of engaging in political activities.