Focus Group Effects on Field Practicum Preferences

During the coming years the need for professionals to work with the nation's elders will increase several fold. This will place a great responsibility on university educational programs to prepare enough qualified future professionals to work in the greatly expanding field of gerontology. Prior...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Educational gerontology 2006-03, Vol.32 (3), p.203-214
Main Authors: Sandel, Mark H., Cohen, Harriet L., Thomas, Cecilia L., Barton, Thomas R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aging (Individuals)
Career Choice
Focus Groups
Geriatrics
Gerontology
Observational Learning
Older Adults
Practicums
Social Work
Texas
Undergraduate Students
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Summary:During the coming years the need for professionals to work with the nation's elders will increase several fold. This will place a great responsibility on university educational programs to prepare enough qualified future professionals to work in the greatly expanding field of gerontology. Prior research has identified several nonacademic and academic experiences that influence a student's decision to become gerontological professionals. One area that has been omitted from this work concerns focus groups. This article reports on the impact that observing a relatively simple and inexpensive focus group of professional geriatric practitioners can have on field practicum preferences among advanced undergraduate social work students at a large Texas state university. Findings indicate that observing a focus group significantly influences students' practicum preferences for working with elders, thereby setting them on a trajectory for a career in geriatrics.
ISSN:0360-1277
1521-0472
DOI:10.1080/03601270500476862