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USING THE FOCUS GROUP IN ASSESSING TRAINING NEEDS: EMPOWERING CHILD WELFARE WORKERS

NCJ Number
145412
Journal
Child Welfare Volume: 72 Issue: 6 Dated: (November-December 1993) Pages: 569-580
Author(s)
J D Denning; C Verschelden
Date Published
1993
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This article describes how the use of a focus group can provide training needs assessment for child welfare workers.
Abstract
Two project staff members (one social work faculty member and an assistant) facilitated each focus group. The group sessions consisted of six segments. One segment involved the brainstorming of topics about which participants needed more training. A second segment organized these topics into training units, and a third segment established individual priorities for these units according to perceived needs for training. Other segments involved discussions of preferred training delivery methods or approaches; the demonstration of multimedia, interactive, computer-based training technology; and obtaining participants' feedback about the focus group session. In each of the 12 districts that participated, at least one focus group was held for supervisors and at least one for workers. The use of focus groups found that child welfare workers can critically analyze and specify their training needs. Methods that rely on others to develop training needs underestimate the ability of workers to be sufficiently self-critical regarding their own performance deficits. 2 tables and 15 references

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