Teaching social welfare policy: A comparison of two pedagogical approaches

The use of experiential approaches to teach social welfare policy suggests that such methods may increase undergraduate social work students' knowledge of and skill in working on social and economic justice issues. This article compares 2 such methods using qualitative and quantitative approaches. The first teaches social welfare policy as a service learning course and the second integrates social welfare policy into the students' practicum experience. The authors conclude that both approaches are equally effective in helping students to increase their knowledge of policy concepts and may help students feel more competent in using policy-related skills.