Examining Cross-Cultural Child Welfare Practice Through Simulation-Based Education

Simulation-based learning is an emerging pedagogical approach in social work education that is expanding to specialized areas of practice. This research examines the intersection of cross-cultural practice and child maltreatment investigations. Thirty-one (N = 31) BSW and MSW social work students participated in a three-hour voluntary child welfare simulation workshop and engaged with one of three child welfare scenarios: (1) an immigrant Chinese family, (2) an Indigenous family, and (3) a White youth. Drawing upon the concept of cultural agility, a theoretically-informed mixed methods approach was used to analyze the data. Fisher’s exact test and independent samples T-tests were used to examine participants social work education and experience, perceived competencies, acknowledgment of the simulated client’s culture, and evaluation of the simulation experience. Qualitative analysis examined participants’ critical reflection of their cross-cultural exchange with the simulated clients regarding allegations of child maltreatment. Statistical differences were noted among participants who engaged with each of the three child welfare scenarios. All participants expressed positive learning benefits through simulation, however, statistical differences were found between participants who acknowledged the client’s ethno-cultural identity versus those who did not with respect to their overall learning benefits, meta-competencies, and procedural competencies. Participants demonstrated various aspects of the cultural agility framework as they reflected upon their practice. Simulation-based learning offers the opportunity for students to critically examine and reflect upon the ways they operationalize culture and child maltreatment, and how to manage the complexities of working across difference. Future recommendations for research and practice are discussed.