Teaching Evidence-Based Practice in Social Work: Practical Instructional Design Approaches for Graduate Students

Across the social and health sciences, evidence-based practice (EBP) serves as a cornerstone of professional education and links research-based knowledge to real-world decision-making. Students are expected to integrate empirical findings with client needs, ethical considerations, and professional best practices. Yet many graduate students struggle to translate theoretical concepts into applied practice. Academic librarians, particularly those serving as subject liaisons and specialists, are well positioned to partner with social work faculty to design scaffolded instructional experiences that integrate research literacy with social work’s ethical and humanistic frameworks. Through librarian–faculty partnerships, librarians can help students critically engage with research evidence while honoring client narratives, community contexts, and cultural humility. Social work education requires students to apply evidence-based methods and practices within the profession’s commitment to contextualized care, human relationships, and social justice. Many Master of Social Work (MSW) students enter graduate programs with limited experience conducting evidence-based research and may perceive EBP as disconnected from the relational and value-driven nature of their field. Drawing from collaborations with MSW faculty who teach a required research methods course, this session illustrates how librarian-led instruction and faculty-designed assignments can build students’ confidence and competence in EBP. Scaffolded learning activities include developing PICO (Population / Intervention / Comparison / Outcome) questions, locating empirical evidence in library databases, and evaluating findings through the lens of client values and community realities. These strategies help students view EBP as a practical and empowering framework rather than an abstract academic exercise. Librarian–faculty partnerships foster engagement and deepen students’ understanding of how evidence can enhance and inform professional practice. Attendees will gain adaptable strategies for designing, implementing, and assessing EBP instruction in graduate-level programs across the social and health sciences, with examples of feedback and evaluation methods that measure instructional impact. By reframing EBP instruction as an instructional design opportunity, academic librarians can position themselves as pedagogical partners who advance students’ research literacy, professional readiness, and evidence-informed practice.