Developing ‘self-efficacy’ as an outcome measure in capacity building among social work practice educators in China

Abstract This article provides an exploration of social workers’ self-efficacy following their participation in a training programme designed to enhance the professional competence of practice educators. The study was conducted at three sites in China: Nanjing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, with 300 participants completing a standardized questionnaire at three time-points—before the training, at its conclusion, and after supervising a student. The aim was to identify factors associated with changes in social work practice educators’ sense of self-efficacy. Multiple regression analyses revealed that several variables, including supervisory experience in social work, practice region, and possession of a social work degree—significantly influenced participants’ self-efficacy across the three different phases. Participants from less developed regions demonstrated greater improvements in self-efficacy following the training. Based on these findings, the study recommends developing tailored training programmes and promoting the sharing of regional experiences among social workers in China.