Modelling Interest in Research Courses Among Students Entering a Bachelor Program in Social Work: A Swiss Study

Background and Purpose

It is a widely accepted assumption that social work professionals should underpin their decisions with scientific knowledge and research findings. Thus, research courses have become a taken-for-granted component of study programs at bachelor’s level. However, studies confirm that social work students show reluctance to engage with research-related course work. The low interest in research courses seems to be associated with a low level of research orientation and feelings of fear of research courses.

Against this background, the present study aimed to establish the predictors of interest in research courses in a cohort of students entering a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program in Switzerland in order to gain information to underpin the further development of the research courses in the program. We hypothesized that a) the interest in research courses is predicted by students’ fear of research courses and research orientation, b) their research orientation is determined by their fear of research courses, and c) their fear is predicted by their general self-efficacy and statistic anxiety.

Method

In 2017, we invited students enrolled on a BSW program run by a major school of social work in Switzerland to participate in the study during their introduction days two weeks prior to the commencement of their program. For data collection, we used an anonymous self-administered online questionnaire filled in on site. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, multivariate analyses and structural equation modelling using the scale free least estimates method.

The sample included 245 students, 176 (72%) female and 69 (28%) male, aged 19–52 (Mdn=23), having various entry qualification, and registered for three different types of program modalities (full time and part time study, either with blocks of field placements; part time study involving continuous field placement).

Results

Analysis showed that interest in research courses was predicted by students’ fear of research courses (β=-0.39) and their research orientation (β=0.35). Fear of research was predicted by general self-efficacy (β=-0.31) and statistic anxiety (β=0.26). Students’ research orientation turned out to be predicted by general self-efficacy (β=0.21). Moreover, students’ fear was also predicted by gender (β=0.15). Age, study modalities and entry qualificationy were not significant predictors of any variable in the model (CMIN/df=1.22, p=0.23; GFI=0.977, AGFI=0.954, SRMR=0.070, RMSEA=0.031, adj. R²=0.29).

Conclusion

Data found partial support of the model tested: Students’ fear of research courses and research orientation impacted directly on their interest in research courses. However, in contrast to our hypothesis, research orientation was determined by students’ general self-efficacy, not by fear. The findings highlight the challenges faced by teachers of research courses in a BSW program. It might be promising to address students’ research orientation in order to strengthen their interest. Further, teachers could support students in managing their anxiety so that it reaches a level that encourages their growth and does not hinder the development of their skills while acknowledging that students’ fears are determined by their statistics anxiety and general self-efficacy. The latter is unlikely to be influenced in a single course.