Exploring social work students’ attitudes toward research courses: predictors of interest in research-related courses among first year students enrolled in a bachelor’s programme in Switzerland

Abstract

Bartelsen-Raemy (2018) Exploring social work students' attitudes toward research courses: predictors of interest in research-related courses among first year students enrolled in a bachelor's programme in

Exploring social work students’ attitudes toward research courses: comparing students in Australia and Switzerland

“…Other contributing factors were fear of research courses (as separate from fear of research), statistical knowledge and/or anxiety, and self-efficacy (for recent findings see Bolin et al, 2012;Green et al, 2001;Secret et al, 2003). To our knowledge, the most recent study on predictors of students' interest in research courses confirms students' research orientation (in terms of attributed importance and usefulness for practice) and fear of research courses (in terms of worries, concerns and strain) as predictors of interest in research courses (Gredig & Bartelsen-Raemy, 2018).…”

“…Exploring students' views and feelings at this early stage was considered important for understanding their initial feelings and perceptions before they had been influenced by the social work curriculum or faculty opinions-either positively or negatively. Second, the study aimed to advance current understandings of the interplay of factors determining students' interest in research courses by extending and testing an explanatory model we had previously tested in the Swiss context (Gredig & Bartelsen-Raemy, 2018). This model considers 'fear of research courses' defined as worries, concerns and strains (Baird, 2016) in relation to research courses, including the 'fear that one would not be able to cope with the demands of the course' (Bolin et al, 2012, p. 226).…”

“…The social work profession has been identified as the slowest to generate and take up knowledge in evidence-based practice (Gray et al, 2009). Among social work students too, studies have identified 'ambivalence' 'reluctance', 'resistance' and 'anxiety' at the prospect of completing research courses in social work programmes (Bolin et al, 2012;Gredig & Bartelsen-Raemy, 2018;Green et al, 2001;Maschi et al, 2007;Morgenshtern et al, 2011;Secret et al, 2003). This finding is not new; in 1987, Epstein described social work students as 'research reluctant', observing that 'no other part of the social work curriculum has been so consistently received by students with as much groaning, moaning, eye-rolling, hyperventilation, and waiver strategizing as the research course' (Epstein, 1987, p. 71).…”

“…To our knowledge, very few studies have investigated students' views and feelings about research courses when entering a BSW programme. Our recent study focussed exclusively on entering BSW students' interest in research courses enrolled in a programme in Switzerland (Gredig & Bartelsen-Raemy, 2018). It is critical to develop a more refined understanding of factors influencing students' interest in research courses at this early stage, as it has the potential to enhance social work educators' awareness of the specific dynamics they should consider from the outset, namely when conceptualising and delivering their courses.…”

“…Further it should be noted that the studies modelling students' interest in research courses focussed on students enrolled in specific programmes run by a university in the USA (see, for example, Bolin et al, 2012;Maschi et al, 2007), Canada (see, for example, Morgenshtern et al, 2011), Israel (Lazar, 1991) or Switzerland (Gredig & Bartelsen-Raemy, 2018). Accordingly, the authors of these contributions regularly pointed out that generalisations should be made with caution as the findings might be dependent on the specific programme or university, or the wider context.…”