2020-01-19, Gredig, Daniel, Heinsch, Milena, Bartelsen, Annabelle

In the last twenty years, several studies have confirmed social work students’ reluctance to embrace research courses. In a recent Swiss study, first year Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) students’ interest in research courses was predicted by their research orientation (including the perceived importance and the attributed usefulness of research for practice, and the perceived unbiased nature of research), and fear of research courses. The present study aimed to explore whether these findings are specific to the local professional and educational context. We compared levels of interest in research courses, and predictors for this among students entering BSW programs in Switzerland and Australia. We hypothesized that students entering a BSW program in Australia show higher levels of interest in research courses, have a stronger research orientation, and report lower levels of fear, than students entering a BSW program in Switzerland. Further, we hypothesized that a) interest in research courses is predicted by students’ fear of research courses and research orientation, b) research orientation is determined by fear of research courses, and c) fear is predicted by general self-efficacy and statistic anxiety. Method: In 2017 and 2018, we invited students entering BSW programs in an Australian and a Swiss university to complete an anonymous self-administered online questionnaire prior to the commencement of their program. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, multivariate analyses and structural equation modelling. The sample included 165 Australian and 245 Swiss students (N=410), 318 (78%) female and 92 (22%) male, aged 17–58 (Mdn=22), with various entry qualifications, who were studying either full time or part time. Results: Students entering the Australian BSW program showed significantly lower levels of interest (p=0.024), had a stronger research orientation (p=0.024, p≤0.001, p≤0.001), and reported higher levels of fear (p≤0.001) than those entering the program in Switzerland. In both groups, interest in research courses was predicted by students’ fear of research courses (β=-0.30 vs. β=–0.39) and their research orientation (β=0.39 vs. β=0.38). Fear of research courses was predicted by general self-efficacy (β=-0.31 vs β=–0.32) and statistics anxiety (β=0.18 vs β=0.23). In both groups, fear of research courses did not determine research orientation. Among Australian students, age predicted the levels of fear and interest. Among Swiss students, gender predicted the reported levels of fear while age predicted research orientation, and a specific type of entry qualification co-determined their levels of interest (Australian model: GFI=0.951, AGFI=0.902, SRMR=0.084, RMSEA=0.068, adj. R2=0.24; Swiss model: GFI=0.968, AGFI=0.941, SRMR=0.068, RMSEA=0.035, adj. R2=0.32). Conclusion: Students entering a BSW program in Australia reported a stronger research orientation than students in Switzerland did. This could be an expression of the longer tradition of social work education at university level and subsequently, a stronger commitment to evidence-informed practice in Australia. However, Australian students showed lower levels of interest in and higher levels of fear of research courses than Swiss students. Regardless of the context, the predictors of research interest were the same in both groups.

2020, Gredig, Daniel, Bartelsen, Annabelle

Social work programmes are expected to enable students to work adequately with sexual minorities. In Switzerland, however, curricular content on sexual minorities is lacking in BSW programmes. Potential sexual prejudice is not explicitly addressed. This study aimed to assess the attitudes towards lesbian women and gay men amongst students entering the BSW programme of a university in Switzerland to establish a basis for discussing curriculum development. Students entering the programme from 2015 through 2018 were surveyed using an online questionnaire. Heterosexist attitudes were captured using the ‘Multidimensional Scale of Attitudes toward Lesbians and Gay Men’. The responding 955 entering students reported positive attitudes towards lesbians and gay men and evidenced low levels of heterosexist views. However, only 4.3 per cent of the respondents consistently disagreed with all items expressing heterosexist views, whilst 43.3 per cent completely agreed with at least one item. The views expressed by male participants expressed significantly higher levels of heterosexism than did those of female participants. The findings evidence uncertainties and a lack of reflection on unquestioned but heteronormative views. This reflects a need to infuse BSW programmes with sexual minority content, to provide opportunities for critical reflection and to address heteronormative and heterosexist views.

2020, Gredig, Daniel, Heinsch, Milena, Bartelsen, Annabelle

Several studies have confirmed social work students’ reluctance about research courses. However, there remains little understanding of the determinants of students’ interest in research courses. This study aimed to contribute to a more robust understanding of underlying dynamics influencing students’ feelings regarding research courses through a comparison of students entering a BSW programme in Australia and Switzerland. We hypothesized that a) students’ interest in research courses was predicted by students’ fear of research courses and research orientation, b) their research orientation was determined by their fear of research courses, and c) their fear was predicted by their statistics anxiety and general self-efficacy. For data collection, we used an anonymous self-administered online questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, multivariate analyses and structural equation modelling. The sample included 165 Australian and 245 Swiss students (N=410). In both student groups, interest in research courses was predicted by students’ fear of research courses and their research orientation. Fear of research courses was predicted by general self-efficacy and statistics anxiety. Fear of research courses did not determine research orientation. Regardless of the diverse contexts, in both groups the predictors of research interest proved to be the same.