Student reflections on social work research: process, obstacles and strengths

Abstract

This study has been framed within the Research Practicum subject taught in the Degree in Social Work in order to know the opinion of the students of this discipline regarding research. This topic is of special interest since students often don’t see the relationship between the information given in research classes and what they have previously learned, nor how this relates to their future professional practice. In this sense, in order to gain in-depth knowledge about the reluctance of the student body, and also about the potentialities, two techniques of information collection have been carried out regarding research: focus groups and self-reflections. Specifically, a preliminary focus group to learn about the initial perceptions, another final closing group after the training, and four individual self-reflective activities. The data have been analyzed from a qualitative perspective based on a thematic analysis. The results have shown four key thematic sections: (1) Previous knowledge and experiences about the research process; (2) Interest, importance and usefulness of the research; (3) Obstacles in the research process; and (4) Identity in social work. This work highlights the consolidation of a feeling of socio-professional identification on the part of the students after carrying out a research project.