ANALYSIS OF THE STATE OF READINESS OF FUTURE SOCIAL WORKERS FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ACTIVITY

Abstract

The article deals with the issue of the readiness of students of the specialty «Social Work» for the scientific research activity. It is substantiated that the readiness of a specialist for scientific research activity is a determining part of one’s professional competence. It is noted that researches in social work are carried out in order to understand the individual, interpersonal and wider social or structural problems in society, as well as their implications. They include assessment of the needs and resources of people in their environments and changing contexts of their lives, provision of information for the development and implementation of policies, programs and services, especially for vulnerable groups, forecasting of the consequences of the social interventions, evaluation of the effectiveness of various forms of social assistance, search for innovative methods as well as the methods of provision of social support. The purpose of the article is to analyze the state of readiness of future social workers for scientific research activity. Objectives of the research: to find out the essence and the structure of the readiness of social workers for scientific research activity; to analyze the state of readiness of students for scientific research activity. Methods of research: analysis, synthesis, generalization (was used to clarify the nature and components of the readiness of social workers for scientific research activity), questionnaires (was used to determine the state of formation of individual components of students’ readiness for scientific research activity), the method of expert assessments (was used during the evaluation of scientific works of students). As a result of the research, it has been established that the majority of students demonstrated insufficient level of formation of individual research skills. In particular, different difficulties were present in the process of planning and carrying out the scientific research work (theoretical or experimental), as well as in the process of implementation of integrated analysis of the research and its corresponding registration. It is noted that students need to improve their theoretical basis in the field of scientific research work and to develop their research skills through the development and implementation of the system of training of social workers for scientific research activity in the higher school.