CONDUCTING RESEARCH FOR THE FIRST TIME: EXPERIENCES OF UNDER-GRADUATE SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS

Abstract

This article reports on a study that was conducted amongst a group of fourth year under-graduate Social Work students who embarked on a research project for the first time. The aim of this study was to explore the challenges that fourth year students face when doing research for the first time. The study’s objectives were to understand the challenges and experiences of students and to determine the best ways to help students undertake their projects as easily as possible. The approach for this study was qualitative. The design was phenomenological and descriptive. The population for this study was 120 enrolled under-graduate (fourth year) final year Social Work students. An availability sample of 10 students took part in this study. The findings indicate that, amongst other things, students experienced challenges in formulating a research problem, understanding the role of the supervisor, accessing library resources and translating knowledge into practice. The recommendations emanating from the study are, inter alia, that supervisors need to be consistent in giving feedback and there needs to be a contract between the student and the supervisor.