• Reflective ability, empathy, and emotional intelligence in undergraduate social work students: a cross-sectional study from India

      Stanley, Selwyn; Bhuvaneswari, G. Mettilda (Taylor & Francis, 2016-04-21)
      The extant literature indicates that social work is a high stress profession owing to multifarious and complex demands of practice. There is also evidence of stress experienced by student trainees who aspire for a career in social work. Working with service users and the distressing life scenarios encountered on placement often involves negotiating complex emotions and requires reflective skills. Effective practice requires rapport building skills and the ability to demonstrate empathy is a core skill for effective practice. While there is a plethora of Western literature on these issues, the Indian literature has not adequately explored them. Framed against this background, this quantitative study collected data from students of all three years of their undergraduate social work course from a ‘women only’ college in India. Standardised instruments to assess empathy, reflective ability and emotional intelligence were administered. Statistical tests revealed a higher manifestation of these dimensions in final-year students than those in the first year. Further it was seen that the total emotional intelligence and empathy scores were positively correlated. Implications of these findings for the education and training of social work students has also been discussed in this article.
    • Stress, anxiety, resilience and coping in social work students (a study from India)

      Stanley, Selwyn; Mettilda Bhuvaneswari, G. (Taylor & Francis, 2015-12-15)
      Social work is a stressful occupation but continues to attract large numbers of students every year. This study was conducted by undergraduate students of all three cohorts at a women’s-only college in Tiruchirapalli in South India (N = 73). Standardised instruments to assess stress, anxiety, resilience and coping were administered. It was seen that anxiety and stress levels were relatively higher in the first- and third-year students while compared to those in the second year of their course, while resilience and coping was relatively low in the first-year group. Correlations were significantly positive for the stress and anxiety scores as well as the coping and resilience scores. However, it was seen that only the anxiety scores significantly predicted the manifestation of stress in the students. Implications of the findings and the limitations of the study have also been discussed.
    • What are the factors which contribute to level one social work students failing to progress or achieving low grades?

      Lees, Kate (University of Wolverhampton, 2007)
      This study is a preliminary review of the possible reasons for low achievement among some level one social work undergraduates. These may be viewed as challenges to the individual, attempting to study in a particular social context, or as challenges to the institution in raising achievement and accommodating differing needs. Much of the literature is concerned with the experiences of students from particular social groups. In some studies, these concerns are integrated with the identification of individual strategies for success and/or institutional practices which foster or inhibit achievement.