Reflections of Slovak Academically Active Social Work Professionals on Selected Moments of Their Own Research – A Partial Descriptive Study

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In Lieu of an Introduction

Social work is a relatively young scientific discipline. As such, it is often faced with the need to prove its own specific significance and its place in the system of sciences. This discussion is, of course, largely confined to academic discourse. Nevertheless, we note that it is also important for practitioners to perceive the identity of their field. It was precisely the academic discourse and these contexts that became the subject of interest of this study.

Research Methodology and Sample

The research methods are based on a quantitative strategy. The presented descriptive research on the subjective experiences of Slovak academically active social work professionals regarding selected moments of their own research was not extended into the domain of verification, comparison, or correlation. Its character is confined to exploratory or descriptive levels, which are characterised by the absence of hypothesis testing and the tracking of a single primary variable (Ritomský, 2004; Gavora, 2010; Škodová, 2013). We were guided by the following considerations:

1. the need to reflect feedback;
2. no such research had previously been conducted to identify the areas we monitored;
3. in the body of scientific knowledge, we did not find a sufficient basis for formulating answers to the research questions posed;
4. methodologically and deliberately, we proceeded not in an "explanatory" but in a "comprehending" manner towards the phenomenon under study.

In the research, we relied exclusively on the perspective of workers who represented academic practice in the field of social work. At the time of the survey, they were actively engaged in their practice. From an existential standpoint, the subjective experiences of the respondents and the subjective opinions based on them were important.

In choosing our research strategy, we drew on the methodology of socio-psychological research (Ritomský, 2004). In line with the holistic approach, we define the following research objectives: 1. to analyse the degree of scientific research performance based on quantitative data (participation in research projects at the national and international level); 2. to evaluate the general contexts of the application and perception of social work as a science in Slovakia, based on the subjective assessment of academics in the monitored field.

A questionnaire of our own design containing 31 items was used as the primary exploratory method of quantitative data collection. Given the partial nature of this study, we will not present responses to all questionnaire items. Data collection was carried out from July 2022 to November 2022.

Evaluation was performed using second-order statistics via the SPSS 17.0 statistical software. The chi-square goodness-of-fit test was applied. With regard to the level of statistical significance, we distinguished four categories of probability of error in the results, with the α level set at 0.05 in accordance with the standards of the social sciences.

The population was derived from the membership list of the Association of Educators in Social Work (AVSP), published on the official AVSP website. This list records a total of ten departments engaged in education in the field of social work:

1. Katedra sociálnej práce, Filozofická fakulta UPJŠ v Košiciach,
2. Inštitút edukológie a sociálnej práce, Filozofická fakulta PU v Prešove,
3. Katedra kresťanskej antropológie a sociálnej práce, Pravoslávna bohoslovecká fakulta PU v Prešove,
4. Katedra sociálnej práce, Pedagogická fakulta UMB v Banskej Bystrici,
5. Katedra sociálnej práce, Pedagogická fakulta KU v Ružomberku,
6. Katedra spoločenských vied, KU v Ružomberku, Teologická fakulta v Košiciach,
7. Katedra sociálnej práce a sociálnych vied a Ústav romologických štúdií, Fakulta sociálnych vied a zdravotníctva UKF v Nitre,
8. Katedra sociálnych služieb a poradenstva, Fakulta sociálnych vied UCM v Trnave,
9. Katedra sociálnej práce, Fakulta zdravotníctva a sociálnej práce TU v Trnave,
10. Katedra sociálnej práce, VŠZaSP sv. Alžbety v Bratislave.

The AVSP membership list also records 77 individual members. The questionnaire was sent to these members. A total of 17 respondents participated in the research, representing a 22.1% participation rate. The fact remains that, given the nature of the population, its experience with research, and its familiarity with the need for source data, a higher return rate was understandably expected.

In terms of gender structure, male respondents dominated (70.59%), and the most frequently reported highest attained academic, scientific-academic, or scientific-pedagogical title or rank was associate professor (docent) or professor.

Graph 1 Highest Attained Academic, Scientific-Academic, or Scientific-Pedagogical Title or Rank

n = 17; p = 0.23; df = 3; χ2 = 4.3

The majority of respondents (58.83%) quantified their practice in the field of social work within the range of 11 to 20 years. Participation from public law institutions dominated (76.47%).

Graph 2 Type of Educational Institution Where Respondents Work for Their Established Working Hours

n = 17; p = 0.052; df = 1; χ2 = 3.78

Research Results – Experience with Scientific Research Projects at the National and International Level

Scientific research projects are usually created with the aim of understanding a particular phenomenon. They are most often divided into a research and an implementation stage, each with its own specifics. Several autonomous groups usually work on the project objectives, and their results are integrated into the final innovation. The nature of project implementation differs depending on the problem under investigation. In any case, close and continuous contact between the conducted research and its application is necessary. Research projects are characterised by a new and poorly structured brief that may be modified during the course of the project (Lorko, 2003). The results of a social research project can be predicted only to a limited extent and therefore remain uncertain throughout the duration of the project. A research project proposal should be practical, persuasive, and clear. Within the plan of implemented objectives, it is also important to establish broader connections with other disciplines and, last but not least, with the practical application of the acquired information in society (Silverman, 2005).

In this group of projects, the highest demands are placed on innovation and originality. These components are therefore a major part of the evaluation criteria.

The practical experience of research project proposers in the Central European context shows that the main problem of competitiveness is not the scientific quality of the submitted proposals, but the lack of preparedness for their implementation. In practice, we often encounter a highly quality scientific proposal that summarises the issues of management and coordination in a few sentences, which results in its not being supported (Kolman, D. – Řipová, K – Škácha, K., 2009).

Our analyses showed that in the last five years (including 2017), 35.29% of respondents were the lead or principal investigator of a scientific research project at the national level (VEGA, KEGA, APVV) (n = 17; p = 0.33; df = 1; χ2 = 0.94), while 88.24% of respondents participated as co-investigators under the same conditions (n = 17; p = 0.004; df = 1; χ2 = 8.5).

We performed a similar quantification with respondents regarding scientific research projects at the international level (Interreg, European Research Council grants, etc.). Only one respondent (5.88%) stated that in the last 5 years (including 2017) they had served in a leading position on an international scientific research project (n = 17; p = 0.0008; df = 1; χ2 = 11.57). In a co-investigator position on an international scientific research project in the last five years, 17.65% of respondents had participated (n = 17; p = 0.0008; df = 1; χ2 = 11.57).

Research Results – General Contexts of the Application and Perception of Social Work

Hetteš (2014) states that social work is an interdisciplinary science that draws on a multitude of scientific theories and extensive research. In this definition, he understands science in its most fundamental sense. He notes that social work is constantly developing its theoretical foundation and also utilises theories from other human sciences. Similarly, Levická (Levická et al., 2016) adds that social work relies on its own methodology and a systematically built body of knowledge based on evidence obtained through research. The knowledge acquired by researchers is verified in practice.

These contexts were also confirmed by the consensus of the responses we obtained. We can state that more than 94% agreed with the statement "Social work is a science."

Table 1 Respondents' Position on the Statement "Social Work is a Science"

n = 17; p < 0.001; df = 4; χ2 = 39.83

One of the main characteristics of science is its orientation toward its own research characteristics (methods, principles, etc.). In analysing the perception of this fact, respondents did not offer the same coherence as in the previous case. 47.05% of respondents shifted their answers toward the positive spectrum.

Table 2 Respondents' Position on the Statement "Social Work Offers the Same Number of Research Strategies as Other Disciplines."

n = 17; p = 0.41; df = 4; χ2 = 4

We were also interested in whether the idea of the focus of research in social work is directed primarily toward empirical levels. More than 82% indicated such an orientation.

Table 3 Respondents' Position on the Statement "The Main Focus of Research in Social Work Lies in Empirical Investigation."

n = 17; p = 0.046; df = 4; χ2 = 9.67

Social work is a science with an applied practical dimension. This fact was once again confirmed by the perception of academically active professionals in the monitored field.

Table 4 Respondents' Position on the Statement "Research in Social Work Must Have Implications for Practice."

n = 17; p = 0.0036; df = 4; χ2 = 15.58

In almost every definition of social work, we encounter its interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity. Social work is a field that draws on other sciences and simultaneously offers its knowledge to other sciences. We were interested in how this interdisciplinarity is reflected in the practical experiences of the respondents. We note that more than half of the respondents (64.7%) stated that they orient their research toward both related and unrelated fields.

Graph 3 Research Orientation of Participating Respondents

n = 17; p = 0.053; df = 2; χ2 = 5.87

The logical question that remains at this point is which fields or scientific disciplines can be considered related in the observed contexts. The relevant decree does not define related fields, nor can we generalise the answer from the perspective of scholarly discussion. The question of which fields respondents consider related to social work was answered by 16 respondents, who identified a total of 44 disciplines. We differentiated the responses into the categories shown in Table 5. The categories were created in accordance with the decree of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic on the system of study fields of the Slovak Republic, Decree No. 244/2019 Coll.

Table 5 Respondents' Answers on Related Disciplines of Social Work

n = 44; p = 0.0007; df = 7; χ2 = 25.37

In Lieu of a Conclusion

In the context of the analyses we have presented, we can conclude that there is congruence between the theoretical concepts and the generalisation of the responses of the respondents who participated in our investigation. We take the liberty of generalising our findings into the following statements. Social work is a science whose foundation is empirical investigation and whose results should be oriented primarily toward the practical sphere. It is a science with broad interdisciplinary connections related to pedagogical and psychological sciences, but also to the fields of theology, health sciences, sociology, law, economics, management, and others. One of the limitations of social work is the lower degree of existence of its own research strategies, which may threaten its integrity. These circumstances may also result in a lower degree of competitiveness in the broader perception of social work as a social science that intensively identifies its own topics. This fact is also confirmed by the low success rate of academically active social work professionals in competing for international research grants.

Authors: doc. PhDr. Bohuslav Kuzyšin, PhD. Prešovská univerzita v Prešove, Pravoslávna bohoslovecká fakulta, Katedra kresťanskej antropológie a sociálnej práce PhDr. Peter Senko, MBA Prohuman

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