MOTIVATION OF SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

Singapore is progressing rapidly as a society. This progress has been accompanied by rising concern about impending social issues that need to be tackled in a fast and efficient manner. Ministerial representatives and social service agency leaders have stated that social workers have a critical part to play in this, and that the current pool of social workers is being stretched thin. In recruitment, it is important to understand first the reasons why people choose to take up the social work cause. Local literature into motivation and motivational theories is sparse, and thus this study aims to explore the complex motivation construct through qualitative interviews with social work students in Singapore. Currently, there exist two main routes that an individual can take to become a practicing social worker in Singapore: the undergraduate degree course in the National University of Singapore, and the Singapore Institute of Management University. The sample will be drawn from students currently attending either university. Respondents indicated a myriad of reasons when asked why they chose to enter the social work course. Later, respondents were also asked about their on-going motivation: reasons why they chose to stay on in the course. This study examines the different demographic profiles of students attending each university, and the possible appearance of cohort effects. Motivational factors generated from a thematic analysis of the interview transcriptions. These factors are then ranked according to their frequency of occurrence. Select factors are then analysed and discussed, with reference to differences between the universities, if applicable. With reference to the findings, implications and recommendations for the social work scene in Singapore will then be raised.