Background: An important purpose of education in the field of social work is the development of social-communicative competence and students' individual learning theories (ILTs) concerning this domain.
Aims: Our first aim was to develop diagnostic instruments for ILT assessment and to understand the relationships between ILT variables. Our second purpose was to study the differences in ILT variables between students of three study years.
Samples: A total of 396 full-time social work students participated in this study: 176 first-year, 147 second-year and 73 fourth-year students (92% women and 8% men).
Method: Based on a theoretical framework, three questionnaires have been constructed, covering three ILT variables: self-perceived competence, learning conceptions and preferred learning situations. For scale construction, principal component analyses and reliability analyses were conducted. ANOVAs and post hoc comparisons of means were used to investigate cross-sectional differences regarding ILT variables. Pearson correlations and regression analyses were performed to gain more insight into the relationships between ILT variables.
Results: Five aspects of self-perceived competence, four learning conceptions and five preferred learning situations were found. Learning conceptions and self-perceived competencies were found to be predictors of students' preferred learning situations. Many differences were found between the three groups of students, especially between the first-year students and the others.
Conclusions: When studying the acquisition of social-communicative competence, it is important to take students' individual learning theories into account. Increased insight into the role ILTs play can be of help in improving social work education.