Work preferences of students over a three year degree course in intellectual disability studies

Abstract

The work preferences of students choosing a professional career in intellectual disability services are particularly important when irregular hours, isolation from the more prestigious mainstream of human services, and the nature of the client population are likely to create demands on graduates which are not faced by other human service workers. This study investigated the work preferences of 117 students on entry to a degree course in intellectual disability studies, and for a smaller sample on completion of the course three years later, using a work preference scale. Consistent with expectations and with previous research in the human service professions, students entering the course showed the strongest work preference for altruism, and were also consistently above average on self-development, showing significant differences from the norm sample for the scale on these dimensions. The weakest preferences were for co-workers, money, security and detachment. Follow-up showed some interesting changes in work preferences, but altruism remained the dominant preference.