Studying in challenging times – a longitudinal study on social work students’ situations during the Covid-19 pandemic

Figures & data

Table 1. Demographic Characteristics of the Sample in SS20.

Variable	n	%
Gender
Male	23	23.2
Female	76	76.8
Diverse	0	0.0
Age
20–24	52	52.5
25–29	27	27.3
30–34	10	10.1
>34	9	10.1
Stage
BSW	90	90.9
MSW	9	9.1
Semester
1	17	17.2
2	42	42.4
3	12	12.1
4	15	15.2
>4	13	13.1
Work besides studies
Yes	64	64.6
No	35	35.4
Care obligations
Yes	18	18.2
No	81	81.8

Table 2. Means and Standard Deviations of challenges across SS20, FS20, SS21, and FS21.

Challenge	M	SD
Being distracted	2.87	0.83
Getting things done	2.54	0.95
Worrying a lot	2.36	0.98
Feeling alone	1.81	0.96
Planning my day	1.81	0.89
No accurate WP	1.46	1.12
Care responsibilites	1.42	1.18
Technical issues	1.20	0.97

Table 3. Means, Standard Deviations, and one-way repeated measures analyses of variance in challenges, attitudes, and social support.

	SS20		FS20		SS21		FS21		ANOVA
	M	SD	M	SD	M	SD	M	SD	F ratio	df	η^2
Challenges
Being distracted	2.94	1.18	3.09	1.00	2.99	1.16	2.45	1.31	8.80***	2.71, 265.60	.082
Getting things done	2.43	1.33	2.59	1.19	2.48	1.27	2.66	1.28	1.04	3, 294	.010
Worrying a lot	2.26	1.41	2.48	1.22	2.25	1.33	2.44	1.36	1.35	3, 294	.014
Feeling alone	1.79	1.49	2.11	1.43	2.08	1.35	1.26	1.19	11.87***	3, 294	.108
Planning my day	2.04	1.37	1.72	1.37	2.04	1.40	1.42	1.24	6.37***	3, 294	.061
No accurate WP	1.56	1.53	1.62	1.54	1.45	1.47	1.22	1.24	2.64*	3, 294	.026
Care responsibilites	1.57	1.47	1.39	1.39	1.28	1.44	1.44	1.42	1.58	3, 294	.016
Technical issues	1.26	1.37	1.34	1.37	1.32	1.35	0.87	1.09	4.99**	3, 294	.048
Attitudes
Enjoyment	1.82	1.16	1.22	1.07	1.36	1.10	1.84	1.16	9.96***	2.77, 271.74	.092
Interest	1.95	1.11	1.26	1.00	1.33	1.06	2.07	1.09	24.05***	3, 294	.197
Study confidence	2.03	1.17	2.17	1.14	2.28	1.09	2.71	0.98	9.55***	3, 294	.089
Exam confidence	2.13	1.07	2.49	0.95	2.68	0.98	2.85	0.93	16.81***	2.72, 266.34	.146
Social support
Fellow students	3.45	0.81	2.09	1.25	2.24	1.15	2.53	1.03	39.15***	3, 294	.285
Family/friends	3.29	0.86	2.76	1.19	2.90	0.91	3.10	0.80	7.72***	2.68, 262.12	.073

Note. n = 99.

* p < .05. ** p < .01. *** p < .001.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request in Zenodo at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6940140. The data are not publicly available due to content that could compromise respondents’ privacy.