Enhancing Educational and Vocational Aspirations of SC–ST Students: An Action Research with Social Work Intervention

Background: Educational and vocational aspirations of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) students in India are profoundly shaped by caste-based exclusion, poverty and limited institutional access and resources. This study examines how a social work–led intervention can strengthen aspiration formation among the SC–ST students in Mahasamund district, Chhattisgarh, an educationally and socio-economically underdeveloped region. Anchored in an action research framework, the study adopts an exploratory–descriptive design to analyse structural constraints and transformative possibilities. Methodology: The study was conducted with 98 SC–ST students from five rural and tribal villages. Data were collected through pre- and post-intervention assessments using structured interview schedules, Likert-scale measures of educational and vocational aspirations, participant observation and qualitative feedback. The intervention comprised life skills education, career guidance, mentorship, information on higher education pathways, competitive examinations, scholarships, digital learning resources and gender sensitization. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS, while qualitative data were thematically analysed. Key Findings: The findings indicate significant post-intervention improvements in students’ educational and vocational aspirations, self-confidence, communication skills and awareness of institutional opportunities. Participants reported reduced internalized caste-based inferiority, increased motivation to pursue higher education, improved gender sensitivity and greater engagement with digital learning resources. The intervention strengthened students’ belief in education as a tool for social mobility and resistance to caste-mediated marginalization. The study highlights the importance of social work interventions in challenging structural inequalities and expanding aspiration horizons among the SC–ST students. It contributes to Dalit studies by foregrounding lived experiences and positioning aspiration-building as a transformative and political process within unequal educational systems.