Educating for change: transformative learning and progressive social work education

Abstract

The progressive or radical perspective in social work education is concerned with educating students in ways that open up the possibility that, through their practice, and in their lives, they may contribute to the wider struggle for social transformation towards a more just and equitable society. This process often involves challenging students to examine pre-existing beliefs, assumptions and values as they progress through their social work education.

Transformative learning theory has developed as a way of understanding the nature of learning, and, in particular, learning experiences which involve a significant shift in the 'meaning structures' of students. This paper explores, from an explicitly radical perspective, the utility of transformative learning theory as a tool for understanding the experience of students and teachers in social work education. The ethical implications of adopting an explicitly transformative approach to social work education are also examined, and some suggestions for educational practice advanced.