Harnessing the Potential of Constructive Develop-mental Pedagogy to Achieve Transformative Learning in Social Work Education
Abstract
This project starts with the contention that social work education must challenge students to reframe their knowledge and assumptions to prepare them for working with oppressed groups and develop emancipatory practice. Using transformative learning theory, constructive developmental pedagogy and related approaches, it explored the extent to which students achieved transformative learning in the context of a communication skills module. The learning and teaching components were changed in three ways: by introducing critical reflection seminars; by encouraging students to discuss their assumptions about practice within lectures; and by making immediate use of student observations about their learning needs to reconstruct the pedagogy as the module progressed. Data were gathered using semi-structured questionnaires, a self-efficacy rating scale, and a focus group. The findings highlight problems in measuring and determining causality for transformative learning but indicate that for a majority of students transformative learning in relation to knowledge and assumptions occurred.
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Transformative learning theory was selected to evaluate any reported changes, consistent with its focus on the potential of education to alter people's sense-making in emancipatory ways.
“Transformative learning theory was selected to evaluate any reported changes, consistent with its focus on the potential of education to alter people's sense-making in emancipatory ways (McCusker, 2013).”
From Critical Mindfulness in Social Work: Exploring the Potential of Reflexive Self-Care in the Journey from Student to Social Worker (2022) · cites this paper as McCusker, 2013
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- Authors
- McCusker, P.
- Affiliations
- Glasgow Caledonian University (GB)
- Corresponding author
- McCusker, Pearse
- ORCID
- McCusker, Pearse
- Venue
- Journal of Transformative Education
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2013-01
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 3-25
- ISSN
- 1541-3446 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-7840
- OpenAlex
- W2312942949
- Cited by
- 21
- References
- 37
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 3 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 2
- FWCI
- 6.45
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Transformative Education (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Adult and Continuing Education Topics
- Social Sciences › Public Administration › Social Work Education and Practice
- Social Sciences › Education › Reflective Practices in Education
- Keywords
- transformative learning, social work education, critical reflection, emancipatory practice, self-efficacy, oppressed groups
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