Abstract
This paper explores some of the responsibilities and challenges that face social work educators who teach critical practice to social work students. It is suggested that using critical reflection may enhance social work educators' capacity to prepare practitioners to work towards progressive social change and social justice, despite current social trends, such as globalisation, which potentially marginalise critical practice. This paper provides a reflective account of my experiences of teaching critical reflection to undergraduate social work students, drawing on critical postmodern theoretical underpinnings. Related pedagogies will be discussed which outline experiential reflective learning. It is ultimately contended that critical reflection is an important part of social work education and practice that is committed to enhancing citizenship, human rights, social justice and social change ideals.
Acknowledgements
This is a revised version of a paper first presented to the International Federation of Social Work Global Congress, Global Social Work 2004 Reclaiming Civil Society, at the Adelaide Convention Centre, South Australia, 2–6 October 2004. Kind acknowledgements are given to my friend and colleague Selma MacFarlane of Deakin University for her assistance with the preparation of this paper.