Scaffolding critical reflection across the curricula of a social welfare degree

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper reports findings of the second phase of a formative peer review into the critical reflection curricula in a Bachelor of Social Welfare course in a university in regional Australia. This study investigated the scaffolding of the ‘declared’ critical reflection curricula. It extends the first phase of the review, which was an analysis of the critical reflection assessment tasks; the ‘learned’ curricula (English 1978, cited in). During phase one, the authors learned most students did not engage with critical reflection comprehensively. Therefore, in this phase we critically examined how critical reflection was described in the written curricula throughout the course. Findings revealed the curricula informed students about reflective processes, and linked critical reflection to the development of personal and interpersonal communication skills, cultural safety, ethical practice, empowering practice, and the integration of theory and practice. However, instead of introducing critical reflection incrementally across the entire course, comprehensive and complex descriptions about critical reflection were introduced repeatedly from the beginning of the course. Conclusions include how the authors will use analysis of the ‘declared’ curricula to explicitly guide students through the scaffolding of critical reflection curricula, including incorporating a map of this scaffolding into course-wide learning materials.