Developing proto-professional reflexivity in social work education with autobiographical narrative
(2026) In Social Work Education- Abstract
Reflexivity constitutes a core professional competence in social work and needs to be promoted in social work education. In this case study of an autobiography-based course element, it is shown how social work students (n = 13) realized reflexivity from within (i) their experiences of engaging with autobiographical literature and (ii) their discussions of those experiences in peer groups. The case study draws on individual student essays, recorded seminar discussions, and student interviews. This data was approached with the theoretical understanding that ‘exploring response’ and ‘perspective-taking’ constitute two basic mechanisms in autobiography-based reflexivity. Analysis indicated five modes of realization of these mechanisms:... (More)
Reflexivity constitutes a core professional competence in social work and needs to be promoted in social work education. In this case study of an autobiography-based course element, it is shown how social work students (n = 13) realized reflexivity from within (i) their experiences of engaging with autobiographical literature and (ii) their discussions of those experiences in peer groups. The case study draws on individual student essays, recorded seminar discussions, and student interviews. This data was approached with the theoretical understanding that ‘exploring response’ and ‘perspective-taking’ constitute two basic mechanisms in autobiography-based reflexivity. Analysis indicated five modes of realization of these mechanisms: articulating self-recognition and its affordances for action; considering professional vulnerability; noticing a theory-informed gaze; contrasting outlooks then and now; and leveraging proto-professional peerhood. Overall, results show that students expressed reflexive awareness of their proto-professional development, and of how their lived experience might affect them as professional practitioners in terms of assets and vulnerabilities. Furthermore, there were several catalysts for this reflexive reasoning, including the generation of responses that students could engage reflexively with, attention-directing assignment instructions, and discussion of individual responses and reflections with peers.
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- author
- Andersson, Sara Maria LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- in press
- subject
- keywords
- autobiography, peerhood, proto-professionalism, Reflexivity, social work education
- in
- Social Work Education
- publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105033644284
- ISSN
- 0261-5479
- DOI
- 10.1080/02615479.2026.2648632
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 24651edc-3be0-41fe-ac70-2fcd045e5dcd
- date added to LUP
- 2026-06-11 13:06:54
- date last changed
- 2026-06-11 13:08:24
@article{24651edc-3be0-41fe-ac70-2fcd045e5dcd,
abstract = {{<p>Reflexivity constitutes a core professional competence in social work and needs to be promoted in social work education. In this case study of an autobiography-based course element, it is shown how social work students (n = 13) realized reflexivity from within (i) their experiences of engaging with autobiographical literature and (ii) their discussions of those experiences in peer groups. The case study draws on individual student essays, recorded seminar discussions, and student interviews. This data was approached with the theoretical understanding that ‘exploring response’ and ‘perspective-taking’ constitute two basic mechanisms in autobiography-based reflexivity. Analysis indicated five modes of realization of these mechanisms: articulating self-recognition and its affordances for action; considering professional vulnerability; noticing a theory-informed gaze; contrasting outlooks then and now; and leveraging proto-professional peerhood. Overall, results show that students expressed reflexive awareness of their proto-professional development, and of how their lived experience might affect them as professional practitioners in terms of assets and vulnerabilities. Furthermore, there were several catalysts for this reflexive reasoning, including the generation of responses that students could engage reflexively with, attention-directing assignment instructions, and discussion of individual responses and reflections with peers.</p>}},
author = {{Andersson, Sara Maria}},
issn = {{0261-5479}},
keywords = {{autobiography; peerhood; proto-professionalism; Reflexivity; social work education}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Taylor & Francis}},
series = {{Social Work Education}},
title = {{Developing proto-professional reflexivity in social work education with autobiographical narrative}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2026.2648632}},
doi = {{10.1080/02615479.2026.2648632}},
year = {{2026}},
}