Encouraging self-reflection in social work students: Using Personal Construct methods

We report on a research study in which we introduced undergraduate social work students in England to two methods originating in Personal Construct Theory (PCT) as a way of encouraging in-depth self-reflection. The methods were first piloted with four students and subsequently used with two large classes of second year students. The students often found the methods challenging, but many felt that these enabled them to reflect upon social work practice and upon their own assumptions, values and behaviour in a fresh and thought-provoking way. We argue that such methods could usefully be added to existing methods for encouraging reflexivity in social work students. Teaching materials and instructions for delivering our teaching session using these methods are available online at http://www.hud.ac.uk/research/researchcentres/capr/projects/personal-construct-methods-in-reflective-practice/