Journal article
Advocating the use of metaphor in teaching and learning critical self-reflection
Social work education, Vol.First online, pp.1-16
20/05/2026
Appears in Recent Faculty of Health Publications
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Abstract
Critical self-reflection has been identified as key to supporting the ongoing development of social work/welfare professionals. However, while social work/welfare students in higher education are willing, they find critical self-reflection highly confronting and struggle to engage in the higher-order, abstract, and imaginative thinking required for the task. Creative dimensions of critical self-reflection processes in social work/welfare are not well understood. In this article, we offer a (co)meta-reflection on a critical self-reflection case study to illustrate how metaphor can be used as a pedagogical tool for teaching and learning critical self-reflection. This paper aims to contribute to the ongoing discussion regarding using metaphor as a way for higher education students to develop competency in critical self-reflection. We explore the benefits of using metaphor when learning and practising critical self-reflection to conclude that metaphor may support educators and students in higher education to transcend barriers to developing critical self-reflection competency.
Details
- Title
- Advocating the use of metaphor in teaching and learning critical self-reflection
- Creators
- Sally Miander-Rose Willing - Southern Cross UniversityElizabeth Claire Reimer - Southern Cross University
- Publication Details
- Social work education, Vol.First online, pp.1-16
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- Number of pages
- 16
- Identifiers
- 991013379651902368
- Copyright
- © 2026 The Author(s).
- Academic Unit
- Social Work; Faculty of Health
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article