Spirituality in Social Work Pedagogy

This paper discusses some results of a qualitative study that explored both student and educator viewpoints regarding the inclusion of spirituality in social work pedagogy. A grounded theory research methodology was used to analyze data obtained from semi-structured individual interviews completed with eighteen participants-eight educators and ten students. Data analysis uncovered the following pedagogical issues: delineating between spirituality and religion, the marginalization of spirituality, creating contexts for discussions about spirituality, making connections with theories and practices, and utilizing class exercises. The research analysis supports the need to become more intentional about including spirituality in social work pedagogy.