Research Note-Is Social Work Education a Form of Social Work Practice?

The inclusion of social work education as a form of practice has been missing from the debates on the need for a unified definition of social work practice. This research note reports the findings from interviews with 20 social work educators who were asked, Is social work education a form of social work practice? and were encouraged to elaborate on their response. The qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis and revealed five themes. The findings contribute to the debate on the need for clarification among social work authorities in shaping the definition of social work practice and the need to provide a clear stance on the extent to which social work education is a form of social work practice.