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Teaching Note—Theory as a Pedagogical Tool: A Three-Question Framework for Course Design.

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Title: Teaching Note—Theory as a Pedagogical Tool: A Three-Question Framework for Course Design.
Authors: Ager, Mary Elizabeth (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Social Work Education. Spring2026, Vol. 62 Issue 2, p227-234. 8p.
Subjects: Social workers, Philosophy of education, Interprofessional relations, Conversation, Undergraduates, Undergraduate programs, Social work education, Teaching methods, Reflection (Philosophy), Students, Curriculum planning, Conceptual structures, Learning strategies, Poverty, Video recording
Abstract: Designing or redesigning a course can bring many challenges to the social work educator in the 21st century. The aim of this teaching note is to offer a novel course design framework that consists of three theory-based questions. It is written in a first-person narrative style that highlights the framework's development and case examples from more than a decade of teaching undergraduate, Master of Social Work, and doctoral-level courses in social work by the author. The three questions that form the structure of the framework are: "What is?," "Why is it that way?," and "How should it be instead?" The questions encompass the enormous range of descriptive, explanatory, and normative theories, respectively, of a given social phenomenon or social work intervention approach. A course designed in this way requires social work students to explore actively divergent points of view and engage in understanding and making the link between conceptualization, explanation, and intervention. This framework can also be used to design modules of courses, single lectures, or class sessions and can work across the social work curriculum, from practice and policy-based courses to advanced electives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Social Work Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Teaching Note—Theory as a Pedagogical Tool: A Three-Question Framework for Course Design.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ager%2C+Mary+Elizabeth%22">Ager, Mary Elizabeth</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Social+Work+Education%22">Journal of Social Work Education</searchLink>. Spring2026, Vol. 62 Issue 2, p227-234. 8p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+workers%22">Social workers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Philosophy+of+education%22">Philosophy of education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interprofessional+relations%22">Interprofessional relations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Conversation%22">Conversation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Undergraduates%22">Undergraduates</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Undergraduate+programs%22">Undergraduate programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+work+education%22">Social work education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+methods%22">Teaching methods</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reflection+%28Philosophy%29%22">Reflection (Philosophy)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Students%22">Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Curriculum+planning%22">Curriculum planning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Conceptual+structures%22">Conceptual structures</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Learning+strategies%22">Learning strategies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Poverty%22">Poverty</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Video+recording%22">Video recording</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Designing or redesigning a course can bring many challenges to the social work educator in the 21st century. The aim of this teaching note is to offer a novel course design framework that consists of three theory-based questions. It is written in a first-person narrative style that highlights the framework's development and case examples from more than a decade of teaching undergraduate, Master of Social Work, and doctoral-level courses in social work by the author. The three questions that form the structure of the framework are: "What is?," "Why is it that way?," and "How should it be instead?" The questions encompass the enormous range of descriptive, explanatory, and normative theories, respectively, of a given social phenomenon or social work intervention approach. A course designed in this way requires social work students to explore actively divergent points of view and engage in understanding and making the link between conceptualization, explanation, and intervention. This framework can also be used to design modules of courses, single lectures, or class sessions and can work across the social work curriculum, from practice and policy-based courses to advanced electives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Social Work Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=193980802
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        Value: 10.1080/10437797.2026.2629307
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        Text: English
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        StartPage: 227
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Social workers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Philosophy of education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Interprofessional relations
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      – SubjectFull: Conversation
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      – SubjectFull: Undergraduates
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      – SubjectFull: Undergraduate programs
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      – SubjectFull: Social work education
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      – SubjectFull: Teaching methods
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      – SubjectFull: Reflection (Philosophy)
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      – SubjectFull: Students
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      – SubjectFull: Curriculum planning
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      – SubjectFull: Conceptual structures
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Learning strategies
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      – SubjectFull: Poverty
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      – SubjectFull: Video recording
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    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Teaching Note—Theory as a Pedagogical Tool: A Three-Question Framework for Course Design.
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              Text: Spring2026
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