Social Work Education

TLDR

Migration across borders has made the U.S. more multi‑ethnic, creating challenges for graduate educators who must adapt teaching styles and build secure, open classrooms, and cultural competence and transformative learning environments are therefore essential for social work educators in multicultural settings. This article seeks to provide a concise overview of Burchum’s Evolutionary Perspectives to clarify the concept of cultural competence for readers. The authors present Blunt’s Model of Cultural Competence for Transformative Education, which serves as a framework to promote transformative learning and guide educators in creating such environments.

Abstract

Abstract Migration across national borders has resulted in demographic changes in the United States, causing the country to become more multi-ethnic. This presents considerable challenges for graduate level educators who need to be responsive to the unique academic needs of diverse populations by considering students' previous experiences, values, and beliefs. This change requires educators to incorporate various teaching styles and to create a classroom atmosphere where security, trust, and openness can be achieved. Developing cultural competence and creating a transformative learning environment is essential for social work educators teaching in multicultural environments in the 21st century. This article provides a brief overview of Burchum's (2002) Evolutionary Perspectives that will help to assist readers in obtaining a clear understanding of cultural competence. It also presents Blunt's Model of Cultural Competence for Transformative Education, which can promote both transformative learning and assist social work educators in fostering a transformative learning environment.