A bone of contention: reflections on the experiences of mature learners in social work education

Research has found that mature, female social work learners often face barriers to achievement in higher education due to the demands of managing practice placements and classroom learning around caring responsibilities (Lister, 2003). This paper, originally submitted as part of an MA programme in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, reflects on a critical incident that occurred during my teaching practice with a group of social work undergraduate students. By reflecting on the incident and Knowles’ (1968) theory of andragogy which informed my response, this article explores the experiences of mature female learners in social work education. A discussion of the extent to which I addressed the needs of the learners and an exploration of my failings form the basis of a reflection on how to meet the needs of mature female learners with caring responsibilities in social work education