Journal of Social Work Values & Ethics

This article describes the participative methods and results of a co-operative inquiry project that explored fourth year social work students’ ethical decision-making in field education. First, the article relates the pedagogical objectives of structural social work education to the ethical challenges of structural social work practice. Second, it outlines a self-driven framework for ethical decision making that was used in the research project to help guide students in ethical decision making. Third, it highlights co-operative inquiry as a research approach that reflects critical pedagogical praxis by assisting students (co-learners) to engage in a process of inquiry that honored their capacity for constructive self-determination. Finally, the article concludes with a discussion of the research findings and implications for structural social work education.