Kareem Ayodeji, Ed.D, LCSW

Kareem Ayodeji, Ed.D, LCSW, is an Assistant Professor in the MSW Program. His research and scholarship are focused on shifting how people think about the social world to impact the practice and action leading to social justice.

His interests include the use of intersectionality and coloniality of power to frame the various social forces that perpetuate and maintain oppression. He utilizes intergroup dialogue, critical realism, and critical consciousness development to engage individuals and groups in advocacy and activism.

Similarly, his teaching and consulting interests focus on issues relating to oppression, power, privilege, implicit bias, intersectionality, culture, social identity, and stigma. In the MSW program, he currently teaches:

• Diversity & Cross-Cultural Issues
• Advanced Clinical Practice with Individuals
• Social Welfare Policy
• Individual Social Work Practice
• Clinical Practices include:
  • Policies & Administration
  • Social Work Community Practice: Leading for Change, and Social Work Practice with Families & Groups

Fields of Expertise:

• Effects of Racism and Discrimination
• Intersectionality and Cultural Responsiveness
• Implicit Bias
• Inequities in Child Welfare
• Spirituality in Social Work
• Cross-racial Dialogue
• Financial Behavior Change
• Sports Social Work

Teaching Philosophy:
As an instructor responsible for clinical education in both classroom and practice settings, my goal is to facilitate the acquisition of knowledge and skills, and the maturation of personal attitudes and professional values in my students.

I am committed to a learner-centered teaching model that encourages personal responsibility for learning. Learner-centered teaching draws on the student’s previous clinical practices while honoring their life experiences and challenging them to utilize these experiences as they address the needs of clients.

An essential element of this approach is cultivating critical thinking skills. By valuing and modeling critical thinking, I encourage students to become adept at discerning research and learning to utilize outside the classroom setting and in their practice experience.

Students should expect a class that challenges them as scholars. Students can expect constructive feedback and frequent evaluative measures. They must be prepared to participate in discussions, activities, and in-class assignments.

Studying social work involves both student and instructor engaging in an interactive conversation. Theory and practice are equally important. Each student should be able to critically evaluate the motivations and assess the significance of the actions taken by their clients. Students should develop individualized plans of action for each person they will serve.

I strive to create a cohesive atmosphere that is open and positive. I take the time necessary to fully explain social work theories and procedures so each student will excel beyond memorizing formulas and gain a conceptual understanding of social work.

I use teaching methods to maximize experiential learning including progressive case discussion, application of skills in role-play and team-collaborative projects, personal reflection, and group dialogue.

I also combine behaviorism and social constructivism by incorporating both essential core content and discipline-specific content by using example cases to enrich clinical judgment and achieve competencies.

Learning is not about memorization but grasping the reason for the answer!