Global Trends in Decolonizing Social Work Curricula: A Systematic Review

Background The decolonisation of social work stems from its colonial legacy and the dominance of Eurocentric theories. Modern solutions accentuate the necessity of instilling Indigenous knowledge systems and worldviews to overcome the cultural gap between Western paradigms and non-Western settings. The overall aim of all this is to make social work training culturally relevant, transnational, and that is coextensive with the rest of the populace. Aim This study addresses the global trends of decolonisation in the social work curriculum by emphasising the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge and its comparison with Western paradigms. It also gives a measurement of the effects of such curricular reforms on cultural competency, incorporation of diverse knowledge systems, as well as alteration of policies. Methods The theoretical framework PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) was used to conduct a systematic literature review of publications year 1957–2025. Out of the screened records, 21 studies were selected; they were decolonised/culturally modified curricula and their implications in different parts of the world. Results current records on Canada, South Africa, and Australia indicate that considerable improvement has been made regarding the indigenisation of views even though processes of resistance, tokenism and insufficiency of resource remain the strengths. Conclusion Decolonising social work education helps to bolster western dominance, dilute cultural humility and advance social equity. Policy innovation, real participation, and community transformative pedagogy are keys to the future of reform that is lasting.