Enhancing Role-Playing Pedagogy in Social Work Education: A Scoping Review Through the Lens of Deliberate Practice

Role-playing has been widely used in social work education to help students develop practice competencies before engaging with real clients, yet there is limited understanding of how this pedagogy implements components from the deliberate practice model. This scoping review examined 19 peer-reviewed studies through the lens of deliberate practice model to understand how role-playing incorporates its four key components: systematic effort, expert guidance, immediate feedback, and successive refinement. Our analysis revealed that while studies generally demonstrated structured approaches through curriculum design and standardized training experiences, there was considerable variation in implementation. Programs utilized multiple sources of expertise including instructors, field supervisors, and standardized clients, combined with diverse feedback methods ranging from live coaching to post-session debriefings. The most significant gaps emerged in successive refinement, with many programs offering limited practice sessions rather than sustained opportunities for skill development. Notably, social work programs enhanced the deliberate practice framework through integration of self-reflection practices, suggesting an important adaptation for professional education. Findings suggest opportunities to strengthen role-playing pedagogy by systematically implementing deliberate practice principles, particularly through repeated practice opportunities and improved feedback systems. Our review offers practical implications for curriculum design while identifying crucial areas for future research in social work education.