Thesis (DPhil (Social Work))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / The policy statements of South Africa stipulate that students of social work have to be led in an interactive way during teaching and learning in order to prepare them for their career, but also to attain the outcomes of the current tertiary education system of South Africa. These outcomes have, among others, the purpose of empowering students to develop into critical thinkers. During the mentioned teaching and learning process students are given the opportunity of bringing their own diverse frames of reference and experiences to the learning situation and share with one another. Because different inputs are accommodated in the teaching- and learning process, students get the opportunity to appreciate their own diversity, that of their fellow students, as well as the diversity of society. Students can consciously reflect on this and so doing understand theory better and eventually integrate it. Lecturers in social work are not necessarily prepared and equipped to teach effectively within the mentioned context. Although teaching and learning in social work is unique, the effectiveness of the process of teaching and learning depends on the implementation of a suitable teaching style by the lecturer, as well as the fitting of this style to the particular learning style of the students by which empowering teaching and learning is facilitated. In this research, the Huguenot College, Wellington was used as a case study to critically study the application of interactive teaching and learning. A combined qualitative and quantitative research method was used to involve the final year students in social work in an exploratory study. Eight principal themes, including the traditional Christian character of the Huguenot College and the preferred method of study of the students were researched. Significant findings of this study indicate that: • The students in social work at the Huguenot College are of the opinion that the Christian character of this institute should be preserved to play a role in teaching and learning and that the appropriate accommodation of the diverse spiritual needs of the students augments the effectiveness of the teaching and learning process. • The students in social work at the Huguenot College prefer to study according to a combination of the Assimilative Study Method (observe-and-think) and the Convergent Study Method (think-and-do). These two learning styles correspond with the expectations of the outcomes based education system, according to which, among others, students are expected to be critical thinkers in effective teaching and learning. • Lecturers in social work impair the effective handling of diversity during teaching and learning because class discussions on sensitive issues are ignored and the lecturers do not demonstrate adequate knowledge and understanding of the differences among students in a diverse context. In conclusion the recommendations of this study are given as guidelines for lecturers in social work in order to optimize interactive teaching and learning. The most important recommendations resulting from this study indicate that: • The most relevant and appropriate way in which the Christian character of the Huguenot College can be accommodated has to be examined and implemented and the Christian church communities have to become involved in an appropriate way as co-role players in the teaching and learning of prospective social workers. • The course of the historic events at the Huguenot College must be utilized to stimulate the critical thinking process of the students. • Lecturers in social work must make a concerted effort to increase interactive teaching and learning in social work by, for example, fitting the unique learning styles of the students to appropriate teaching styles in a creative way with the view to optimizing the teaching and learning process.