Abstract
Professional education in social work entails interaction with many factors of daily life, and scientific research is a way to learn about these factors. Based on this assumption, this study discusses the position of theoretical and practical scientific research regarding professional education, presenting its inherent challenges and highlighting its importance in the teaching-learning process. The discussion is organized in a brief introduction, followed by a debate on the meaning of scientific research. The article reflects on the importance of scientific research in the professional education of social workers and provides final considerations and reflections. Supported by a literature review and guided by the critical social theory, the study recognizes the relevance of the investigative dimension amidst the contradictions of the economic system and the cult of social and cultural stigmas. This dimension is crucial to developing a profession committed to the rupture of discriminatory analyzes and the construction of a humanly emancipated society.
Keywords:
Social Work; Professional education; Scientific research