Guided by the streets: an evidence-informed educational practice to promote positive attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness

People experiencing homelessness often represent an “outgroup” for many social work students - individuals with whom they have little or no direct contact. In fact, a significant portion of first-year social work students had never spoken to someone who was homeless (41% in 2024, 29% in 2025). While social workers are committed to supporting marginalized groups, they are not immune to holding biases. To foster more positive attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness, we developed an educational practice in which students learned directly from (formerly) homeless individuals. Grounded in the principles of Community Engaged Learning (CEL), this practice connects social work education with lived experience and professional practice, creating mutual benefits for both students and community participants.

In practice, this meant that first-year social work students ventured into the city in small groups, guided by individuals with lived experience of homelessness. Using locations in the city center as a backdrop, the guides shared their life stories and answered students’ questions. A week later, students participated in a reflective group session with a social worker and someone with lived experience of homelessness, where they were encouraged to reflect on their initial preconceptions. This educational practice was studied qualitatively through observations during five reflective group sessions and quantitatively through a pre-test measuring students’ attitudes toward homelessness and their personal values using Schwartz (2001) Portrait Values Questionnaire (n=150), followed by a post-test to assess changes in attitudes (cognitive, affective, behavioral) after the educational intervention (n=70).

The pre-test showed that students who valued universalism - understanding, appreciating, and protecting the well-being of others - held more positive attitudes. In contrast, valuing security correlated negatively. Homelessness may be perceived as a threat to this value. Post-intervention results showed a shift in perception: “I learned that not all homeless people are dangerous. Also, not everyone is addicted. At home, I was taught to ignore them, but this proves the opposite. This inhumane image of homeless people is far too widespread.” The personal stories left a strong impression and offered insight into the harsh living conditions faced by homeless people. Students developed a deeper understanding of the daily challenges and basic needs required to survive on the streets, such as access to dry, warm, and safe shelter.

Post-test results also indicated a significant increase in self-reported empathy and a significant decrease in self-reported uneasiness toward individuals experiencing homelessness. Students began to see them as “ordinary people” with their own stories, recognizing their humanity. They also reported a significant increase in the belief that society, government, and social workers should take greater responsibility in addressing the root causes of homelessness. This highlights the potential of contact with outgroups in recognizing and actively challenging marginalization in practice and policy - especially when such marginalization is invisible or normalized in society.

This study demonstrates how students developed more positive attitudes toward people experiencing homelessness in a co-produced educational practice. By engaging with outgroups and reflecting on personal values, students are better equipped to recognize and address systemic injustice.