Abstract: As a core issue in social work, the relationship between theory and practice of social work performs important constructive and developmental functions for social work specialty and service. There lies a time gap in the logic of realistic development of social work theory and practice, leading to matching dislocation. While in academic research, there is also a “one-way” construction between theory and practice, which essentially stems from a wrong cognition of the relationship in social work, and from the logical evolution of “education first” thinking. Therefore, the author, by studying the initial forms, evolution, mutual influence and mutual construction processes of the relationship in China since the introduction of social work, finds that a new kind of “mutually constructive generation” relationship is formed, as social work education is transforming from the “one-way progression” mode to the education and practice “dual propulsion” mode.

Key words: theory and practice, dislocated matching, education first, inter-constructive generation