Service-learning and community engagement – an integrated approach

Humanity faces many crises – climate change, food insecurity, persistent poverty – what Brown, Harris, and Russell (2010) call wicked problems. These problems implicate us all, with possible solutions transcending disciplinary, organizational, and national boundaries. Therefore educators need to nurture graduates able to engage as future practitioners – and citizens – in seeking solutions which recognize “the personal, the local and the strategic, as well as specialized contributions to knowledge” (Brown et al., 2010, p. 4). A model of service-learning which draws on the principles of social pedagogy, cultural-based learning and co-production provides the foundations for a more reflexive pedagogy, supporting the “development of student attention, emotional balance, empathetic connection, compassion and altruistic behavior” (Zajonc, 2013, p. 83). This approach advocates that community organizations play a pivotal role in co-designing knowledge. Drawing on an applied research module at University of Wolverhampton this chapter will argue that by engaging community groups as co-producers of knowledge, learning can be extended beyond students to the wider community (Murphy & Joseph, 2019). Not only will this enhance the potential of service learning to benefit the community and the students, but it has the potential to produce graduates more sensitive to the needs of communities themselves.

Citation

Booth, J. and Green, P. (2022) Service-Learning and community engagement – an integrated approach, in Sengupta, E. and Blessinger, P. (eds.) Role of Education and Pedagogical Approach in Service Learning. Innovations in Higher Education teaching and Learning, Volume 46. Leeds: Emerald Publishing Limited, pp. 59-74.

Type

Chapter in book

Language

en

Description

This is an author's accepted manuscript of a chapter published by Emerald in Role of Education and Pedagogical Approach in Service Learning Vol: 46, edited by Enakshi Sengupta and Patrick Blessinger, available online at: https://books.emeraldinsight.com/page/detail/role-of-education-and-pedagogical-approach-in-service-learning/?k=9781800711891 The accepted manuscript may differ from the final published version.

Series/Report no.

Innovations in Higher Education teaching and Learning, Volume 46

ISBN

9781800711891

Collections

Faculty of Arts, Business and Social Sciences