Applied Learning and Community Partnerships Improve Student Engagement in Australia

Abstract

Applied learning in a community context helps make school more engaging for young adolescents.The middle years of education is a time of significant physical, social, emotional, and cognitive change for students. It is also a period associated with student disengagement from schooling as evidenced by increases in absenteeism, behavioral problems, and dropout rates as well as a plateau or decline in achievement (Barratt, 1998; Smyth, McInerney, & Hattam, 2003; Tadich, Deed, Campbell, & Prain, 2007). Young adolescents have unique needs and benefit from a cohesive, structured education experience (see e.g., Chadbourne, 2001; National Middle School Association [NMSA], 2010). One way schools can protect students from risk of disengaging and dropping out is to help them value learning by situating it within contexts and communities where knowledge is applied (Eyers, Cormack, & Barratt, 1992). Bentley (2000), for example, asserted that schools need to be re-oriented as community assets that act as hubs for a wide range of activities and are networked with overlapping and complementary strands of community and economic life.In this article, we argue that an approach emphasizing applied learning and community partnership offers potential to engage students during middle years of schooling. After outlining a conceptual framework incorporating applied learning and community partnerships, we present a case study from Australia to illustrate framework in action and to highlight implications for practice.A framework for improving engagement in middle yearsApplied learning is a holistic approach to education that encourages learner to make connections to what is characterized as the real world, as opposed to traditional school-based classroom. While contemporary educational scholars (e.g., Bentley, 2000; Harrison, 2007) argue that connection between thinking and doing can provide benefits for learner, this idea has a long history. A notable proponent of this approach was John Dewey (1916), who claimed interaction, reflection, and experience-combined with an interest in community and democracy-created a powerful educative framework. Applied learning requires self-regulation and engagement as students learn through a process of inquiry, analysis, and decision making.In short, we understand applied learning to be immediate and purposeful connection between school-based and real-world learning experiences. The focus is on real-life application of student learning to solve a practical problem or project. Underpinning this approach is a humanistic concern with nurturing and working with each student in a holistic manner, taking into account his or her personal strengths, interests, goals, and previous experiences (Victorian Curriculum & Assessment Authority [VCAA], 2006).Because of emphasis on real-world experiences, applied learning often connects students with community partners-organizations and individuals outside their schools-so they can demonstrate relevance of what they have learned. Within an applied learning framework, community partnerships emphasize social nature of learning, extending process beyond formal school settings and classrooms to wider community (Bentley, 2000; Billett, 2001, 2003; Eraut, 2004; Stevenson, 1993).Networking is a critical dimension to this practical approach to education. Networking may involve connections and partnerships within local community, and it may involve use of technology to make connections to communities beyond classroom, thereby extending students' learning beyond immediate time and space (Bentley, 2000; Butin, 2003; Gardner, 1999; Gee, 2004). These real-world connections represent one powerful way to provide innovative and engaging learning experiences and to foster a genuine understanding of what is required for learners to be successful in a complex world shared by educators and members of general community. …