Abstract
With its large youth population, high unemployment, and limited educational opportunities, Pakistan is at a crossroads. Service-learning is a new concept in Pakistan, and several universities have begun to incorporate service into their curricula—with varying degrees of success—as a means for bridging academia with pressing community concerns. This qualitative case study explored Pakistani college students’ perceptions of service and how service-learning was being developed at their university, and the challenges they had encountered. Findings revealed students’ desire for a relevant education that not only prepares them for productive careers, but also serves their communities; gaps between the realities of and aspirations for education; issues of empowerment; and the need to mitigate risks. Analysis of the findings revealed a tension—a “tragic gap” (Palmer, 2004)—between what is and what could be in relation to service-learning and civic engagement in Pakistan.
Highlights
The participants in this study looked to educators to create opportunities for meaningful service-learning experiences
The study participants courageously named and shared their insights and experiences of service. They called for changes that included more listening, meaningful service integrated into their respective courses of study, leadership by faculty and administrators to create or expand service-learning opportunities, mitigating risks, and finding and using their voices as students. These findings offer an initial understanding of service experiences in Pakistan for students who will continue to evolve with and in response to changes in the local and national context
The evidence from this study is clear: Pakistan is at a crossroads
Summary
Secondary data included document analysis, participant observation (e.g., visiting community partner sites, observing student and faculty exchanges, attending presentations), and field notes (e.g., observations, clarifications to points raised in focus groups, decision points, and comments students shared with me in private about their experiences). The study followed Wendler’s (2012) recommendations for ethical service-learning practice and research since no IRB review was available at the partner university in Pakistan. The purposeful sample (Patton, 2002) included students from all regions of Pakistan who were enrolled at an urban Pakistani university and familiar with service-learning (Bringle & Hatcher, 2009). The sample included students who had served in the community as part of the university’s Community Service Club (which organized volunteer experiences) and/or had participated in the credit-bearing service course. Students’ experiences with academic service-learning (Bringle & Hatcher, 2009) ranged from none to limited, but their interest in and desire for it was high. A total of 23 students participated, including 12 men and 11 women from urban, rural, and remote areas throughout the country
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