Community Engagement In Education Research Articles

Service Learning and Community Engagement in Japanese Higher Education

Service Learning and Community Engagement in Japanese Higher Education

Knowledge for Social Change: Bacon, Dewey, and the Revolutionary Transformation of Research Universities in the Twenty-First Century by Lee Benson et al.

Reviewed by: Knowledge for Social Change: Bacon, Dewey, and the Revolutionary Transformation of Research Universities in the Twenty-First Century by Lee Benson et al. Jessica Ostrow Michel and Ty Mcnamee Lee Benson, Ira Harkavy, John Puckett, Matthew Hartley, Rita A. Hodges, Francis E. Johnston, and Joann Weeks. Knowledge for Social Change: Bacon, Dewey, and the Revolutionary Transformation of Research Universities in the Twenty-First Century. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 2017. 210 pp. Paperback: $14.95. ISBN: 978-1-4399-1519-6 Introduction Knowledge for Social Change: Bacon, Dewey, and the Revolutionary Transformation of Research Universities in the Twenty-First Century surrounds the notion of reshaping research universities to operate as mechanisms that advance knowledge for social change. To do so, authors Lee Benson, Ira Harkavy, John Puckett, Matthew Hartley, Rita A. Hodges, Francis E. Johnston, and Joann Weeks extend upon Benson, Harkavy, and Puckett's (2007) first collaborative book, Dewey's Dream: Universities and Democracies in an Age of Education Reform: Civil Society, Public Schools, and Democratic Citizenship. There, Benson et al. centered on Dewey and the proposition that, despite his call for participatory democracy, he failed to develop programs that employed his theory in real-world practice. However, taking a cue from their prior writing, in this book, Knowledge for Social Change, the authors attempt to strengthen Dewey's participatory democracy theory by placing his work in historical perspective (similar to Bacon's oeuvre). They then describe how universities can take the theoretical notions of Dewey, Bacon, and others, and apply those ideas to civic engagement in higher education, focusing on the ways in which civic engagement can be integrated "into the core work of the academy—teaching, learning and research" (p. 82). Summary of the Book Part I: The Advancement of Learning for "The Relief of Man's Estate" Part I of the book serves as an overview of the historical and theoretical concepts of several key actors in the knowledge for social change movement, as well as a summary of the application of these concepts to higher education. The first four chapters call attention to key actors (Bacon, Franklin, Harper, Addams, and Dewey) who rejected traditional, classical education. Instead, these scholars called for education to be pragmatic and based in real-world applicability, viewing it as a means to solve issues in both the world at large, and specifically in local communities. In their view, with the proper scientific organization of individuals, universities, K-12 institutions, and community-based organizations could effectively advance the knowledge central to what Bacon refers to as "the relief of man's estate," or "the continuous betterment of the human condition until all human beings could enjoy Good Lives in a Good Society" (p. 5). Chapter 5 calls for a broader, deeper understanding of democratic and civic engagement—one in which universities and communities intentionally partner together, democracy and civic behavior are embedded in the research, teaching, and learning of a university, and the work of higher education institutions focuses on solving global problems. [End Page E-1] Part II: The Netter Center: Higher Education and Civic and Community Engagement Part II of the book showcases Penn to illustrate how universities can foster relationships with their external communities. Chapters 6 and 7 provide historical context and descriptions of Penn's local partnerships, such as the Netter Center1 and West Philadelphia Improvement Corps (WEPIC)2. Chapter 8 elaborates further on engagement with surrounding communities by illustrating the regional, national, and international work that Penn, WEPIC, and Netter also conduct. WEPIC-like programs took root all around Philadelphia and around the country, with some academically-based community service (ABCS) projects still thriving in present day. The Netter Center's model has been replicated, as well, influencing the development of national organizations, such as the Coalition for Community Schools and the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office for University Partnerships. Beyond the U.S., Netter has shared civic engagement strategies with international regions and countries, and founded the International Consortium for Higher Education, Civic Responsibility, and Democracy. Chapter 9 homes...

University-community Partnerships: Demystifying the Process of Engagement

ABSTRACTThe emergence of community engagement in higher education and the renewed emphasis on community involvement presents greater opportunities for strengthening university-community partnerships for the common good. These partnerships are nurtured through a range of processes that can be leveraged to address critical issues in local communities. A qualitative inquiry conducted at six universities nationally with academics, administrators and students suggest that there are certain key processes that underpin how universities engage with communities. A thematic analysis of data reveals that building partnerships, the co-production of knowledge and collaboration are some of the key processes that guide the way these universities engage with their communities.

Teaching Professors’ Challenges about Community Engagement Outreach and Intervention in Nigerian Universities

Community engagement has been acknowledged as a core function of higher education, along with research and teaching which helps in promoting economic, environmental and socio-cultural development of communities. This article explores the barriers obstructing community engagement outreach and intervention in Nigerian higher education. Kwara State University, Malete, which adopted the philosophy of “the University for Community Development” is an interesting case in this study. Using in-depth semi-structured qualitative interviews, nine professors of the university were asked to reflect on how they sustained community engagement participation at different stages in their academic career. From data analysis, even though there are documentary evidences on the remarkable successes been achieved and reported with regards to community engagement activities and outreaches by the professors which helped to sustain professional identities and, in turn, career development. Four factors were found to be a barrier obstructing the professors’ participation in community engagement activities and outreaches. These were, (a) Educational gap between academics and community members, (b) lack of funds to execute community development projects, (c) time constraint due to multiple engagements, and (d) resistant to change by community members. The discussion and recommendations of this study are timely, as it concludes with a number of crucial issues that future community engagement in Nigerian higher education needs to be addressed.

Citizenship: A core motive for South African university student volunteers

Research suggests that the desire to help others (value) and learning interpersonal skills (understanding) are core reasons for student volunteerism. Interpretations of such reports often minimise the role of contextual factors in shaping volunteer motives. This study considers the policy and institutional contexts that advocate for community engagement and social impact in South African higher education as a contributing factor in shaping student perceptions on reasons for volunteering. This article draws on student volunteers’ responses to an open-ended question exploring their volunteer motives. Active student volunteers (N = 70) were recruited from six community projects across three South African universities in the Western Cape region. The findings suggest that citizenship together with the value and understanding functions are core motives for volunteering among South African university students. These accounts of student volunteer motives posit strong links to contextual factors; a phenomenon that holds significant implications for policy makers.

Student Involvement as a Tool for Nurturing Business Model Development in Tourism Businesses in the Stockholm Archipelago

Tourism consumption in Sweden is booming, but it seems to be at a standstill in the Stockholm archipelago, and most businesses of all kinds in it are small. Therefore, an eu-Interreg-financed educational community engagement project aiming at business model development in the archipelagos of Turku, Aland (both in Finland), and Stockholm was launched, as Finland has a similar situation. In this paper, the foundations of the project, the literature on the issues of being rural and in the archipelago, and business models are reviewed and put in perspective through preliminary empirical results of the project, in while municipality and some business representatives have been interviewed. The rationale is that there is a weak scientific understanding of business models in use in the archipelagos.Methodologically, action research is being used in addition to document studies, with unstructured interviews and observations as the primary empirical methods. The primary results for which the empirical findings put light on the intersection of the abovementioned literature bodies are the impact of infrastructural and access problems due to isolation, as well as indications of a community split between second homes and permanent residents. The lifestyle-entrepreneurship jeopardises the economic well-being but enriches the social well-being of the population. The primary conclusions are that seasonality and second homers provide entrepreneurs with large output markets in season, but small ones in the off-season. The business equation cannot omit place since it is part of the social well-being of the lifestyle-entrepreneurs, which calls for further research into configurational approaches to strategy in an archipelago context. Keywords: archipelago business, second homes, lifestyle entrepreneurship, business model development, educational community engagement https://doi.org/10.26493/2335-4194.11.73-86

Community engagement in global health education supports equity and advances local priorities: an eight year Ecuador-Canada partnership

Global health education initiatives inconsistently balance trainee growth and benefits to host communities. This report describes a global health elective for medical trainees that focuses on community engagement and participatory research to provide mutually beneficial outcomes for the communities and trainees. An eight-year university-community partnership, the Chilcapamba to Montreal Global Health Elective is a two-month shared decision-making research and clinical observership experience in rural Ecuador for medical trainees at McGill University, Canada. Research topics are set by matching community-identified priorities with skillsets and interests of trainees, taking into consideration local potential impact. Community outcomes included development of a Community Health Worker program, new collaborations with local organizations, community identification of health priorities, and generation of health improvement recommendations. Collaborative academic outputs included multiple bursary awards, conference presentations and published manuscripts. This medical global health elective engages communities using participatory research to prioritise socially responsible and locally beneficial outcomes.

From “Academic Projectitis” to Partnership: Community Perspectives for Authentic Community Engagement in Health Professional Education

Health professional education (HPE) has taken a problem-based approach to community service-learning with good intentions to sensitize future health care professionals to community needs and serve the underserved. However, a growing emphasis on social responsibility and accountability has educators rethinking community engagement. Many institutions now seek to improve community participation in educational programs. Likewise, many Canadians are enthusiastic about their health care system and patients, who are “experts by lived experience,” value opportunities to “give back” and improve health care by taking an active role in the education of health professionals. We describe a community-based participatory action research project to develop a mechanism for community engagement in HPE at the University of British Columbia (UBC). In-depth interviews and a community dialogue with leaders from 18 community-based organizations working with vulnerable populations revealed the shared common interest of the community and university in the education of health professionals. Patients and community organizations have a range of expertise that can help to prepare health practitioners to work in partnership with patients, communities, and other professionals. Recommendations are presented to enhance the inclusion of community expertise in HPE by changing the way the community and university engage with each other.

Community Engagement in Social Work Education: Building Pedagogical Pathways

Momentum is growing steadily around community engagement, both locally and abroad, as an equal partner to the initial two missions in higher education: teaching and research. As attention grows towards community engagement, academics will have to consider how to advance this mission within their teaching and research functions. It is within this context that it becomes crucial to provide clarity on the terms “engagement” and “co-production of knowledge”, more especially, how social work education can enable community engagement. This article provides a conceptual review of these terms and builds a rationale for engagement. It also reflects the natural synergy social work education has with engagement and highlights three important pedagogical pathways, namely community-based teaching, research, and outreach as a means to advancing engagement in social work education.

Motivations of women in Uganda living with rheumatic heart disease: A mixed methods study of experiences in stigma, childbearing, anticoagulation, and contraception.

BackgroundRheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a leading cause of premature mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Women of reproductive age are a unique and vulnerable group of RHD patients, due to increased risk of cardiovascular complications and death during pregnancy. Yet, less than 5% of women of childbearing age with RHD in LMICs use contraceptives, and one in five pregnant women with RHD take warfarin despite known teratogenicity. It is unclear whether this suboptimal contraception and anticoagulant use during pregnancy is due to lack of health system resources, limited health literacy, or social pressure to bear children.MethodsWe conducted a mixed methods study of 75 women living with RHD in Uganda. Questionnaires were administered to 50 patients. Transcripts from three focus groups with 25 participants were analyzed using qualitative description methodology.ResultsSeveral themes emerged from the focus groups, including pregnancy as a calculated risk; misconceptions about side-effects of contraceptives and anticoagulation; reproductive decision-making control by male partners, in-laws, or physicians; abandonment of patients by male partners; and considerable stigma against heart disease patients for both their reproductive and financial limitations (often worse than that directed against HIV patients). All questionnaire respondents were told by physicians that their hearts were not strong enough to support a pregnancy. Only 14% used contraception while taking warfarin. All participants felt that society would look poorly on a woman who cannot have children due to a heart condition.ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first qualitative study of female RHD patients and their attitudes toward cardiovascular disorders and reproduction. Our results suggest that health programs targeting heart disease in LMICs must pay special attention to the needs of women of childbearing age. There are opportunities for improved family/societal education programs and community engagement, leading to better outcomes and patient empowerment.

Building Sustainable Civic Capacity in Urban Education Reform: Actors, Perceptions, and Recommendations for Inclusive Public Policy

The research and literature focusing on education change, policy development, and community engagement have indicated clearly that forming a broad coalition within urban education reform through greater civic engagement can create sustainable education change, help to develop inclusive education policy, and lead to greater accountability, transparency, equity, and efficacy in delivering 21st-century education to all students. However, the actors, barriers, and opportunities related to developing inclusive educational policy and greater civic capacity in urban education reform have been under-examined in the literature around public policy and civic engagement. Drawing from quantitative and qualitative data collected in a concurrent triangulation mixed-methods study, this article examines the perceptions and relationships of various actors in urban education reform in Chicago, Illinois, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and offers a deeper understanding of the barriers to and opportunities for fostering greater civic capacity and engagement in urban education reform, and developing inclusive educational policy. The study findings suggest strongly that sustained civic capacity and engagement in urban education change efforts allow for systematic improvements in educational development and innovation. Moreover, the results indicated that structural openness to new actors, stakeholders, and the reconceptualization of education as a worthy good can lead to enhanced educational quality, equity, and inclusion, particularly in urban areas. The authors also present further discussion about and policy recommendations for increased civic engagement in urban school reform efforts.

Community engagement in higher education: Online information sources

In an age of challenging public discourse and increased pressure for educational accountability, many colleges are renewing their commitments to the public purposes of higher education. In fact, presidents and chancellors at more than 450 institutions signed Campus Compact’s 30th Anniversary Action Statement1 in 2016, reaffirming their dedication to preparing students for engaged citizenship, to changing social and economic inequalities, and to contributing to their communities as place-based institutions. In practical terms, many campuses are placing increased emphasis on real-world learning experiences for students through opportunities such as service-learning, internships, and community-based research.

What makes or breaks higher education community engagement in the South African rural school context: A multiple-partner perspective

The purpose of this study is to inform global citizenship practice as a higher education agenda by comparing the retrospective experiences of a range of community engagement partners and including often silent voices of non-researcher partners. Higher education–community engagement aims to contribute to social justice as it constructs and transfers new knowledge from the perspectives of a wide range of community engagement partners. This qualitative secondary analysis study was framed theoretically by the transformative–emancipatory paradigm. Existing case data, generated on retrospective experiences of community engagement partners in a long-term community engagement partnership, were conveniently sampled to analyse and compare a range of community engagement experiences ( parents of student clients ( n = 12: females 10, males 2), teachers from the partner rural school ( n = 18: females 12, males 6), student-educational psychology clients ( n = 31: females 14, males 17), Academic Service-Learning ( ASL) students ( n = 20: females 17, males 3) and researchers ( n = 12: females 11, males 1). Following thematic in-case and cross-case analysis, it emerged that all higher education–community engagement partners experienced that socio-economic challenges (defined as rural school adversities, include financial, geographic and social challenges) are addressed when an higher education–community engagement partnership exists, but that particular operational challenges (communication barriers, time constraints, workload and unclear scope, inconsistent feedback, as well as conflicting expectations) hamper higher education–community engagement partnership. A significant insight from this study is that a range of community engagement partners experience similar challenges when a university and rural school partner. All community engagement partners experienced that higher education–community engagement is challenged by the structural disparity between the rural context and operational miscommunication.

New Knowledge About Research Capacity Building: An Autoethnographic Approach to Understanding Skill Enhancement Strategies for Minority Researchers With Disabilities

Purpose: The purpose of this inquiry was to examine the research skill building and career development lived experiences of a Native American who is blind serving as a disability and rehabilitation researcher at a National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR)-sponsored Rehabilitation Research and Training Center based at a historically Black college/university. Acknowledging that growing as a researcher is a lifelong process, this autoethnography presents challenges, lessons learned, and strategies for overcoming obstacles that may confront ethnic minorities with disabilities seeking to improve their research skills and develop research careers in the disability and rehabilitation field. Methods: Through the method of autoethnography, self-reflective stories and narratives were examined to expose marginalized position as an ethnic minority with a disability in terms of research skill enhancement and participation barriers. Results: Emerging themes and skill building factors included familial and postsecondary educational supports, assistive technology, professional and community engagement opportunities, and peer-to-peer mentorship. Skill building challenges were also presented. Conclusions: Autoethnographic style is appropriate for not only presenting the lived research skill building and career development experiences of a minority early career investigator but also exploring factors that could be important in helping ethnic minorities with disabilities desiring to become disability and rehabilitation researchers.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITHIN A SOCIAL WORK PROGRAMME IN RURAL INDIA

Interweaving community engagement into education coheres with social work’s commitment to social justice. This paper focuses on a visit to an academic department in India. The visit focused on understanding the placement of students in a community context and its related projects. A qualitative design was used to conduct interviews and focus group discussions with academics, students and a community leader. Data were also gained through a field visit in the village. Valuable lessons emerged regarding the importance of community engagement in social work education and how social justice, advocacy and empowerment were interweaved into students’ learning experiences.

Community engagement in Indian higher education: Financial and partnership trends

Because of the size and complexity of higher education in India, there are a multitude of strategies for addressing financial partnerships and trends. India, as the world's largest democracy and a country with a recent colonial history struggles with the pressures of tradition on one hand and outside influence on the other. It is not possible to address all of the issues and strategies in one paper. Accordingly, this paper discusses three issues that relate to the funding of higher education in India: neoliberal economics, business/government relationships, and philanthrocapitalism and their impact on the formation of private universities in satisfying the need for increased participation in higher education in India.

Towards a conceptual understanding of community engagement in higher education in South Africa

As attention to community engagement grows, it is critical that academics, students and community collaborators understand how it is conceptualised. This paper presents findings from a qualitative inquiry with academics and community engagement administrators nationally with regard to how they conceptualise community engagement. Six universities were included in the sample that was selected purposefully from the South African Higher Education Community Engagement Forum (SAHECEF) list. Four major themes emerged from the data and focussed on context, process, mutual beneficial relationship and knowledge production. The data reflected a diverse array of conceptualisations on a continuum that ranged from the university-community dyad to that of the co-production of knowledge.

Intersections of Community Psychology Practice and Higher Education Community Engagement: An Essay of Core Competencies

Intersections of Community Psychology Practice and Higher Education Community Engagement: An Essay of Core Competencies

Higher education student learning beyond the classroom: findings from a community music service learning project in rural South Africa

ABSTRACTInspired by local arts community engagement initiatives and community music interventions internationally, Wits University (in Johannesburg, South Africa) developed a model of service learning that links the intentions, methodologies and purposes of these domains to promote student learning and benefit communities. This paper examines the quality and content of Community Music students’ learning in a pilot project located in Limpopo province in South Africa. Data from student focus groups and academic essays were analysed in terms of the discernible levels of students’ ‘academic, personal and civic learning’ [Ash, S. L., and P. H. Clayton. 2009. “Generating, Deepening, and Documenting Learning: The Power of Critical Reflection in Applied Learning.” Journal of Applied Learning in Higher Education 1: 25–48]. This critical reflection framework enabled students to articulate and deepen their learning, demonstrating their development in creative musical leadership and sense of social responsiveness and responsibility. Findings prompt further interrogation of the purposes and impact of community music service learning as a model of community engagement in South African higher education, to advance the key role of the arts in South Africa’s social transformation.

Attitudes among Medical Imaging Students towards older adults in Malaysia: A Preliminary Study

A positive attitude is an essential element towards delivering a high-quality patient care for older people. A consequence of aging population in Malaysia is that Medical imaging students are increasingly exposed to older people during their clinical attachments and importantly as a graduated technologist. This study attempted to determine the Medical Imaging students' attitudes towards elderly in Malaysia based on 5 selective characteristics. This study employed a self-administered questionnaire involving 283 students. The finding revealed that well exposed and good result students' have a better attitude towards elderly. This study suggested relevant educational intervention and community engagement program.© 2016. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.Keywords: Elderly People;Medical Imaging;Attitudes;Kogan Attitude’s Scale