An integrated service-learning praxis approach for flourishment of professional development in community-higher education partnerships
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Date
2022
Authors
Venter, Karen Elizabeth
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
Universities and communities should embrace engaged scholarship for sustainable development challenges, through co-creation of responsive knowledge for the public good. Therefore, academics have infused community engaged service-learning (CESL) into the functions of teaching-learning and research, to deliver engaged scholarship in democratic community-higher education partnerships. However, sustainable CESL practice and partnership development are challenged by the complex process of institutionalisation. This five-articles-style thesis explored the contribution of an integrated service-learning praxis approach towards the flourishment of engaged scholarship in community-higher education partnerships. The approach combined CESL, appreciative inquiry and appreciative leadership, to advance the praxis of engaged scholarship. The study was demarcated in the field of higher education, applied in the discipline of nursing education, and contextually bound to three interrelated action research cycles and settings – for international, national and local level engagement. The study followed a transformative paradigm and qualitative, strength-based action research design of appreciative inquiry. Participants were conveniently and purposefully selected, based on their practical, career-bound wisdom of engaged scholarship. Data was co-generated in paired appreciative conversations, which were followed by collective data analysis in small and large-group format and guided by a 5D-process-driven (define, discovery, dream, design and delivery/destiny) semi-structured interview protocol. The research contributed to practical theory development, by providing five articles for improved CESL practice towards positive change. These articles comprised (1) a practical framework towards an integrated model for advancing engaged scholarship; (2) best practices for national support of engaged scholarship; (3) a community-university research partnership model, which affiliated with the Global University for Lifelong Learning (GULL), to reward reciprocal action learning in parallel with academic certification; (4) a set of principles for becoming globally competent citizens; and (5) the WHOLE model for engaged scholarship, balanced by social justice values-in-action, to co-create action-oriented knowledge for a better future for all people, the economy and the environment.
Description
Thesis (Ph.D (Higher Education Studies))--University of the Free State, 2022
Keywords
Appreciative inquiry, community-higher education partnerships, engaged scholarship, integrated service-learning praxis