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Experiencing service learning partnership: a human development perspective of community members

Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Service-learning has, arguably, gained significant currency as a pedagogical and engagement mechanism within the broader discourse of universities and their role in community development. However, less emphasis has been placed on the human development dimensions of service-learning for community members, with the focus largely being on students' experiential learning and other academic outcomes for the university. Though usually conceived as an integral part in university-community partnerships, community members' role in the conception and implementation of service-learning initiatives is from a peripheral position. In this paper, we interrogate this lacuna by applying core tenets of the human development approach to document the experiences and perceptions of community members within a university-community service learning partnerships. From the analysis of qualitative data n=22, we demonstrate that while service-learning enhances agency, it continues to operate within a historical context and contemporary political economy of South Africa, which obscure community members' active participation and empowerment towards inclusive and sustainable valued outcomes.
DOI: 10.14749/32378064
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7162130033
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