Developing Active Citizenship: Learning Through Community Engagement in Informal Environments Within a University in Asia

• In Event: Roundtable Session 25
  In Roundtable Session: Exploring Teachers' and Students' Beliefs, Values, and Learning Behaviors

Abstract

Educational experiences rooted in community engagement offer a powerful and effective method by which to prepare students as the next generation of active citizens. In this paper, we report on an in-depth qualitative content analysis study of a diverse group of undergraduate students’ learning journeys through participation in community engagement programs built into the informal curriculum of a residential college set in an Asian university. Using the active citizenship lens, our paper systematically documents the role of community engagement in pedagogical practices beyond the confines of defined disciplines. The study findings confirm the affordances of community engagement in helping students understand the values in such engagements and the importance of valuing those engagements to contribute productively to the society.

Authors

• Kankana Mukhopadhyay, National University of Singapore

• Sue Chang-Koh, National University of Singapore

• Lai Yong Tan, National University of Singapore