Relational Dimensions of Service-Learning: Common Ground for Faculty, Students, and Community Partners

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2013

Abstract

Instructors, students, and community partners often live in separate “discourse communities.” The authors conducted a study to investigate the issues at stake in the relationships among those three primary players in service-learning. Analysis of interviews with student-participants in service-learning yielded four primary dimensions of those relationships: Control, Involvement, Preparation, and Oversight. These were advanced as the beginning of a common language for bridging the disconnect among those separate discourse communities. Role theory was used as a context for the results and to frame remedies in terms of role boundary expansion. The authors offered practical suggestions to practitioners as well as directions for future research.

Publication Title

Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship

Volume

3

Issue

1

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