Start Date

5-6-2013 2:00 PM

End Date

5-6-2013 3:10 PM

Description

Service-learning is becoming an increasingly popular approach to achieving both the personal and academic goals of students and the broader goals of civic responsibility and social justice in communities. Hence, it is essential to consider the important role played by community partners in supporting this kind of experiential education. Reciprocity between schools and communities has been espoused as a core principle of good practice in service-learning. However, the paucity of studies of community partnerships indicates that they are only beginning to be understood and thus require further in-depth investigation. Drawing upon five focus group interviews with 22 secondary school teachers and their community partners in Hong Kong, this study seeks to advance the existing body of knowledge on school-community partnerships in service-learning. Conceiving partnership as a reciprocal process that evolves over time, it gives examples of the diversity of service-learning partnerships, and provides strategies for developing and maintaining effective partnerships. The research and practice implications of the findings of this study for promoting reciprocal school-community partnerships are discussed.

Recommended Citation

Ngai, S. Y., Cheng, C. K., & Chan, K. B. (2013, June). Service-learning and community partnerships: A study of Hong Kong secondary school teachers. Paper presented at the 4th Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Service-Learning: Service-Learning as a Bridge from Local to Global: Connected world, Connected future, Hong Kong and Guangzhou, China.

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Jun 5th, 2:00 PM Jun 5th, 3:10 PM

Service-learning and community partnerships : a study of Hong Kong secondary school teachers

Service-learning is becoming an increasingly popular approach to achieving both the personal and academic goals of students and the broader goals of civic responsibility and social justice in communities. Hence, it is essential to consider the important role played by community partners in supporting this kind of experiential education. Reciprocity between schools and communities has been espoused as a core principle of good practice in service-learning. However, the paucity of studies of community partnerships indicates that they are only beginning to be understood and thus require further in-depth investigation. Drawing upon five focus group interviews with 22 secondary school teachers and their community partners in Hong Kong, this study seeks to advance the existing body of knowledge on school-community partnerships in service-learning. Conceiving partnership as a reciprocal process that evolves over time, it gives examples of the diversity of service-learning partnerships, and provides strategies for developing and maintaining effective partnerships. The research and practice implications of the findings of this study for promoting reciprocal school-community partnerships are discussed.