Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons^™

Town And Gown: Engagement And Collaboration Between Local Municipalities And Institutions Of Higher Education, Vivian González Cueto

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

The role of the local government within the context of engagement and collaboration with universities has largely been understudied. Employing a cross-sectional design, this study of 67 universities and 78 municipalities from 29 states examines how collaborative capacity impacts university and local government perceptions of engagement and collaboration with each other. The findings indicate that local government trust is the primary catalyst for both engagement and collaboration between the parties.

Community Engagement In Music Therapy: Reflections From The Field, Jess Rushing, Denise M. Cumberland

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This paper reflects on a music therapy community engagement project that incorporates clinical training, service learning, and community music therapy. Two faculty members and a practicum student in a Midwestern university engaged community members connected to Parkinson’s disease to create a music-based program. We offer a conceptual framework that connects approaches situated within community music therapy (CoMT) qualities and community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles. We share project processes, findings, and recommendations, emphasizing all as equal stakeholders.

Positively Impacting Traffic Safety Culture For Indigenous Youth: A Heritage-Focused Approach, Jacob Steven Pehrson, Ahmed Abdel-Rahim, Logan Prescott

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This paper presents the development of heritage-focused outreach materials with the objectives of positively impacting traffic safety culture for Indigenous youth to reduce the number and severity of traffic crashes impacting these communities. The approach presented in this paper includes involving local community leaders in traffic safety education and incorporating culturally based material in outreach education. This could empower Tribal communities to preserve their cultural identities while acquiring the expertise needed to promote traffic safety.

Service Learning As A Mode To Deliver Course Learning Outcomes In A Research-Based Exercise Science College Course, Jennifer Lape Kaiser, Madison Skaggs

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

The following case study presents an approach to teaching research courses in undergraduate exercise science programs. Research courses are commonly required in the curriculum for this degree. Service learning (SL) is an effective way to promote student learning outcomes (SLOs) by providing hands-on experience for the students, and should be considered in exercise science research courses. Quantitative and qualitative survey results from students over two semesters of SL in an exercise science course are presented.

A Father-Friendliness Survey: How Do Community Organizations Report Engaging Fathers?, Kyle Miller, Jordan A. Arellanes

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This community-based project explored levels of father-friendliness across local organizations, agencies, and schools. A community coalition of individuals from diverse backgrounds and roles created a community survey to gather quantitative and qualitative information from individuals who worked with children or families. An analysis of survey responses (N=122) led to descriptive and thematic results of how the community served or marginalized fathers. Results were used to guide efforts in father engagement across various professional sectors.

Stepping Up, Keeping On Track, And Pulling Your Own Weight: Collaborative Arts-Based Service-Learning Metaphors, Marcy Meyer

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

In this study, the author explores metaphors related to students’ experiences conducting collaborative arts-based ethnographic research in a U.S. nonprofit organization. A metaphor analysis of 25 students’ essays revealed they were most likely to frame their experiences with arts-based service learning as a journey or a sports contest. The author examines the extent to which students’ metaphors legitimize or delegitimize arts-based service learning, as well as the degree of novelty that characterizes these metaphors. She explores the implications of her findings for teaching and promoting arts-based service learning in the academy.

Incorporating Community-Engaged Pedagogy In Online Classes: Benefits, Challenges, And Strong Practices, Emmy Price, Margaret Thomas-Evans

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

Community-engagement in virtual classrooms comes with unique benefits and challenges. Between 2018-2021, technical writing e-service-learning students from Indiana University East (Richmond, Indiana) raised a total of $149,239 through grant writing projects. This e-servicelearning project gave students real-world experiences and opportunity to connect with local organizations, prompting one student to choose grant writing as a career. Many students were able to successfully obtain funding for their chosen nonprofits, giving students a sense of social responsibility.

Exploring The Impact Of A Literacy-Based Service-Learning Project On Pre-Service Teachers, Shelly J. Landreth, Tara Wilson

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

In this study, we describe a teacher educator’s first experience implementing a service-learning project in a children’s literature course in which pre-service teachers helped provide read-alouds for the local public library’s summer reading program. We sought to examine the impact the project had on the seven participants. Data was collected through reflective journals and an end-of-course debrief. Four themes were identified in the data: Initial Feelings, Preparation and Planning, Lessons Learned, and Barriers and Challenges.

Interprofessional Collaboration To Address Social Isolation And Facilitate Intergenerational Service Learning Within Graduate Education, Angela Lavery, Erin Knight, Stephanie Cole, Stacie Metz

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This article presents an interdisciplinary collaboration to address the needs of older adults at risk of social isolation exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. An intergenerational service-learning program developed by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging was offered to several universities across the state of Pennsylvania. The authors share their experience and lessons learned from pairing older adults with graduate students studying in the fields of Gerontology, Public Health, and Social Work.

Community-Engaged Learning In Liberal Arts Colleges: Developing Engaged Citizens, Vicki L. Baker, Carrie Booth Walling

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

Employing an institutional case study approach, this manuscript features two high-impact learning opportunities open to Albion College students who seek to contribute to solving real-world problems in collaboration with local and surrounding communities: Albion College Community Collaborative (AC3) and Human Rights Lab. The programmatic approach to community-engaged partnerships featured sought to elevate local knowledge, promote engaged citizenship, and advance social, political, and economic change. We describe each program followed by lessons learned and critical considerations to advance the field and to inform the work of others seeking to employ a programmatic approach.

Alternative Spring Break: Engagement In A Rural, Low-Income Community, Travis West

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

Community engagement programs offer college students an opportunity to impact youth in rural, low-income communities. While in a rural setting where educational training and support is not abundant, college students learn about struggles that rural, low-income youth face in exploring and attending postsecondary education options. The Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program in Vinton County impacts over 1,000 youth each year by increasing their awareness to education opportunities beyond high school. ASB college students are provided classroom instruction time to deliver content and real-life experiences to Vinton County youth.

Book Review: Transformative Critical Service-Learning: Theory And Practice For Engaging Community College And University Learners In Building An Activist Mindset By Heather Coffey And Lucy Arnold (2022), Mark Latta

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

No abstract provided.

“There Is Just A Sense Of Joy In This Work”: Drivers Of Faculty Engagement With Community, David C. Ensminger, Mitchell A. Hendrickson, Jon J. Schmidt

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

American universities have been engaged with their communities as long as there have been universities in America. The nature, purpose, and motivation behind that engagement have evolved. This article explores the motivation behind faculty engagement with their communities. We wanted to better understand what compels faculty to participate in and work in the community despite the many and varied barriers that might stand in their way. We explored the why and how of participation with a significant emphasis on the why. This study builds on the work of Wade and Demb[i] and their Faculty Engagement Framework (FEM) described in …

Ua64/2 The Challenge: Magazine For The Center For Gifted Studies (No. 58 Summer 2025), Elizabeth Joyce Editor

Gifted Studies Publications

Magazine created by and about the WKU Center for Gifted Studies.

Extracting From The Extracurriculum: Using Extracurricular Composition Practices To Bring Purpose, Voice, And Engagement Back To The English Classroom, Grace N. Ellis

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis explores how principles and practices from extracurricular literacy spaces and the extracurriculum as a whole can inform and revitalize the secondary English classroom. In response to growing student disengagement, apathy, and disconnection, particularly within highly standardized and product-focused classrooms, this argument investigates how programs such as the Nebraska Writers Collective’s All Writes Reserved program and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Young Writer Camp model authentic engagement, identity exploration and development, and rhetorical agency through creative, student-centered writing practices. Drawing from composition theory, educational research, and experiential data from Nebraska-based writing initiatives, the thesis argues that incorporating choice, safe-risk taking, …

Illuminating Two Secondary Schoolteachers’ Praxes On A ‘Terrain Of Freedom:’ Lessons For Teacher Education, Paul Tarc, Nicholas Ng-A-Fook, Tasha Ausman, Catherine James

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

This paper attunes to the stated focus of this special issue—teacher subjectivities on a terrain of freedom—to consider the qualities, possibilities and limits of teachers’ praxes and development upon this ‘terrain.’ In response to the call, we explore three critical questions: 1) Where does the teacher’s freedom lie amidst required protocols and standardization?; 2) Can teachers transcend how they have been conceived and conditioned?; and 3) How can teachers engage in transformative development? Through a "poetics of teaching," inspired by Hansen (2004), we frame teaching as a curricular and pedagogical art form that melds interdisciplinary, intellectual, aesthetic, and …

Pinterest Can Help Teachers Cook A Casserole, But What About Lgbtqia+ Affirming Lesson Plans For Students Of Color?, Denise Villarrial Nealon

Deliberately Queer Journal

We have learned to be crafty homemakers, small space decorators, and even teachers through the eye-catching appeal of sites like Pinterest or Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT). The accessibility and ease of searching for a preset lesson saves time, and in a society where teachers are paid far less than what they are worth and asked to work longer hours than they are paid for, this makes sense. Using the theoretical frameworks of CRT, QueerCrit, and CRP, along with the concepts of intersectionality, can build learning tools for new teachers to disrupt previous exclusionary practices that prevent LGBTQIA+ students of Color …

The City As The Classroom: The Case Of “Start ‘Em Young Advocacy” At Silliman University, Philippines, Novee Elarmo Maestrecampo Jr., Giovanni Tuballa Macahig

CSID Journal of Infrastructure Development

This case study highlights the value of engaging with communities as real-world environments for practical and reflective learning. It suggests that students can develop insights and acquire knowledge through interactions with diverse groups and locations, even within urban settings. The paper presents the experience of implementing the “Start ‘em Young Advocacy,” a student-led, environment-focused, and project-based initiative within the Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS) under the National Service Training Program (NSTP) at Silliman University, Philippines. In collaboration with the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), CWTS students worked with thirty daycare centers. Using Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory as a …

Sustainable Pedagogical Space: Water Risk Reduction Management Through Permaculture Pedagogy, Susi Andriani Simanjuntak, Yuqin Zhou, Si Wen Li

CSID Journal of Infrastructure Development

This study explores a Permaculture design approach to promote water conservation and reduce water dependency, particularly in response to plastic pollution. Permaculture emphasizes water ethics, conservation principles, rainwater harvesting (via tanks, soil, land, and biomass), greywater reuse, and biological remediation techniques for water recycling and purification. The study applies a contextually adapted environmental pedagogy based on Permaculture for primary school students in North Sumatra, Indonesia, focusing on sustainable water conservation and plastic litter risk reduction. A case study method was employed, targeting schools that voluntarily participated. The approach highlights three commonly overlooked dimensions in environmental education: community connection, place-based authenticity, …

Centering Black Girl Love: Unearthing Black Girls’ Truths In A Predominantly White, Loveless Elementary School, Tyana R. Velazquez-Smith

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

This study examines the transformative power of literacy as a tool for healing, resistance, and revolutionary love in the lives of BLACK girls navigating predominantly white elementary school spaces. Revolutionary love is conceptualized as practices of care, affirmation, and joy that challenge systemic oppression while fostering belonging and possibility. Conducted in an elementary school in upstate New York, this research follows eleven participants from kindergarten through fourth grade, exploring their lived experiences and literacy practices during English Language Arts (ELA) instruction.

Drawing on Brian Street’s (1984) assertion that literacy is a social practice shaped by cultural and power dynamics, this …

The Squandering Of Critical Thinking In Our Schools And What We Can Do About It, Nick Pocius

Essays in Education

In the face of increasing disinformation, reduced student engagement, and rigid educational structures, this article critiques the current U.S. public school system’s failure to cultivate critical thinking in students. Drawing from over two decades of classroom experience, the author argues that the systemic emphasis on standardized testing, prescribed curricula, and diminished access to arts and physical education have contributed to a decline in curiosity and creative inquiry. Furthermore, the omnipresence of smartphones and social media has robbed students of the boredom that often sparks critical thought. The article proposes several pragmatic solutions, including banning phones during school hours, reintroducing recess …

Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Under Siege Worldwide: Moving Beyond Limiting Notions Of Gender And Sexuality In Education Organizations And Leadership, Margaret Grogan

Education Faculty Books and Book Chapters

As 2025 gets underway in the United States, educators across this country, like in many others, are bracing for unprecedented opposition to their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and policies. Newly elected President Trump is rapidly dismantling many federal agencies, cutting off aid to foreign entities, and causing major apprehension across the globe. His stated agenda to eradicate progressivism echoes many other international ultraconservative and far-right movements, who applaud his authoritarian regime. To mount the best possible resistance to these disturbing developments, and, indeed, to expand and strengthen DEI work, this chapter argues for collective action across all the …

واقع تطبيق معايير الجودة والاعتماد في التعليم العالي في السعودية للوصول إلى التميز الأكاديمي استناداً إلى التجارب الدولية المعاصرة من وجهة نظر القيادات التربوية, Amjad Hayel Abdullah Al-Ruwaili, Khalid Ali Serhan

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للبحوث في التعليم العالي

هدفت الدراسة التعرف إلى واقع تطبيق معايير الجودة والاعتماد في التعليم العالي في السعودية للوصول إلى التميز الأكاديمي استناداً إلى التجارب الدولية المعاصرة من وجهة نظر القيادات التربوية، ابتعت الدراسة المنهج الوصفي المسحي من خلال تطبيق استبانه مكونة من (58) فقرة على عينة مكونة من (388) قياديا من القيادات التربوية وأعضاء هيئة التدريس في الجامعات السعودية وفق متغيرات الدراسة. أظهرت نتائج الدراسة أن المتوسّطات الحسابيّة لإجابات أفراد عينة الدّراسة عن مجالات واقع تطبيق معايير الجودة والاعتماد في التعليم العالي في السعودية للوصول إلى التميز الأكاديمي استناداً إلى التجارب الدولية المعاصرة من وجهة نظر القيادات التربوية جاء بمستوى مرتفع، وجاء في …

Feminist Participatory Action Research And Service-Learning In The New Feminist Frontier, Megan A. Fletcher

Feminist Pedagogy

This critical commentary explores the tensions of embodying feminist pedagogy as both researcher and teacher. Drawing on the success of Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR) in redesigning women's shelter intake procedures, I argue for integrating service-learning into the classroom. However, the effectiveness of both PAR and service-learning hinges on a strong foundation in feminist methodologies that prioritize equity, justice, and community care (Bowdon, Pigg, & Mansfield, 2014; Johnson & Flynn, 2021; Vergés Bosch, Freude, & Camps Calvet, 2021). Acknowledging past critiques of these approaches when lacking a feminist lens (Langhout & Gordon, 2021), I call for researchers and teachers to …

Fostering Peace Leadership Learning And Practice: A Pilot Study Analysis Of The Peace Leadership Development Curriculum, Whitney Mcintyre Miller, Miznah O. Alomair, Kelly Kennedy, Brittnie A. Ferguson

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose

Presented in this paper is a mixed methods pilot study that analyzes the Peace Leadership Development Curriculum (PLDC). The PLDC was designed to teach integral peace leadership concepts embedded in the areas of Innerwork, Community, Knowledge and Environment to students and community peace leaders. Analyzed herein is the impact of the curriculum in terms of participants’ understanding of leadership topics, the frequency in which they utilize these practices, and their perceptions of their importance for peace leadership.

Design/methodology/approach

Study methods include a pre- and post-survey with Likert-scale questions and open-ended response questions.

Findings

Findings from the study demonstrated that …

الفجوة بين الإدراكات والتوقعات لقياس جودة الخدمات التي تقدمها مراكز البحوث في الجامعات الفلسطينية, Jafar Wasfi Abusaa, Ziad A. Barakat

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للبحوث في التعليم العالي

هدف المقال الحالية للكشف عن الفجوة بين الإدراكات والتوقعات في مستوى جودة الخدمات التي تقدمها مراكز البحوث في الجامعات الفلسطينية من وجهة نظر الخبراء والمختصين في هذه المراكز، لهذا الغرض تم اختيار عينة مقصودة من مديري المراكز البحثية والمختصين العاملين والمشرفين على مراكز البحوث في الجامعات الفلسطينية بلغت (42) فرداً. استخدم مقياس الفجوة (SERVQUAL) لقياس جودة الخدمة. وقد أظهرت نتائج الدراسة أن هناك فجوة موجبة غير دالة إحصائياً بين إدراكات أفراد الدراسة وتوقعاتهم للدرجة الكلية لمستوى الخدمات التي تقدمها مراكز البحوث في هذه الجامعات، وهو مؤشر بسيط لارتفاع مستوى الخدمة التي تقدمها هذه المراكز، كما بينت النتائج وجود فرق موجب …

أثر استخدام بيئة تعلم إلكترونية تكيفية قائمة على الذكاء الاصطناعي في تنمية مهارات التفكير العليا في مادة الكيمياء لدى طلبة المرحلة الثانوية, Ruwaida Abu Shoshah, Hala J. Abualnadi

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للبحوث في التعليم العالي

هدف البحث إلى استقصاء أثر استخدام بيئة تعلُّم إلكترونية تكيُّفيّة قائمة على الذكاء الاصطناعي في تنمية مهارات التفكير العليا في مادة الكيمياء لدى طلبة الصف الحادي عشر، وتكونت عينة الدراسة من (60) طالبة من الصف الحادي عشر في العاصمة عمان، تم تقسيمهم إلى مجموعتين، تجريبية وضابطة، تم اختيار افراد العينة بالطريقة القصدية، ولتحقيق هدف الدراسة تم الاعتماد على المنهج شبه التجريبي، وتم إعداد اختبار لقياس مستويات مهارات التفكير العليا في مادة الكيمياء، بعد التحقق من صدقه وثباته ومعاملات الصعوبة والتمييز للفقرات، وقد أظهرت نتائج الدراسة وجود فرق في الأداء البعدي بين المجموعتين في اختبار مهارات التفكير العليا، حيث بلغت قيمة …

The Current 'Ban-Demic': School Book Bans In The U.S., Barbara Perez, Jane Caputi

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

This essay examines the alarming rise of U.S book. Our stance is grounded in our experiences as educators and academics in Florida, the state with the highest number of book bans and legislation that has significantly impacted education. Book bans infringe on freedom of expression, right to access information, = students’ right to education, and real harm to targeted communities (i.e., LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities), as the bans contribute to the ongoing marginalization and stigmatization of these communities. Diverse representation is key in literature and education. Banning popular culture texts from the classroom stifles critical thinking, social dialogue, and, ultimately, …

St. Louis, Missouri’S Gayborhood And Washington, Dc’S Black Lives Matter Plaza: Revealing The Healing Potential Of Resistance Stories That Are Grounded In Place, Ryan R. Lindsay, Lotte I. Lent, Ackesha J. Patrick

Dissertations

Oppressed people resist, even when facing severe consequences for doing so. At the core of systemic oppression—genocide, slavery, racism, and sexism—is a drive to control and dehumanize. Resistance, however, can serve as a powerful act of rehumanization. From enslaved individuals fleeing plantations to LGBTQ+ individuals risking arrest to gather in mid-20th-century bars, resistance reclaims power and autonomy under oppressive regimes. This study applies South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) “four truths” framework—comprising forensic, personal, social, and healing truths—to the interpretation of contested heritage sites. We argue that sites commemorating resistance hold transformative potential for individual and community healing. Using …

Arts-Based Sustainability: From New York To Malawi, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Recognizing that libraries serve multiple constituencies and subject areas, this chapter documents and advocates for development of transdisciplinary arts-based research (ABR) and culture-related projects linked to environmental challenges. Libraries contribute collections and spaces, as well as the research of library and information scientists. Libraries are currently among invisible contributors to sustainability planning and services. The chapter will link this invisibility to the value of what visual arts refer to as negative space elements in subjects ranging from traditional ecological knowledge to environmental science. Library collections, projects, and research contribute to education for sustainable development (ESD) as required to achieve the …