Integrating equity, diversity, and inclusion into social innovation education: a case study of critical service-learning

Abstract

Purpose Social innovation education aims to equip students with the skills and mindsets to pursue sustainable and just solutions to complex challenges, yet many programs fail to address the power dynamics underlying unjust social structures. This paper aims to examine a social innovation course that integrates equity, diversity and inclusion principles through critical service-learning. Design/methodology/approach Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews of 25 students and 5 key informants in a qualitative, single case design to understand multiple perspectives on significant factors in transformative learning. Document review and auto-ethnographic insights provide additional case background. Findings Students identified the service experience as unique and high impact. Significant factors included the atypical service structure, the EDI framework, and the partner organization as an exemplar in the field. Students displayed a spectrum of learning, from recall and comprehension to critical evaluation, new worldviews, and behavior change. Research limitations/implications The findings of this qualitative study pertain to one partnership but are generalizable to theories. These findings are plausibly transferable to other experiential social innovation courses embedded in elite, private, predominately white research universities. Originality/value This empirical case examines a unique pedagogical and curricular innovation. By seeking to understand factors and outcomes of experiential learning, this study contributes to the literature on social innovation education and critical service-learning. The analysis produced novel insights for faculty and institutions aiming to integrate equity, diversity, and inclusion goals into social innovation programs.

A Keyword Co-Occurrence Analysis of Research on Service Learning: Conceptual Foci and Emerging Research Trends

“…Moreover, many of these recent service learning documents cover a wide range of topics that higher education has faced in recent years. Some of the frequently researched topics include sustainability and sustainable development [138][139][140][141], social innovation and entrepreneurship [142][143][144][145], graduate employability (e.g., Refs. [146][147][148]), and university social responsibility [149][150][151].…”

The effect of social innovation education on sustainability learning outcomes: the roles of intrinsic learning motivation and prosocial motivation

“…SIE was originally evolved from the social entrepreneurship programs of American business schools (Brock and Steiner, 2009). SIE regards everyone as a changemaker and aims to develop individual mindsets and skills to solve complex social challenges (Otten et al , 2021). The existing literature rarely involves the definition of SIE and there is no specific theoretical framework to consider the practical development of SIE, which makes it still challenging to clearly define SIE.…”

“…With the rise of SIE, systematic thinking orientation, transformative orientation, co-creation orientation and sustainability orientation have been gradually integrated into it. Specifically, the systematic thinking orientation in SIE aims to enable students to understand the interconnectedness of complex social problems and effectively address sustainable challenges with an ecosystem approach to social innovation (Otten et al , 2021). The transformative orientation in SIE focuses on cultivating students’ ability to dialectically analyze social phenomena and solve social problems, providing students with practical opportunities and promoting participation (Wood et al , 2018).…”

“…With the increasing challenges of sustainability, SIE based on systematic thinking orientation, transformative orientation, co-creation orientation and sustainability orientation is committed to satisfying students’ autonomy, belonging and ability needs by enhancing their empowerment (Córdoba-Pachón et al , 2021; Otten et al , 2021). This further stimulates their psychological motivation to pay attention to sustainable development and solve social sustainability problems (Kalemaki et al , 2021).…”

Transforming higher education institutions through EDI leadership: A bibliometric exploration

“…Such leadership ensures that policies and practices are in place to provide equal opportunities for all students, irrespective of their backgrounds [ 9 , 10 ]. This contributes to a diverse intellectual community where students can learn from different perspectives, thus enhancing their educational experience, promoting critical thinking, and preparing them for a globalized world [ 11 , 12 ]. For college management, EDI leadership means recognizing and addressing institutional biases and barriers, thereby ensuring decisions taken at every level of the institution are fair and inclusive, leading to improved decision-making, increased innovation, and overall enhancement in organizational effectiveness [ 13 , 14 ].…”