Sowing Seeds of Social Consciousness? Linking Student Engagement and Community Engagement Through Service Learning

Abstract

The current emphasis by government and private sectors on issues surrounding social concerns, sustainability, and community-mindedness has prominently trickled into education institutions. This paper proposes a perspective that they can be tapped with significant potential through a thoughtful process of addressing various groups of community needs under the right conditions. With many higher education institutions implementing community service as modules, there needs to be a deeper look at how community service outcomes can expand to a broader scope of community engagement through service learning and how this can influence student engagement. Additionally, to explore the conditions that could possibly make these modules or programs effective for not just social purpose outcomes and social consciousness but filling in gaps in personal development and employability expectations. With a look at past community projects and campaigns as well as students' perceptions of the causes they create and follow through, the paper hopes to provide a practical framework for implications and considerations of the Service-Learning approach.