A growing body of research demonstrates the links between parental involvement and students' outcomes. Some benefits of this involvement include improved academic achievement, higher grades, increased attendance, and better social skills (Henderson & Mapp, 2002; Sui-Chu & Willms, 1996; Dryfoos & Knauer, 2004; Coalition for Community Schools, 2003). Despite these benefits, many educators report challenges in engaging parents and community members within the school. The purpose of the research was to explore the processes two school staffs used to facilitate community engagement by utilizing community education practices and, within each individual site, compare to any increase in community engagement at the school. <p>Over the 2006-2007 school year, the researcher spent time connecting with staff members and parents at two schools a suburban elementary school, and an inner-city community school. Through observation, interviews with administrators, focus groups with parents, and focus groups with staff members, the researcher obtained information regarding staff members growth in community engagement, development of community education practices, and the impact of those practices on community engagement in the school. Through analysis of the data, the researcher identified themes, conditions for community engagement, and promising community education practices. <p>Data from observation, focus groups, and interviews demonstrated the importance of leadership, developing relationships with parents, creating a welcoming school environment, focusing staff development on community education, and creating opportunities for staff members and community members to come together, for community engagement to be successful. The research captured the importance of making beliefs and assumptions explicit, and identified how these beliefs can be helpful or harmful in engaging youth, families, and community members. The research study demonstrated that as staff members at Eagle Point School and Sunrise Community School increased their level of understanding of community education and created community education practices, they experienced greater community engagement in their respective schools.

Academic service learning has grown in popularity at colleges and universities as a way to address social issues using study, reciprocity, and reflection. While the merits of service learning are well documented, gaps in the literature indicate a need for further development of pedagogical models, qualitative research about students' lived experiences, and research focused on community partners. This dissertation presents an interdisciplinary model for implementing academic service learning in social work education, in-depth understandings of student experiences in a service learning course, and insight into the experiences and perceived benefits of community partners. The first article presents a 3-component service learning model that capitalizes on the structure of a university-community partnership, mobilizes interdisciplinary teams of students for community-identified projects, and integrates student, community and faculty reflection on complex social structures. Article 2 offers a phenomenological analysis of 17 blogs written by service learning students working in a rural town through their blogs. The findings of this study suggest that the reflexive aspect of blogging fits well with the service learning principle of reflection, and reveals the students' emotive experience over the course of the semester. Additionally, blogging demonstrates the attributes of service learning pedagogy to support the acquisition of knowledge and understanding of complex problems in a real life setting not attainable solely in a classroom setting or through traditional classroom tools, such as exams and papers. Article 3 consists of a phenomenological analysis of interviews with 9 community partners, a combination of agency employees and active citizens that worked with a network of service learning classes in a rural Southern town. The findings support the contribution of service learning to communities, the importance of investing in reciprocal relationships, and the value added of including community partners who are members of informal networks and civically active residents. The research presented in this dissertation informs the growing popularity of service learning in social work with findings that demonstrate a useful implementation model, highly meaningful transformative impact on students, the resilience of the community to challenges of hosting service learning, and the invaluable fostering of inspiration and hope in the community-university relationship. / text

Several factors influence the social participation of rural migrants in urban structures according to previous studies: (1) origins, (2) education, (3) occupation, (4) auspices of migration, (5) age at migration, (6) length of residence, (7) previous migrations, (8) social mobility, (9) income, (10) geographic mobility, (11) community activities. These variables will be included in the research design of this present study. Review of previous studies indicates that there have not been any studies conducted on the factors associated with urban church participation of former members of rural churches.

Greater public participation has been recognized in the socio-political sphere as a growing imperative and a recent phenomenon is a shift in governance towards the "politics of inclusion" at the local and in some cases, the provincial level. Democracy is fundamental to sustainable development because when people participate in the decisions that affect their lives, they are more committed to their implementation. Once community buy-in is garnered, people are empowered to engage in organized action and advocate for the causes they stand for which can affect the necessary changes in moving towards a sustainable community. Our Street London is a grassroots collective that supports alternatives to mainstream modalities of transportation such as biking, walking, and public transportation, as well sustainable urban form. My objective is to understand the richness and detail of the social constructions of the actors in the lived environment. My research explores successful community engagement strategies and how the knowledge generated through the inquiry process can benefit Our Street London members to mobilize group capacity, hence affecting the future directions of the group. My main method of data collection consisted of semi-structured, open-ended interviews with experts on community engagement. Participants consisted of academics, long-time practitioners, and employees of small to medium-sized sustainability/environmental and social justice organizations. This research does have an action-oriented intent to work with Our Street London beyond the scope of this project in translating recommendations into action.

The purpose of this study is to more clearly understand what student' experience while involved in service-learning courses. Moreover, I sought to identify the relationships among service-learning, the outcomes typically attributed to it, and student engagement according to Naturalistic Inquiry methodology (Lincoln & Guba, 1985) and quantitative data from the Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (2009-2010) in two different upper-division courses at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand during the second semester of the 2009 academic year. One class approached service-learning in an addendum/add-on type of approach (Approach I service-learning), while the other course used a more fully-integrated approach (Approach II service-learning). The theoretical framework offered by the philosophy of experiential education (Dewey) and the theories of experiential learning (Kolb), transformative learning (Mezirow), and student engagement (Kuh) combine to serve as the lens through which service-learning was initially viewed in this study. This framework provided the initial structure by which this study was facilitated and the relationship between service-learning and its typically attributed outcomes could be observed and better understood within a New Zealand tertiary environment. The student experiences within Approach I and II service-learning served as sources for pursuing a greater level of sophistication and understanding of how these experiences influence the relationships of service-learning and ultimately how service-learning influences student engagement. Such an investigation is relevant to New Zealand tertiary teachers, researchers, and leaders, who are interested in creating conditions that engage students in learning while developing students personally and involving them within the local community. For transferability purposes, the goal of this study is to provide enough “thick description” (Lincoln & Guba, 1985, p. 125) in the case of each approach to service-learning so that educators from New Zealand and the rest of the world can find meaning, value, and direction. Quantitative findings from this study clearly demonstrated a statistically significant shift in student engagement benchmarks in both approaches to service-learning (3 of 6 AUSSE benchmarks in Approach I service-learning and 6 of 6 AUSSE benchmarks in Approach II service-learning). Qualitative data provided the means to suggest why these significant shifts occurred and illuminated the complexity of the student experience within service-learning environments. Qualitatively, both approaches to service-learning shifted the context of what it meant to be a student in a classroom. The following themes symbolize the different experiences and demonstrate ways teachers can best engage both eager and reluctant learners: different experiences-providing opportunities for growth; consistently being a part of something-internal/external to university; active-learning through experiencing and thinking for yourself; worthwhile, intrinsic-due to helping community organisations. Considering the effects of service-learning on engagement have been relatively un-researched in New Zealand higher education and further inquiry into the pedagogical consequences has been warranted, the implications may provide insight into the development of service-learning in higher education for New Zealand, Australasia, and potentially, the world.

This study explores faculty theories of service-learning as a teaching methodology in higher education. While there has been considerable increase in the understanding of how service-learning positively impacts students, there is a shortage of research on faculty experiences utilizing service-learning pedagogy. Because it is known that faculty involvement and commitment is essential to implementing groundbreaking forms of curricula and pedagogy, this research seeks to better understand faculty perspectives of campus community collaboration in service-learning partnerships. The study investigated faculty engaged in service-learning and used a multiple case study design involving descriptive qualitative methods rooted in faculty perspectives utilizing constant comparative analysis and coding in the tradition of grounded theory. Data consisted of interviews, course materials, and documents related to community placement protocol at one large Pacific-Northwest university. Findings across five research questions, which supported previous studies, established that faculty utilizing service-learning pedagogy are motivated by their adherence to values of social justice, individual awareness of positive student outcomes, and dedication to civic responsibility by meeting community defined needs through educational practices. Two new findings, which can augment the research literature, are (a) the perceived role that institutionally supported outreach to the community could play in restoring public trust, exhibiting genuine awareness of community need, and benefiting the overall credibility of the institutional mission and (b) the identification of faculty tacit theories of why community partners fade away during the student placement and perceived best practices for addressing the problem. Faculty’s identification of perceived barriers to implementing and sustaining service-learning pedagogy supported previous research and suggested a new finding that while excellence in pedagogical practices existed within the institution, lack of a centrally supported mechanism for collaboration may have thwarted growth of innovative and beneficial strategies. Research-to-practice suggestions include prospective policy implications for faculty who utilize service-learning in courses or would like to cultivate the professional potential to include a scholarship of engagement into their teaching strategies. Faculty theories of best practices and policy improvements for service-learning pedagogy delineated in the study have potential utility for entities who develop, initiate, organize, and support innovative campus community collaboration.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Pregnancy-related poor maternal health and maternal death remain major problems in most Nigerian states including Cross River State. The acute impact of these problems is borne more heavily by rural communities where the majority of births take place at home unassisted or assisted by unskilled persons. These problems are due to a mixture of problem recognition and decision-making during obstetric emergencies leading to delayed actions. Every pregnancy faces risk, and prenatal screening cannot detect which pregnancy will develop complications. If the goal of reducing maternal morbidity/mortality is to be achieved, increasing the number of women receiving care from a skilled provider (doctor/nurse/midwife) during pregnancy, delivery, and post-delivery and prompt adequate care for obstetric complications has been identified as the single most important intervention. One of the strategies identified in many countries is engaging and working with individuals, families, and communities as partners to improve the quality of maternal healthcare. This strategy is thought to remove the barriers that dissuade women from using the services that are available, empowering the community members to increase their influence and control of maternal health, promote ownership and sustenance, as well as increase access to skilled care. The aim of the study: The overall aim of this PhD study was to develop a model of community engagement to facilitate the prevention of maternal health complications in the rural areas of Cross River State, Nigeria. To develop this model, the study specifically sought to: 1. Understand the current situation in Cross River State by exploring the knowledge gap of women of child-bearing age (pregnant and new mothers) regarding obstetric danger signs, birth preparedness and complication readiness, delivery practices of women, the action of family/community members, and the role of community-based maternal health initiatives, if any, in emergencies, as well as explore participants’ opinions on actions to be taken by the community to promote the utilisation of orthodox healthcare facilities by rural women of Cross River State (Phase 1). 2. Engage community members through a participatory approach (Photovoice) to highlight problems regarding pregnancy and birth practices, identify possible solutions, and make recommendations on communities’ roles in the prevention of maternal health complications (Phase 2). The older women of the study communities were also engaged to verify and validate the findings from phases 1 & 2 analyses. 3. Develop a model of community engagement to improve maternal health literacy by increasing knowledge on early detection of obstetric complications, birth preparedness, complication readiness, and improved access to skilled birth attendance (Phase 3). Methods: The study was conducted using a qualitative descriptive research approach that combined qualitative semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions within the Photovoice participatory approach. Purposive sampling was employed to select 20 participants, 10 each from the Idundu (Community A) and Anyanganse (Community B) rural communities of Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria. The participants comprised pregnant women and new mothers (babies aged 12 months and younger) who met the eligibility criteria. Data collection was by means of semi-structured interviews (Phase1), focused group discussions and Photovoice (Phase 2). Trustworthiness of the data was ensured by means of applying Guba’s model of credibility, transferability, and authenticity. The ethical principles of respect for human dignity, beneficence, confidentiality, and justice were applied throughout the study. The Citizenship Healthcare and Socio-Ecological Logic models were used to direct the study. Permission was obtained from participants for all the phases of the study while approval for the study was obtained from the Senate Higher Degrees Committee of the University of the Western Cape and the Cross River State Ministry of Health Ethical Committee. Data was analysed using Tesch’s method of content analysis. Based on the findings of Phases 1 & 2 of the study, themes emerged that were then validated by the older women in the study communities. The model was then developed by means of the four steps of the theory generation process. Step one was concept development that consisted of the identification, definition, validation, classification, and verification of the main and related concepts. Step two was model development consisting of the sub-steps, namely model guidelines and definitions. The communities’ stakeholders were engaged at this phase to verify and validate the concepts, as well as contribute to the drafting of the model guidelines and the definitions. Step three was a model description whereby the structure, definition, relation statements, and the process of the model were described. A visual application of the model that depicts the main concepts, the process, and the context was shown. Step four dealt with the development of guidelines for the operation of the model. A critical reflection of the model was done using Chinn and Kramer’s five criteria for model evaluation. Results: The study revealed that Idundu and Anyanganse’s rural women have limited knowledge of obstetric danger signs and very few of them acknowledged the importance of hospital delivery. They also exhibited poor understanding of what birth preparedness and complication readiness entailed. There was a high preference for traditional birth attendant care during pregnancy and delivery with their reasons being belief and trust in traditional birth attendants, a long standing tradition to deliver with them, assumptions that orthodox healthcare is expensive, poor attitude of healthcare providers towards women, unavailability of 24-hour services in healthcare facilities, fear of hospital procedures and operations, communal living in traditional birth attendant’s homes, spirituality in traditional birth attendant services, and the consideration of proximity to service points. These factors exacerbated the delays in seeking care and in referrals for skilled care in phases of emergency. The study also revealed that in the study communities, heavy household chores carried out by pregnant women is culturally accepted and seen as exercise to ease labour, there is lack of proper information regarding maternal and child health issues, men are sole decision-makers, they are ignorant of availability of free treatment in health centres, there is an ignorance regarding care of the new-born, and a lack of community structures to support women’s health. Based on the above findings, the women made the following suggestions towards finding a solution: improving maternal health literacy, increasing spirituality in service delivery, involving of husbands in antenatal care for proper information on maternal health issues, accessing community support through the use of community structures (town announcers, women groups, churches, etc.) with the purpose of emphasising facility delivery, constitution of influential groups to monitor the activities of pregnant women to ensure utilisation of skilled attendants, access to healthcare through free services and availability of providers, trust of health services, and traditional birth attendant training/traditional birth attendant facility collaboration. A total of eight concepts were identified from the concluding statements of steps 1 & 2, and used to develop the Maternal Health-Community Engagement Model (MH-CEM). These were: maternal health literacy, spirituality in healthcare, integrated traditional birth attendants’ role (value, training, and traditional birth attendants/hospital collaboration), trust in health services (by addressing previous experiences, attitude, and fear), improving access to healthcare, culturally acceptable care, husbands’ involvement in women’s health issues, and community support. These concepts formed the core components for the Maternal Health-Community Engagement Model which was developed as the main recommendation to address the core concepts. Central to this Model was the Community Engagement Group (CEG) which was established during the process of engaging the community stakeholders in validating the concepts and drawing up of the guidelines for the Model development. Conclusions and Recommendations: It is believed that the activities of the Community Engagement Group may bring about improved maternal health literacy, a process for working with traditional birth attendants through training and re-orienting them to be promoters of facility delivery when appropriate, and a model for involving husbands, and indeed the entire community, in maternal health issues. Limitations were identified and recommendations for nursing practice, education, and research concluded the study.

Thesis (MTech (Tourism and Hospitality Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016. / Community engagement in universities of technology is evolving to become a game-changer in addressing the economic challenges of the country (Erasmus, 2005:4). Service learning (SL) as a form of community engagement is promoted in higher education, as a learning paradigm. Conway, Amel and Gerwien (2009:238) encourage enquiry into the benefits of this pedagogy and the partnerships involved, as faculties curriculate and adopt the service learning model into current programmes (Lazarus, Erasmus, Hendricks, Nduna & Slamat, 2008:60-61). The SL project of the Tourism Management Department at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) is distinctive in design from the generic social-change focussed projects within Universities of Technology (UoTs). Its outcomes are based on the development of business plans for small and medium enterprises for implementation. The assessment of this interactive learning process was essential to determine whether it yielded any positive change in the participants. Thus the aim of the study is to determine the success or otherwise of the service learning project, so as to ensure that the small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) community and students benefit from the Tourism Management project. The study sample included nine small and medium tourism entrepreneurs (SMTEs) and 178 third year tourism management students. From the sample two SMTEs participated in one-on-one interviews and six students participated in a focus-group interview. Action research was undertaken for this study, and census sampling was adopted to collect quantitative and qualitative data from project participants. The ATLAS.ti 7 data analysis programme was employed to process the qualitative data, and SPSS 22.0 software was utilised to develop frequency tables from the quantitative data. All data was triangulated to obtain conclusions. Fifty-two percent (52%) of student participants learnt leadership skills, with 64% indicating essential benefits on business skills. Company visions were shared throughout the collaborative process, and 76% of SMTE responses, directed to the students’ solutions, being highly innovative for their businesses; and these were implemented to improve business processes. The findings of the study attested to the SL model improving reciprocal learning, and having positive benefits for all partners involved. In continuing the essential dialogue on implementation of SL in higher education, sustainable partnerships in SL projects are essential to ensure continued positive results. The majority of participants responded positively to a willingness to participate in a similar project, which is a positive indicator of the benefits of the project. Implications for future studies point towards a need for continued monitoring of growth performance in the participating small and medium enterprises.

The purpose of this study was to inform global citizenship practice as a higher education (HE) agenda by comparing retrospective experiences of a range of community engagement (CE) partners, including the often silent voices of non-researcher partners. HE-CE aims to contribute to social justice as it constructs and transfers new knowledge from the perspectives of a wide range of CE-partners. This qualitative secondary analysis study was framed theoretically by the transformative-emancipatory paradigm and meta-theoretically by phenomenology. Existing case data, generated on retrospective experiences of CE-partners in a long-term CE-partnership, were conveniently sampled to analyse and compare a range of CE-experiences (parents of student-clients (n = 12: females 10, males 2), teachers from the partner rural school (n = 18: females 12, males 6), student-educational psychology clients (n = 31: females 14, males 17), academic service learning (ASL) students (n = 20: females 17, males 3), and researchers (n = 12: females 11, males 1). Existing data sources included verbatim transcriptions of (i) audio-recorded Participatory Reflection and Action (PRA)-directed group sessions (parents, teachers, student-clients), (ii) telephonic interviews (ASL-students, researchers) and semi-structured interviews (ASL-students); as well as rural school context observation data documented textually (audio-visual recordings and photographs) and textually (field notes). A significant insight from this study is that a range of CE-partners experience similar benefits and challenges when a university and rural school partner. Whereas all CE-partners experience HE-CE as beneficial for human capital development, they all experience that HE-CE is challenged by the structural disparity between a rural context and operational miscommunication. CE-partners with higher education levels experienced that the HE partner is an agent that facilitates knowledge generation. These CE-partners indicated that both academic researchers and non-researchers should be valued as equal knowledge co-generator partners. CE-partners within a rural school had expectations of material gain as part of their experience of participating in this CE-partnership. CE-partners involved in educational psychology (ASL) experienced connectedness and support as a result of participating in the FLY intervention. These CE-partners also experienced FLY relationships as a great platform for establishing bonds, whilst learning from peers. I theorise the Progressive Global Citizenship conceptual framework as a guide that points towards boundless engagement in the era of globalisation. This suggests that HE-CE should focus on innovative interventions that have support structures aimed at establishing connections across socio-economic, cultural, racial and academic backgrounds. Therefore, I propose that HE should make a concerted effort to enhance insight, awareness, reflection, exploration and develop critical consciousness among global citizens. In my view, this calls for innovation that moves away from traditional practices in global citizenship. HE should strive to partner with many role-players as an alternative way of broadening the scope towards understanding and enriching CE interventions. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Educational Psychology / PhD / Unrestricted

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