Several recent studies have revealed that there is increasing individualism and declining interest in politics and civic engagement among college students. Accordingly, many scholars called for reinvigorating the civic mission of higher education. This thesis study examines academic service-learning as an effective pedagogy for promoting students’ civic engagement. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the best ways of integrating service-learning into the curricula of undergraduate students. Using McCarthy’s (2003) conceptual framework, the “Concept of Triangles,” this study provides a comprehensive review of literature on the theoretical underpinnings, partners, and relationships of academic service-learning. The results of the study suggest that establishing clear connections between course content and the kind of service students do, and making meaningful placements of students to service sites are necessary for establishing effective service-learning courses. Additionally, the findings of the study reveal that promoting critical reflection, encouraging active participation from all partners, and meeting real community needs are essential to the success of service-learning programs. Finally, the findings of this study indicate that effective campus/community partnerships are characterized by reciprocal, collaborative, democratic, caring, trusting, and respectful relationships.
","abstract_html":"<p>Several recent studies have revealed that there is increasing individualism and declining interest in politics and civic engagement among college students. Accordingly, many scholars called for reinvigorating the civic mission of higher education. This thesis study examines academic service-learning as an effective pedagogy for promoting students’ civic engagement. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the best ways of integrating service-learning into the curricula of undergraduate students. Using McCarthy’s (2003) conceptual framework, the “Concept of Triangles,” this study provides a comprehensive review of literature on the theoretical underpinnings, partners, and relationships of academic service-learning. The results of the study suggest that establishing clear connections between course content and the kind of service students do, and making meaningful placements of students to service sites are necessary for establishing effective service-learning courses. Additionally, the findings of the study reveal that promoting critical reflection, encouraging active participation from all partners, and meeting real community needs are essential to the success of service-learning programs. Finally, the findings of this study indicate that effective campus/community partnerships are characterized by reciprocal, collaborative, democratic, caring, trusting, and respectful relationships.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Shalabi, Neivin Mahmoud Marzouk"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"M.A.","degree_level":"Masters Thesis","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Franklin A. Tuitt, Ph.D.","Deborah Grealy","Enid Cox"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2008,"date_issued":"2008-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2008-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:03:19Z","subjects":["Campus-community partnerships","Civic engagement","Concepts","Critical pedagogy","Partners","Service-learning","Higher Education"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
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