The service-learning and the humanisation of the academic curriculum in economics (original) (raw)
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Journal of Positive School Psychology 6 (8), 8811-8822, 2022
This study examined service learning as an effective strategy for implementation of the Economics curriculum for resultoriented university education. The study was guided by two research questions, adopted a qualitative research approach and utilised phenomenology design. A purposive sampling technique was used to select all students from the departments of Educational Management, Arts and Social Sciences Education, Adult Education, Guidance and Counselling Education, and Special Education who had taken Economics Methods. The reason for the selection of the students was that they had participated in service learning and would be able to provide answers to the research questions. Focus group discussion and key informant interview guides were used to collect data from the participants. The ATLAS. ti qualitative software package was used to analyse the data. The findings of the study revealed that service learning was an effective strategy for preparing pre-service teachers for the world of work as it gives undergraduates an opportunity to get involved in communal services such as tutoring, advocacy, and environmental sustainability, among others. It also enhances students' employability skills, such as financial literacy, project management, teamwork, and resourcefulness. It was therefore recommended that service learning should be infused into the teacher education curriculum for effective implementation of the economics curriculum and to promote undergraduate employability skills.
When Service is Good for Economics: Linking the Classroom and Community through Service-Learning
International Review of Economics Education, 2008
Service-learning is an experiential learning pedagogy that enables students to integrate their study of economics in the classroom with service activities in their communities. It enhances student learning because it encourages deep learning. Furthermore, it is a method by which economics can be made more accessible to an increasingly diverse student body and improve the relationship between colleges and universities and their communities.This paper offers an overview of the learning theory that underlies service-learning experiences, describes examples in the economics curriculum which demonstrate the associated components of deep learning, and provides a discussion of important considerations for economics faculty who wish to integrate service-learning into their classrooms.
Increasing Creativity in Economics: The Service Learning Project
Journal of Education for Business, 2004
In this study, the authors analyze an effective classroom teaching style that relies on interactive learning and integrates classroom activities and efforts into communities. They introduce the service learning project as an effective teaching tool that can be used along with other effective teaching practices to enhance students' learning outcomes. The authors found that the success of the service learning project is affected by the degree of integration among the institution and the public and private community agencies. Through such integration, both the students and the community receive greater benefits from increased knowledge and joint activities.
TOWARDS AN ECONOMICS HIGHER EDUCATION BASED ON LEARNING EXPERIENCES
International Journal for QUALITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS, 2014
The customization of education becomes an obvious option for total quality management-oriented universities, and, therefore, flexible and rapid reactions are expected from universities. In response, universities become more learning outcome - focused as well as more focused on the development of competencies recognized by employers. This paper aims at presenting an integrating perspective on the student-centred-learning concept as an accumulation of practices and learning experiences that determine an individual’s professional development and shape his personality. The research explores the best practices achieved through education based on learning outcomes and student-centred economic faculties, within eight universities in Romania. The research was conducted by consulting the websites of the universities and faculties included in the analysis. The review standard for each faculty included: the type and content of the programs of study offered in the three stages of education, organization and methods of disseminating research results, and services provided to students, including extracurricular activities. The results of the analysis confirm that the surveyed universities have dedicated and focused their efforts to reorganize the curricula according to the requirements of the labor market, and increase the overall quality of education. However, student-centred learning practices are dissipated and quite restricted in the study programs. As a result of this analysis, the paper presents various measures that universities may take into consideration in order to ensure the spread of active learning practices in all educational programs.
International Journal of Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement, 2016
The methodological approach of service-learning has been used since 2009 by the Department of Economics and Business at the University of Chile to promote, on the one hand, vocational training for students facing problematic and real environmental challenges, and, on the other hand, to develop students’ social responsibility competence. This article compares the results of an initial survey (pretest) and final survey (posttest) of students participating in courses containing service-learning regarding their perceptions of their expected and actual achievement of social responsibility-related competencies. Items associated with information collected from community partners, and the estimation of economic impacts, despite showing a slight decrease, showed no statistical significance. The remaining items of the instrument revealed a slight decrease. Service-learning practices aligned with those embedded in the department’s curricular vocational training plan, confirming the need to fur...
A Didactic and Methodological Lesson of the Study of Economics and the Skill Development of Students
Theoretical and Methodological Approaches to Social Sciences and Knowledge Management, 2012
Theoretical and Methodological Approaches to Social Sciences and Knowledge Management 342 New technologies have developed both new and changing teaching/learning spaces in which professors almost always lag behind their students. This is because students were born in the generation of both the incorporation and expansion of computing in learning, professional and leisure environments and the development of new ways of synchronous and asynchronous relations, of search and selection of the vast amount of freely available information, and even the establishment of rules of conduct and, in short, new models to which professors must adapt and, where appropriate, develop a range of abilities/ competencies/skills for which they have not been trained. In this sense, Gilbert (2001) states in an interesting text that professors need to assume the roles of information consultant, team collaborator, facilitator, lone worker, resource provider and academic supervisor in this technological age. These roles complement the mentor of writing (provider of feedback to the pieces of work done by students) and orchestrator (because he performs administrative, pedagogical, technological and link functions) pointed out by Wake, Dysthe and Mjelstad (2007).
Service Learning in Higher Education
Handbook of Research on Effective Communication in Culturally Diverse Classrooms
This chapter presents the experience of the Faculty of Economics and Business of the Universidad de Chile implementing Service Learning as part of Methodology. First, it is described the process of development and then the institutionalization of the methodology and the various emphasis provided by academics. Second, the results of a questionnaire designed to assess motivation, development of generic competencies, social commitment, and students' satisfaction with the methodology are presented.