Abstract

BHAGWAN, Raisuyah. Student volunteer experiences as a way to advance teaching and learning: a call for community service. IJTL [online]. 2020, vol.15, n.2, pp.8-23. ISSN 2519-5670.

This paper makes a case to advance community service through teaching and learning at higher education institutions in South Africa. In particular, it highlights the benefits of student volunteerism as one pathway to engagement and promotion of social responsibility amongst students. The data are drawn from a qualitative, exploratory study undertaken with a sample of 14 students at Durban University of Technology, who participated in volunteering at different community organisations and schools during their undergraduate studies. The study found that students benefitted from this experience and believed that the university had a salient role to play in community engagement. The article concludes with an argument for academics to reconsider communities as learning spaces and to begin to advance community engagement in other ways through teaching.

Keywords : volunteerism; community; engagement; university students.

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