Potential Abstract:
Abstract: This research study explores the intersection of situated discourses and contested conversations within the context of service learning in education. Service learning is a pedagogical approach that integrates community service with academic instruction, aiming to foster civic engagement and social responsibility among students. However, the implementation of service learning initiatives often involves navigating complex discourses and perspectives that may challenge traditional educational paradigms. Drawing on critical discourse analysis and qualitative research methods, this study investigates how various stakeholders within educational institutions negotiate and construct meanings around service learning practices. By examining the discursive interactions and power dynamics present in these contested conversations, this research aims to illuminate the ways in which service learning initiatives are shaped, interpreted, and contested within the educational landscape. Furthermore, this study seeks to uncover how these discourses influence the implementation and outcomes of service learning programs, shedding light on the potential implications for educational policy and practice. The findings of this research contribute to a deeper understanding of the complexities inherent in the integration of service learning within educational contexts, offering insights into the ways in which educators, students, and community members negotiate their roles and identities in these collaborative endeavors.
Potential References:
- A critique of service-learning’s definitions, continuums, and paradigms: A move towards a discourse-praxis community
- Situated learning in science education: socio‐scientific issues as contexts for practice
- The role of discourse analysis in the conceptualisation of service learning in higher education: research in higher education
- Talking across difference: Intercultural rhetoric and the search for situated knowledge
- Metaphors we serve by: Critical and constructive play with the discourses on service, national service, and service-learning
