An investigation of inter-stakeholder dynamics supportive of stem, community-based learning

• Autores: David A. Delaine, Jose Roberto Cardoso, Joachim Walther
• Localización: The International journal of engineering education, ISSN-e 0949-149X, Vol. 35, no. 4, 2019, págs. 1094-1109
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Community-based learning (CBL) allows universities to leverage educational interactions with various non-university stakeholders.In a STEM context, CBL often includes service-learning, outreach, mentorship programs, pre-college research fairs, and internshipswhere experiential education commonly provides the pedagogical foundation. Such initiatives are predominantly university-centeredand the emphasis is on student or programmatic outcomes. This approach limits the potential synergistic benefits of CBL and canminimize the role of, and outcomes for, non-university stakeholders. The study presented here seeks to further knowledge of howinter-stakeholder dynamics can support STEM CBL outcomes through a qualitative exploration of the interdependencies betweenstakeholders. Thirty stakeholders from various groups across CBL initiatives organized around a large, public university in SouthAmerica were interviewed. Interview data was analyzed using a constant comparative method to reveal emergent findings. Findingsinclude characteristics and mechanisms of the relationships that support positive outcomes amongst STEM CBL stakeholders. Thefindings are structured in three categories: (i) shared purpose; (ii) holistic awareness; and (iii) linked commitment. The empiricalfindings describing the interdependencies between CBL stakeholders can broaden the current STEM CBL discourse and informapproaches that generate beneficial outcomes for all stakeholders. The extent to which STEM CBL and the supporting relationships are understood in contexts outside the U.S. is limited, a gap in the literature that is addressed through the SouthAmerican context of this study. Results indicate that an understanding of the inter-stakeholder dynamics can be leveraged toenhance STEM CBL programs by supporting outcomes for all stakeholders.