Encouraging social innovation for combating poverty : Master's students’ gendered experiences with a service-learning intervention in Kenya and Uganda
Wao, Hesborn ; Oduor Otendo, Clement ; Syonguvi, Jackline ; Muriithi, Petronilla ; Kadengye, Damazo and Brodin, Eva LU
(2022)
In Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education
13(2).
p.171-187
- Abstract
- Purpose – This study aims to understand master’s students’ experiences of service-learning, following their participation in a workshop with local social innovators whose activities had contributed to combating poverty in East Africa and to determine how this participation affected work on the students’ theses. The authors also explored possible gender differences in this context.
Design/methodology/approach – The study was based on pretest–posttest mixed methods research design. Data were collected from master’s students within the social sciences and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, respectively, in Kenya and Uganda, via surveys and interviews before the workshop, immediately afterwards and... (More) - Purpose – This study aims to understand master’s students’ experiences of service-learning, following their participation in a workshop with local social innovators whose activities had contributed to combating poverty in East Africa and to determine how this participation affected work on the students’ theses. The authors also explored possible gender differences in this context.
Design/methodology/approach – The study was based on pretest–posttest mixed methods research design. Data were collected from master’s students within the social sciences and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, respectively, in Kenya and Uganda, via surveys and interviews before the workshop, immediately afterwards and six months later.
Findings -Students’ immediate experience was that the workshop contributed to increased critical awareness, adoption of transdisciplinary community-serving approaches and strengthened self-confidence. Six months later, most had related their projects to social problems (e.g. poverty) in their communities. Moreover, the results motivated integration of gender-sensitive curricula based on service-learning in East Africa.
Practical implications - Based on the results, the authors suggest a framework for gender-sensitive curriculum development that can stimulate service-learning in master’s students. Implementation of such a curriculum could eventually contribute to community development, including, e.g. poverty reduction.
Originality/value - Studies on service-learning are rare in Africa, especially in postgraduate education. Gender-sensitive studies on service-learning are generally scarce and the same holds for studies on encouraging STEM students to integrate social innovation into their thesis work. By combining these aspects, this study presents an original contribution to existing research. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/e6c3baa8-4d55-4797-858f-3c8aefe6eb84
- author
- Wao, Hesborn
; Oduor Otendo, Clement
; Syonguvi, Jackline
; Muriithi, Petronilla
; Kadengye, Damazo
and Brodin, Eva
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2022
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Developing countries, sustainable development goals, Mixed methods, Curriculum development, Community-based learning, Master’s education
- in
- Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education
- volume
- 13
- issue
- 2
- pages
- 17 pages
- publisher
- Emerald Group Publishing Limited
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85129288947
- ISSN
- 2398-4686
- DOI
- 10.1108/SGPE-07-2021-0054
- project
- Encouraging social innovations for combating poverty in East Africa: Lessons from a postgraduate educational intervention
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- e6c3baa8-4d55-4797-858f-3c8aefe6eb84
- date added to LUP
- 2022-03-08 07:00:11
- date last changed
- 2022-06-13 04:01:39
@article{e6c3baa8-4d55-4797-858f-3c8aefe6eb84,
abstract = {{Purpose – This study aims to understand master’s students’ experiences of service-learning, following their participation in a workshop with local social innovators whose activities had contributed to combating poverty in East Africa and to determine how this participation affected work on the students’ theses. The authors also explored possible gender differences in this context. <br/><br/>Design/methodology/approach – The study was based on pretest–posttest mixed methods research design. Data were collected from master’s students within the social sciences and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, respectively, in Kenya and Uganda, via surveys and interviews before the workshop, immediately afterwards and six months later.<br/><br/>Findings -Students’ immediate experience was that the workshop contributed to increased critical awareness, adoption of transdisciplinary community-serving approaches and strengthened self-confidence. Six months later, most had related their projects to social problems (e.g. poverty) in their communities. Moreover, the results motivated integration of gender-sensitive curricula based on service-learning in East Africa.<br/><br/>Practical implications - Based on the results, the authors suggest a framework for gender-sensitive curriculum development that can stimulate service-learning in master’s students. Implementation of such a curriculum could eventually contribute to community development, including, e.g. poverty reduction.<br/><br/>Originality/value - Studies on service-learning are rare in Africa, especially in postgraduate education. Gender-sensitive studies on service-learning are generally scarce and the same holds for studies on encouraging STEM students to integrate social innovation into their thesis work. By combining these aspects, this study presents an original contribution to existing research.}},
author = {{Wao, Hesborn and Oduor Otendo, Clement and Syonguvi, Jackline and Muriithi, Petronilla and Kadengye, Damazo and Brodin, Eva}},
issn = {{2398-4686}},
keywords = {{Developing countries; sustainable development goals; Mixed methods; Curriculum development; Community-based learning; Master’s education}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{2}},
pages = {{171--187}},
publisher = {{Emerald Group Publishing Limited}},
series = {{Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education}},
title = {{Encouraging social innovation for combating poverty : Master's students’ gendered experiences with a service-learning intervention in Kenya and Uganda}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/SGPE-07-2021-0054}},
doi = {{10.1108/SGPE-07-2021-0054}},
volume = {{13}},
year = {{2022}},
}