Students' perspectives of the relationship between the university and a community partner in the context of a service learning psycho-education programme

Abstract

This qualitative case study aims to understand students' perspectives of the relationship between the university and a community partner in the context of a service-learning programme. The study explores the experiences of three postgraduate psychology students that were involved in a service-learning programme at an under resourced school in the Eastern Cape. The data gathered was analysed thematically and major analytic themes were identified. The findings highlight the usefulness of service-learning for the student participants. However, student participants also argued that structural difficulties can make it harder for the community partner to enjoy the same benefits. The analysis brings forth the students' concerns about managing stakeholder perceptions and the importance of broad-based participation and constant communication to ensure a good working relationship between partners. The findings highlight the students' awareness of some of the difficulties of working in resource-constrained settings.