Role Played by Community Programmes in Shaping Education - Dissertation Example

Role played by Community Programmes in Shaping Education By + Role played by Community Programmes in Shaping Education Background Education has expanded beyond the confines of classrooms. The fact that a growing adult’s education entails improving the different aspects of their lives has had a major effect on students, contributing to the inclusion of community programmes in education. Research undertaken on education posits that academic success on its own does not define the basis of education. Most schools have a curriculum designed to produce students who are both academically successful and socially and psychologically well trained. This marks the basis for the introduction of community programs into education. Community programs are those programs undertaken outside the classroom that contribute to the social well-being of students. Most community programs involve both the students and members of the public, especially the society living around the school. The students play an important role of making their contribution towards making the society a better place while at the same time developing their social skills through interactions with other people from outside the precincts of the school (Bryman, 2008, 65). This paper assesses the benefits of community programs to the course of education, while investigating the various ways that community programs can be used in the development of students into individuals of both high academic ability and social responsibility (Andrews, 2003, 68). Context Community programmes in education bring together individuals from learning environments and the community in a common activity for the benefit of the society. Therefore, the context of this research is both in institutions of learning as well as in the community with which they are involved. Introduction Education touches on every aspect in the life of person. In that regard, it is essential to understand what it entails. Education entails training of individuals to improve their academic, psychological and social development. In that case, schools and other institutions of learning strive to put together a combination of programs that would assist in the development of a complete student by the time they finish school. The programs that students are encouraged to participate in are strategic in the sense that the only way a student can benefit from them is through participation. Some of these programs may be funded by the school, others may be funded jointly with other partners that support the cause as well as complete funding coming from external partners. The source of funding is important because it determines the level of control that the participants in these programs can exercise as they indulge in these programmes. This research examines different community programs and the role they play in education (Conrad & Serlin, 2011, 143). Research Methodology Approach This research shall employ both a quantitative and qualitative approach, based on the nature of information acquired through the research. These approach involves the unification of adequate research practices with theoretical bases in research (Silverman, 2006, 37). Research Aims The main aim of undertaking this research is to find out the role that community programmes play in shaping education at every level. Research Questions i. What are community programmes in education? ii. What are the examples of community programmes that help in the shaping of education? iii. What is their contribution to education? Literature Review In recent history, institutions of learning have become increasingly involved in community programs. Community programs have gained favour because of the contributions they make towards the development of students as they go through school (Silverman, 2005, 53). There are various community programmes that students can involve themselves with. Examples of community programmes are safety and disease awareness campaigns, campaigns against societal vices such as bullying and drug abuse, advocacy for lifestyle changes, efforts towards catering for the needs of the disadvantaged and the poor and even environmental conservation (Bryman, 2008, 88). The involvement of students in such activities brings out their reactiveness as they help in efforts to seek solutions, as well as keeping students in touch with occurences in the society around them. There are various reasons for involvement in community programs: Connection to the school Schools, especially institutions of higher learning, have abundant resources at their disposal. For a student to exploit these resources for their own benefit they need to get involved in the school and community programmes. Students can also connect to the school through becoming an ambassador for the school as he or she interacts with the community around the school. The school facilitates the activities of the student during community programmes. As the student represents the school, they share the ideals of the school with the people within the communities, making the student feel closer to the school. Further, the school and community programs allow a student to put his or her contribution towards a good cause as they attend school. This creates a feeling of closeness with the school, especially if the student shares the same ideals as the community and school programmes seek to address (Thompson, 2008, 152). Helps in building communities When students leave their homes for school, they leave all that is familiar to them like their family, their friends sometimes, their pets and gadgets among others (Silverman, 2005, 73). Involving in community programs helps students to get involved in various activities that enable them to make new friends. The friendships that a person makes during involvement in community programmes are based on shared ideals and interests in the matter being addressed. With friendships built during involvement in community programs, prospects for a building a more cohesive community are increased. Such communities help the younger generation to grow and develop in a peaceful environment, where people have formed friendships based on their like minds and their contribution to the community. Helps in the discovery of strengths and passions Involvement in community programs in the course of education allows an individual to discover their abilities outside the classroom (Christensen & James, 2000, 130). The most important factor is that the discovery of an individual’s strengths and passions assists the individual throughout their lives. They are able to align their activities based on their preferences in both their professional and social lives. By engaging in community programmes, students learn what they like as well as what they do not like through dealing with a collection of issues affecting the community around them and engaging with different people from different backgrounds and in various fields. When students realize their strengths and passions, they find it relatively easy to choose hobbies, careers and other interests that benefit them. Others’ strengths and passions can also be realized through involvement in community programs, therefore participants in such programs can divide duties during the life of the program. Builds the students’ resume One understated fact is that involvement in community programmes contributes favourably to the curriculum vitae of the person involved. In the current setup, most business organizations are involved in various programmes with the community, some in the name of corporate social responsibility. It boosts one’s chances in the job market when they demonstrate their involvement in community programmes, since they play a role in which their expertise in community relations may prove essential. Involvement in community programmes gives potential employer information regarding the social skill set of a potential employee. These social skills, coupled with the academic and professional skills, may be an advantage while positioning oneself for employment (Thompson, 2008, 157). Helps with time consumption Community activities help young people to use their time wisely. Research shows that busier students end up performing better in all spheres in their education. However, an argument brought forth is that the performance of students in various areas varies by the student. A common fact is that more free time cannot in any way equal better grades. Therefore, when one is not studying, learning can still go on outside the classroom. Further, participating in community programmes equips a student with time management and organizational skills, since students tend to develop a schedule for pursuing both academics and non-academic interests of value (James & Christensen, 2000, 132). Methodology Explanation Participants Participants in the research project will be students and teachers in five selected schools (Thompson, 2008, 26). The selection of these students within the schools will be random, without regard to their age and course that they undertake. The random selection of students and teachers is because the research aims at collecting information from respondents regardless of any differences that they may have, so that every opinion with regard to community programs can be collected. If respondents were hand-picked, the quality of the responses would be biased, considering that most people who indulge in community programmes have similar opinions about the programmes, thus restricting the researcher to proponents of the programs only. Random selection allows for the inclusion of opinions and ideas from a wider population, including those who do not participate in community programs. Instruments The instruments employed in the research will be questionnaires and interviews. Questionnaires and interviews will help to provide the primary data regarding student involvement in community programmes while they are in school, as well as collect raw data on their experiences while they undertake these activities (Cohen, Manion& Morisson, 2003, 108). The questionnaires and interview question guides will contain structured questions aimed at retrieving true information from participants on the role they play in their preferred community programmes and the impact that such involvement has on their overall well-being and performance (Conrad & Serlin, 2011, 74). Procedure The procedure shall begin with the formulation of the research question, which shall then be followed by identifying the sample population that will participate in the research (Andrews, 2003). Fifty individuals will participate in the research. After identifying the sample population, the individuals selected will be issued with the questionnaires, which they will have a week to fill. After the collection of the filled questionnaires, the researcher shall embark on data analysis and the compilation of the findings. Data Collection Data collection shall be undertaken by primary methods. Primary data collection involves having a sample population and using this population to get information that will help in the answering of the research questions (Cohen, Manion& Morisson, 2003, 118). Primary data collection is the most appropriate data collection method for this research because it provides information as it is, without any alterations. Further, the researcher does not attempt to justify the responses, as he does not express his opinion through the responses acquired from the research. The outcome of the research will, however, be compared with previous research undertaken on similar topics before (Thompson, 2008, 31). Data analysis This research shall adopt both qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques. Qualitative data analysis will help in the analysis of the non-tangible aspects of the research, for example, the determination of the value of engagement in community programmes to a student. Quantitative data analysis will help in the understanding of issues such as frequency of such involvement and the amount of time spent involving in community programmes by students (Silverman, 2006, 42). Ethical Issues One of the ethical issues in the research work is the confidentiality of the information provided by the participants. The researcher will have to convince the participants that the information that they provide during the interviews and in the questionnaires will be kept private (Pauwels, 2011, 121). Another ethical issue is the permission to undertake the research. The researcher will need to get permission first from his school to undertake the research work. After receiving such permission, the researcher will have to obtain permission to involve students and teachers from other schools in the research process (Punch, 2009, 126). Schedule Event Duration Identification of research questions 1 day Identification of sample population 3 days Preparation of research materials 2 days Data collection 7 days Data Analysis 7 days Report compilation 14 days Strengths and Weaknesses Evaluation The methodology selected possesses the advantage of providing information based on the opinions of the participants. This is important in finding out the effects that involvement in community programmes has on the education of the respondents from their personal view and from their teachers’ view (Pauwels, 2011, 114). However, the main weakness associated with this methodology is the time consumed and the costs involved. The preparation of the materials involves purchasing papers and printing the questionnaires. Further, the researcher shall incur travelling costs as he visits the schools from which his sample population come from. The time consumed is a weakness of this method, because the researcher will take a considerable amount of time collecting and analysing data (Punch, 2009, 92). Conclusion As young people attend school, they should be encouraged to involve themselves in community programs because of the benefits involved. Community programs encourage the holistic development of an individual, from their academic ability to their social and inter-personal skills. Further, as stipulated earlier in this report, involvement in community programs also contributes to the increment of career prospects of a person in the sense that an individual’s activities may support an organization’s code on social responsibility. Therefore, schools should avail resources and opportunities for their students to take part in community programs because of the benefits that the students, the school and the community stand to accrue from such activities. References Andrews, R. (2003). Research questions. London: Continuum. Bryman, A. (2008). Social research methods (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Christensen, P. M., & James, A. (2000). Research with children perspectives and practices. London: Falmer Press. Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2003). Research methods in education (5th ed.). London: RoutledgeFalmer. Conrad, C., & Serlin, R. C. (2011). The Sage handbook for research in education: pursuing ideas as the keystone of exemplary inquiry (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE Publications. Pauwels, L. (2011). The SAGE handbook of visual research methods. Los Angeles: SAGE. Punch, K. (2009). Introduction to research methods in education. Los Angeles: Sage. Silverman, D. (2005). Doing qualitative research: a practical handbook (2nd ed.). London: Sage Publications Silverman, D. (2006). Interpreting qualitative data: methods for analyzing talk, text, and interaction (2nd ed.). London: Sage Publications. Thomson, P. (2008). Doing visual research with children and young people. 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