TRAINING UNIVERSITY STUDENTS FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: LESSONS FROM A KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOUR (KAB) STUDY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25159/2415-5829/2187Keywords:
community engagement, student volunteers, training, socioeconomic empowerment, community service, KAB (Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviour) studiesAbstract
This article describes the contents and effect of an accredited short course on socio-economic development that was designed for the project leaders of the Student Rag Community Service (SRCS) of the North-West University’s Potchefstroom campus. The SRCS is the largest student-driven non-profit organisation in South Africa and the course was intended to enable its students, which came from diverse academic backgrounds, to become effective leaders of non-curricular community engagement projects. Measurements were done by means of knowledge, attitudes and behaviour (KAB) scales, as well as an adapted Facilitation Assessment Scale (FAS). The results proved that the course had a practical significant effect on the participants’ knowledge and a medium to large effect on their attitudes and intended behaviour. These findings make it possible to use the course as a basis for the development of similar courses in community engagement at other tertiary training institutions and even further afield.
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