Mapping Service-Learning Practices to foster Competences for Democratic Culture
Timeline: 1/11/2025 – 31/10/2026
During the first phase of the SL4DC project, we aim to identify existing service-learning practices that contribute to competences for democratic culture in the European higher education context. Service-learning practices from different European countries that explicitly refer to learning outcomes as described in the EU Reference Framework on Competences for Democratic Culture (RFCDC) will be selected.
We will analyse the collected experiences, interpreting the underlying mechanisms and linking them to the four dimensions of the EU RFCDC model: values, attitudes, skills and knowledge & critical understanding. This will provide empirical evidence on the impact and key elements for effective service-learning to foster democratic competences.
Outputs
1) State-of-the-art Report on Service-Learning to foster Competences for Democratic Culture
A report will be created identifying the key factors that contribute to the effectiveness of service-learning practices in fostering competences for democratic culture.
The report will contain:
- A state-of-the-art overview describing how service-learning fostering competences for democratic culture is implemented within consortium universities and their countries. It will identify key factors contributing to its effectiveness and will cover comparative insights across institutions, highlighting differences in approaches, challenges and successes.
- A research-based analysis identifying the structural and functional elements that make service-learning transformative for developing democratic competences. This includes: the organization of service-learning experiences, the nature of student participation, and the role of reflection in reinforcing learning and competence development.
- Practical guidelines for higher education teachers and policy recommendations for higher education administrators to enhance the design and implementation of service-learning initiatives that support democratic competences in European higher education.
2) Online Repository of Good Practices
An online repository showcasing a selection of real-life examples that demonstrate how service-learning can foster competences for democratic culture. The repository will contain detailed descriptions of successful service-learning experiences including goals and intended outcomes, used methodology, impact on students and communities, lessons learned and challenges encountered. The cases will serve as models for higher education institutions seeking to implement or improve service-learning initiatives and will encourage the wider adoption of service-learning as a teaching method to foster competences for democratic culture.