Promoting Sustainable Community Development through Effective Participatory Approach: Evidence from the University for Development Studies – Ghana
Keywords:
Sustainable, Community, Effective, Participatory, Approach, Evidence
Abstract
This paper evaluated the UDS’s engagement program in an attempt to bridge gaps amongst its actors. The study evaluated the program as a case-study grounded in transformative learning theory using qualitative design. The findings of the study indicated a landslide deficit of knowledge about the program between the university and the partner communities and the lack of definition and distribution of power that detaches the local communities from owning the program. It is recommended that an empowerment support scheme should be administered on prospective community partners.
References
Abonyi, U. K. (2016). Factors Constraining University for Development Studies in Community Engagement in Northern Ghana. Research on Humanities and Social Sciences, 22.
Bonye, S. Z., & Aasoglenang, T. A. (2013). Community Development in Ghana: Theory and Practice. Journal of Economics and Development Studies, 43-59.
Clark, G., & Jasaw, G. S. (2014). Evaluating team-project using triangulation: lessons from communities in northern Ghana. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 1-2.
Comeau, D. L., Palacios, N., Talley, C., Walker, E. R., Escoffery, C., Thompson, W. W., & Lang, D. L. (2018). Community-engaged learning in public health: An evaluation of utilisation and value of student projects for community partners. Society for Public Health Education, 3-13.
Gardenier, K. (2014). College students' transformative learning: An ethnographic case study of an alternative break program to Kenya (Doctoral dissertation). Fort Collins, Colorado: Colorado State University.
Jackson, S. L. (2009). Research methods and statistics: A critical thinking approach. Belmont: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Jongbloed, B., Enders, J., & Salerno, C. (2008). Higher Education and its Communities: Interconnections, Interdependencies and a Research Agenda. High Educ, 56, 303-324.
Menchu, R. (2007). Learrning endogenous development: Building on biocultural diversity. London: Intermediate Technology Publications Ltd.
Mohammed, I., & Yirbekyaa, E. K. (2018). First Year Students Lived Experiences of the Third Trimester Field Practical Programme at Selected communities in the Upper West Region of Ghana. African Educational Research Journal, 130-136.
Nhamo, G. (2013). Participatory action research as a platform for community engagement in higher education. JHEA/RESA, 10, No. 1, 1-21.
Odame, F. S., & Ameyaw, S. (2021). Revitalising of Ghanaian Higher Education Policies for Youth Employment using the Endogenous model: A case study of UDS, Wa Campus. ADRRI Journal of Arts and Social Sciences, 2343-6891.
Olson, B., & Brennan, M. (2017). From community engagement to community emergence: The holistic program design approach. International Journal of Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement, 5(1), 5-19.
Quillinan, B., MacPhail, A., Dempsey, C., & McEvoy, E. (2019). Transformative teaching and learning through engaged practice: Lecturers' and students' experiences in a university and underserved community partnership in Ireland. Journal of Transformative Education, 17(3), 228-250.
Scott, K. E., & Graham, J. A. (2015). Service-Learning: Implications for empathy and community engagement in elementary school children. Journal of Experiential Education, 38(4), 354-372.
Sharpe, J. E. (2016). Understanding and unlocking transformative learning as a method for enabling behaviour change for adaptation and resilience to disaster threats. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 17, 213-219.
Tando, M. S. (2015). University-Community Engagement and Development Planning in Ghana: The experience of University for Development Studies (Master thesis). Tamale: University for Development Studies.
Tanko, I. M. (2015). An Ethnographic Study of a University Community Engagement Programme of a Public University in Ghana. Leicester: University of Leicester.
Thompson, A. M., Smith-Tolken, A. R., Naidoo, A. V., & Bringle, R. G. (2010). Service learning and community engagement: A comparison of three national contexts. International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organisations, 22(2), 214-237.
Van der Riet, M., & Boettiger, M. (2009). Shifting research dynamics: addressing power and maximising participation through participatory research techniques in participatory research. South African Journal of Psychology, 39(1), 1-18.
Watson-Thompson, J. (2014). Exploring community-engaged scholarship as a intervention to change and improve communities. Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community, 11-33.
Bonye, S. Z., & Aasoglenang, T. A. (2013). Community Development in Ghana: Theory and Practice. Journal of Economics and Development Studies, 43-59.
Clark, G., & Jasaw, G. S. (2014). Evaluating team-project using triangulation: lessons from communities in northern Ghana. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 1-2.
Comeau, D. L., Palacios, N., Talley, C., Walker, E. R., Escoffery, C., Thompson, W. W., & Lang, D. L. (2018). Community-engaged learning in public health: An evaluation of utilisation and value of student projects for community partners. Society for Public Health Education, 3-13.
Gardenier, K. (2014). College students' transformative learning: An ethnographic case study of an alternative break program to Kenya (Doctoral dissertation). Fort Collins, Colorado: Colorado State University.
Jackson, S. L. (2009). Research methods and statistics: A critical thinking approach. Belmont: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Jongbloed, B., Enders, J., & Salerno, C. (2008). Higher Education and its Communities: Interconnections, Interdependencies and a Research Agenda. High Educ, 56, 303-324.
Menchu, R. (2007). Learrning endogenous development: Building on biocultural diversity. London: Intermediate Technology Publications Ltd.
Mohammed, I., & Yirbekyaa, E. K. (2018). First Year Students Lived Experiences of the Third Trimester Field Practical Programme at Selected communities in the Upper West Region of Ghana. African Educational Research Journal, 130-136.
Nhamo, G. (2013). Participatory action research as a platform for community engagement in higher education. JHEA/RESA, 10, No. 1, 1-21.
Odame, F. S., & Ameyaw, S. (2021). Revitalising of Ghanaian Higher Education Policies for Youth Employment using the Endogenous model: A case study of UDS, Wa Campus. ADRRI Journal of Arts and Social Sciences, 2343-6891.
Olson, B., & Brennan, M. (2017). From community engagement to community emergence: The holistic program design approach. International Journal of Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement, 5(1), 5-19.
Quillinan, B., MacPhail, A., Dempsey, C., & McEvoy, E. (2019). Transformative teaching and learning through engaged practice: Lecturers' and students' experiences in a university and underserved community partnership in Ireland. Journal of Transformative Education, 17(3), 228-250.
Scott, K. E., & Graham, J. A. (2015). Service-Learning: Implications for empathy and community engagement in elementary school children. Journal of Experiential Education, 38(4), 354-372.
Sharpe, J. E. (2016). Understanding and unlocking transformative learning as a method for enabling behaviour change for adaptation and resilience to disaster threats. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 17, 213-219.
Tando, M. S. (2015). University-Community Engagement and Development Planning in Ghana: The experience of University for Development Studies (Master thesis). Tamale: University for Development Studies.
Tanko, I. M. (2015). An Ethnographic Study of a University Community Engagement Programme of a Public University in Ghana. Leicester: University of Leicester.
Thompson, A. M., Smith-Tolken, A. R., Naidoo, A. V., & Bringle, R. G. (2010). Service learning and community engagement: A comparison of three national contexts. International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organisations, 22(2), 214-237.
Van der Riet, M., & Boettiger, M. (2009). Shifting research dynamics: addressing power and maximising participation through participatory research techniques in participatory research. South African Journal of Psychology, 39(1), 1-18.
Watson-Thompson, J. (2014). Exploring community-engaged scholarship as a intervention to change and improve communities. Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community, 11-33.
Published
2025-01-22
How to Cite
Pealore, Z., Ishark, A. B., & Yakubu, Z. (2025). Promoting Sustainable Community Development through Effective Participatory Approach: Evidence from the University for Development Studies – Ghana. European Journal of Science, Innovation and Technology, 4(6), 220-231. Retrieved from https://ejsit-journal.com/index.php/ejsit/article/view/594
Issue
Section
Articles
Copyright (c) 2024 Zachary Pealore, Alan Burns Ishark, Zuweira Yakubu
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
ISSN 
