Conference Agenda

Community Engaged Service Learning Pedagogy (CESLP) has the potential to foster democratic competences among higher education students. Yet CESLP is a complex pedagogical intervention whose outcomes depend on interactions between students, community partners, institutional structures, and broader societal conditions. This contribution addresses the conference question: How can service-learning projects be designed to specifically strengthen students’ democratic competences?

This presentation reports on a realist synthesis examining how, why, for whom, and under what contextual conditions CESLP contributes to the development of democratic competences that underpin civic and political engagement (CPE). Realist synthesis seeks to uncover the causal mechanisms through which CESLP works, while identifying contextual features that enable or constrain these mechanisms. This approach is particularly suited to CESLP, where learning processes, community engagement, and institutional expectations intersect in complex and dynamic ways.

The synthesis draws on empirical research, theoretical literature, and practitioner reflections to develop and refine context–mechanism–outcome (CMO) configurations. The initial program theory proposes that CESLP enables students to engage with diverse community actors and experience societal issues firsthand. Through structured reflection, lived experiences, and collaborative work, students develop awareness of their personal and professional roles and the value of collective efforts for social change. These processes are expected to foster civic responsibility, civic and political awareness, participation in civic and political activities, and ultimately civic and political engagement as an enduring attitude.

Findings indicate that mechanisms such as recognizing the potential for positive social change through collaboration, understanding underlying social and political complexities, developing a sense of personal and professional ownership, and engaging in perspective-taking, are central to activating democratic learning. These mechanisms are triggered in contexts where the civic positionality of the higher educational institute is clearly conveyed. As also in contexts were students encounter authentic real-life situations, engage with diverse (non)academic partners, and participate in local challenges through structured CESLP activities.
Early results also suggest that CESLP contributes to CPE indicators, including civic responsibility, active participation in community-based organizations, increased understanding of relevant social issues, and the ability to understand people with different values and backgrounds.

This contribution aligns with Track A by offering a theoretically grounded explanation of how CESLP can be intentionally designed to strengthen democratic competences as a foundation for CPE. The resulting program theory and underlying CMO configurations provide actionable insights for educators, curriculum designers, and institutions seeking to enhance the democratic impact of CESLP initiatives across higher education.