Abstract:
Social ills are increasing globally, necessitating higher education and teacher-training
institutions to produce teachers with specific attributes to address the challenges.
The University of Pretoria employs a triple helix approach, combining a set of
interactions between community engagement, work-integrated learning and work
readiness into the curricula. The aim is to yield adaptable teachers with
employability skills and knowledge to function in a rapidly changing, 21st-century
world. This paper reports on a follow-up or Stage 2 community engagement project
conducted with identified third-year pre-service teachers. The first stage or Stage 1
of the qualitative approach study within participation action research embedded in
Kolb's cyclic experiential learning theory found that many learners at the school
experienced learning difficulties. This paper reports the Stage 2 findings following an
investigation into the systematic factors that contribute to learning difficulties. The
findings suggest interrelated dynamic contributions and highlight the crucial role
of universities in advancing the social development of communities. The study
further proposes a fundamental shift in focus to a joint stakeholder collaboration in
supporting communities and learners, thus sidestepping the social and anticipated
learning difficulties.
