Keeping the heart of community engagement beating in higher education: An interdisciplinary group work collaboration of social work and psychology academics

Abstract

This conceptual review explores the transformative potential of community engagement through group work in high schools, with social work and psychology academics playing a pivotal role as an interdisciplinary team. Community engagement, often underestimated, is a crucial aspect of academia that this paper seeks to underscore. By addressing the diverse challenges high school learners face, the review highlights the importance of collaboration among academics and key stakeholders such as health and education departments, the South African Police Service (SAPS), and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). Employing a narrative review approach that involves the systematic search, selection, and synthesis of existing literature to provide a comprehensive understanding of a particular topic, we synthesise literature from 2015 to 2024, demonstrating the benefits of group work in tackling challenges in high schools. Key themes identified include socio-economic disparities, mental health issues, substance abuse, and violence. These insights and the researchers’ expertise working with groups have culminated in developing practical guidelines. This paper provides guidelines for initiating group work, engaging stakeholders, and presenting existing successful interventions. Moreover, these guidelines empower social work and psychology academics as an interdisciplinary team to create supportive, collaborative school environments, ultimately contributing to better educational and social outcomes for high school learners.