Exploring Participatory Learning and Engagement Through a Moral and Civic Compass

Participatory learning and student engagement in higher education have gained renewed attention in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participatory learning, in particular, emphasizes the cultivation of civic and moral awareness among students and signals a transformative shift in pedagogy—one that prepares students not only for the workforce but also for engaged and ethical citizenship (Bosio, 2024; Philominraj et al., 2020). As the world faces intensifying challenges, including climate change, higher education must evolve from traditional lecture-based instruction to a more interactive, student-centered, and civic-oriented model (Dunbar & Yadav, 2022; Valarmathi et al., 2024). 

This article explores the intersection of participatory learning and student engagement with the broader goal of fostering moral and civic development in the context of climate change discourse. Research suggests that colleges and universities must reframe their educational missions to nurture socially responsible students (Jardine, 2017; Orchard & Reiss, 2024). By integrating civic values into curricula, adopting deliberative pedagogy, and facilitating community-based projects, institutions can equip students with the ethical tools needed to confront ‘wicked problems’ like climate change.

 

Climate Change as a Moral Imperative

Climate change represents one of the most pressing moral and civic challenges facing humanity—and offers a critical lens for examining the role of higher education in preparing ethical citizens. As Alexander (2023) emphasizes, climate disruption is not a distant threat but a present reality that imperils college infrastructure, regional identities, and institutional resilience. This illustrates that institutions must not only respond to physical damage but also reckon with their broader civic responsibility.

Knott (2025) reports on how wildfires in Los Angeles forced elite institutions like Pepperdine and UCLA to suspend in-person activities and compromise basic services. These uneven and improvised responses reveal a lack of comprehensive preparedness, raising questions about institutional priorities and leadership.

Climate change exemplifies a “wicked problem”—a term used to describe complex, evolving issues with no definitive solutions (Head & Alford, 2015; Laff & Carlson, 2025). Orchard and Reiss (2024) advocate for a model of climate education that fosters moral imagination and ethical reflection alongside scientific knowledge. The integration of climate discourse into participatory learning models, as they propose, is a necessary step toward fostering civic awareness and moral agency.

Higher education must teach students not only to understand climate science but also to grapple with its moral implications. As the United Nations emphasizes, climate change already threatens food security, biodiversity, and global health. Students must be equipped to reflect on their role in shaping sustainable futures—not only through academic knowledge but also through civic action and moral responsibility.

 

Defining Participatory Learning and Student Engagement

Participatory learning—also referred to as collaborative or cooperative learning—is an instructional approach that actively involves students in the learning process (Philominraj et al., 2020) Grounded in dialogue, reflection, and joint problem-solving, this model seeks to transform students from passive recipients of information into active co-creators of knowledge (Cook-Sather et al., 2014). Resta and Laferrière (2007) and Slavin (2014) emphasize the power of student collaboration in deepening understanding in participatory learning. In e-learning environments, participatory learning refers to self-guided education centered on solving problems, where learners actively take part in a collaborative community by co-learning, engaging with others, and building knowledge together (Haron et al., 2017).

Similarly, discussions of student engagement have gained momentum across both national and international higher education systems (Coates et al., 2022; Fredricks et al., 2019; Valarmathi et al., 2024). According to Lei et al. and Chang et al. (as cited in Thornberg et al., 2022), student engagement entails “students being actively involved in their learning tasks and activities” and “the degree to which students are engaged in learning in the formal education process … referring to the time, effort, and energy they commit to educational learning tasks” (p. 841).

This dual approach of participatory learning and student engagement encourages students to move beyond the passive reception of knowledge toward a model where they are co-creators of their educational journey as exemplified in China (Androsov & Zhang, 2023). By fostering dynamic classrooms that nurture critical thinking, civic consciousness, and collaboration, educators can better address global challenges such as environmental crises and social inequality—challenges that demand civic responsibility and ethical awareness.

 

Ethics and Civic Action: Higher Education’s Moral Mandate

In an age defined by uncertainty—from climate disruptions to widening social disparities—higher education must go beyond career preparation. Colleges and universities are tasked with cultivating students’ moral compasses, civic consciousness, and a deepened sense of social responsibility (Owusu-Agyeman & Fourie-Malherbe, 2021). This is why moral and civic development are not peripheral outcomes of higher education; they are central to its mission and purpose.

Recent scholarship reinforces this imperative. Several scholars such as Owusu-Agyeman and Fourie-Malherbe (2021), Younas and Imran (2025), Van Stekelenburg et al. (2021), Wong (2023), and Orchard and Reiss (2024) advocate for embedding civic learning and moral reasoning within institutional systems. Their work collectively provides a roadmap for fostering ethical agency, empathy, and civic responsibility among students.

Specifically, Younas and Imran (2025) highlight pragmatic, multimodal teaching approaches—including debates, simulations, digital storytelling, and service-learning—as effective in cultivating civic awareness. Van Stekelenburg et al. (2021) extend this vision, suggesting that equipping students with an “ethical compass” requires more than teaching moral theory; it involves nurturing moral imagination, reflective judgment, and emotional engagement. Ethics, they argue, should not be siloed into a single course but integrated across curricula and institutional practices—from STEM labs to student affairs.

 

Community-Based Engagement

Higher education can shape students’ civic development through community-based learning. This model appeals to both intrinsically motivated students—who participate in local projects out of personal conviction—and extrinsically motivated students, who are more likely to develop long-term civic interest when given autonomy and a meaningful connection to the community (Hulbert & Harkins, 2024; Sze-Yeung Lai & Chi-Leung Hui, 2021).

 

Deliberative Pedagogy and Civic Dialogue

Closely connected to community-based engagement is deliberative pedagogy—an educational approach that prepares students for active participation in complex, collective decision-making (Hulbert & Harkins, 2024). Carcasson (2019) argues that this pedagogy helps students acquire the mindsets and skills needed to navigate ‘wicked’ societal problems, which lack clear solutions and require collaboration across disciplines and communities.

Several institutions have adopted this approach effectively. The University of Michigan uses deliberative pedagogy in its intergroup dialogue programs; California State University, Chico integrates town hall-style dialogues in its First-Year Experience curriculum; and Tarleton State University promotes civic dialogue through Texan Debate Days and a dedicated living-learning hall for civic-minded students (Hulbert & Harkins, 2024).

These examples demonstrate how flexible, real-world learning experiences help students internalize civic values, ethical principles, and social responsibility—extending learning far beyond the classroom.

 

Students as Civic Partners, Not Passive Learners

A crucial insight from participatory learning is the reconceptualization of students as civic partners, not passive learners. Owusu-Agyeman and Fourie-Malherbe (2021) argue for a participatory civic engagement model in which students co-produce knowledge and actively contribute to social change. This shift requires dismantling hierarchical academic structures and empowering students to co-create solutions to social issues. When institutions view students as collaborators in learning and community-building, they foster deeper democratic values, a sense of ownership, and authentic belonging. It can be argued that treating students as civic partners accelerates their moral and civic development and strengthens the institution’s social impact.

Wong (2023) captured students’ reflections on moral learning and found a recurring theme: students’ value moral education but often perceive it as abstract or detached from lived experience. This points to the urgent need for participatory, interdisciplinary, and experiential learning tied to real-world issues such as climate change. Barbara Jacoby (as cited in Hulbert & Harkins, 2024) describes this integration as service-learning—a model where students engage in community-based activities that address social needs while also supporting personal and academic growth.

 

Key Findings

• Participatory learning fosters active student involvement and encourages moral reflection, civic dialogue, and collaborative problem-solving.

• Student engagement is most impactful when linked to real-world issues such as climate change and democratic fragility.

• Deliberative pedagogy equips students with the skills for high-quality decision-making in the face of complex societal challenges.

• Service-learning and community-based education appeal to both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, strengthening student commitment to civic values.

• Institutions that reframe students as civic partners rather than passive learners are more likely to nurture democratic values, ethical agency, and a sense of belonging.

• Climate change serves as a moral case study demanding interdisciplinary education, ethical reflection from students.

 

Conclusion

To meet the demands of the present and future, this paper contends that higher education must integrate participatory learning, moral development, and civic engagement into the fabric of academic life. This transformation requires institutions to move beyond rigid curricula and toward flexible, dialogic, and experiential models that empower students to act ethically and collectively.

Universities are not merely places of knowledge transfer—they are moral incubators and civic arenas. By reimagining students as active co-creators of knowledge and change, institutions can fulfill their public mission. The time to act is now—not only for the sake of education, but for the protection of our environment, and the advancement of shared humanity.

 

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