Community-engaged curricula in higher education: the case of a master's programme in play therapy

Abstract

This article presents the results from research on community-engaged curricula using feedback from international and South African academics who teach on postgraduate programmes with a community engagement component. It also includes the findings from a sample master’s programme in Play Therapy at a South African university. The findings indicated that at least five important issues are related to community-engaged master’s programmes in Play Therapy, namely: programme relevance, integrated scholarship, community-based research, reciprocal learning, and close academic staff involvement. Based on these findings a curriculum framework is suggested which caters for an integrated scholarship approach in master’s programmes in Play Therapy that closely engage with community needs. Such a framework may relate to similar or other professional master’s programme curricula.