The Effect of Research and Community Based Learning on Creative Communication Module Students' Empirical Academic Work

Abstract

This research article aims to examine the effects of research and community-based learning activities on the production of empirical academic outputs by undergraduate students in the Bachelor of Arts Program in Community Studies for Sustainable Development at Prince of Songkla University. The participants were 49 undergraduate students enrolled in the Creative Communication course. The research was conducted through the integration of theoretical and practical instruction in parallel with a research project, in which students studied real community issues, designed research processes, and produced academic articles. The research instruments included learning reflection journals and unstructured interviews, and the data were analyzed using multiple qualitative data analysis techniques. The findings revealed that research- and community-based learning activities aligned with the philosophy of the curriculum emphasizing experiential learning with instructors acting as facilitators, enhanced students’ skills in problem identification, question formulation, critical inquiry, and the application of knowledge to future professional practice, enabled students to disseminate knowledge through presentations at national academic conferences resulting in nine academic articles, and fostered students’ inquiry skills, academic exchange, and the ability to assess situations and plan effective management of community issues.