Teaching practices for the civic university: cultivating public good in college classrooms

Abstract

This study examines how instructional practices can advance the concept of the civic university. This paper conceptualises public goods across five domains: democratic participation, economic growth, knowledge production, sustainability, and holistic development. Through the lens of engaged scholarship, it argues that educators play a central role in operationalising civic missions through teaching practices. Focusing on activities such as collaborative learning, writing-intensive courses, service-learning, internships, capstones, and undergraduate research, this study synthesises empirical articles demonstrating their contributions to the civic purposes of higher education. The paper concludes by emphasising educators’ agency and intentional pedagogy as key drivers of societal impact.