Authors

April Mae D. Gabutero*
Cebu Technological University
Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines
Email: aprilmae.gabutero@ctu.edu.ph
https://orcid.org/0009-0006-0393-2761

Jonah A. Coste
Mandaue Comprehensive National High School
Plaridel St., Mandaue City, Cebu, Philippines
Email: jocoste48@gmail.com
https://orcid.org/0009-0003-1961-8468

Maria Ellen R. Lacio
Talisay City Central Elementary School
Talisay City, Cebu, Philippines
Email: mariaellen.lacio@deped.gov.ph
https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5146-3474

Regina P. Galigao
Cebu Technological University-Main Campus
Corner M.J. Cuenco Avenue, Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines
Email: reginpgaligao@gmail.com
https://orcid.org/0009-0006-0040-2628

Abstract

Community-Based Learning (CBL) has gained global prominence as an approach that links academic instruction with real-world community engagement. Despite its growing adoption, evidence on CBL implementation remains fragmented across countries and institutions, limiting understanding of the common barriers that affect program quality and sustainability. This study synthesizes peer-reviewed research from 2015–2025 using a data-mining approach to identify recurring challenges in CBL across continents. Findings cluster into three major categories: resource-related constraints, program structure challenges, and systemic barriers. Resource limitations—including inadequate funding, staffing shortages, weak infrastructure, and digital inequities—restrict program feasibility and the depth of community engagement. Program structure challenges arise from fragmented coordination, inconsistent monitoring systems, inflexible curricula, and limited community co-design, resulting in uneven implementation and diminished learning outcomes. Systemic barriers, including governance rigidity, bureaucratic constraints, colonial legacies, and entrenched power asymmetries, exert the strongest influence by shaping institutional norms and community participation. Across contexts, the study reveals that CBL effectiveness is determined not only by operational resources but also by deeper structural conditions embedded within higher-education systems. The synthesis highlights the need for sustained institutional investment, equitable partnerships, and policy frameworks that support long-term, community-centered CBL.

Keywords: community-based learning, resource limitations, systemic barriers, program structure challenges

*Corresponding author

DOI: http://doi.org/10.69651/PIJHSS0404611

Recommended citation:

Gabutero, A. M. D., Coste, J. A., Lacio, M. E. R., & Galigao, R. P. (2025). A global review of challenges affecting community-based learning. Pantao (The International Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences) 4 (4), 6646-6655. http://doi.org/10.69651/PIJHSS0404611

Read the full text

References

Abba, U. M., & Rashid, A. M. (2020). Teachers’ competency requirement for implementation of inclusive education in Nigeria. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 8(3C), 60–69. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2020.081607

Amadi, E., Chikweru, C., & Allagoa, I. C. (2019). Teachers’ demographic variables as determinants of effective classroom management in secondary schools in Rivers State. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332627437_Teachers’_Demographic_Variables_as_Determinants_of_Effective_Classroom_Management_in_Secondary_Schools_in_Rivers_State

Best, J. W., & Kahn, J. V. (2025). Research in education (13th ed.). Pearson.

Bustamante, C. R., Lumapenet, H. T., & Esrael, J. D. (2024). Teachers’ burnout and teaching performance towards quality of work-life balance in face-to-face classes. International Journal of Advance Research and Innovative Ideas in Education, 10(3), 4659–4667. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381126080_TEACHERS

Chater, N., & Loewenstein, G. (2023). Understanding progress through technological acceptance. Journal of Behavioral Science and Technology, 45(2), 112–125.

Cooc, N. (2019). Supporting special education teachers in inclusive settings. International Journal of Educational Research, 98, 235–244.

Emerson, L., Eadie, P., & McGregor, D. (2017). Teachers’ emotional intelligence, burnout, work engagement, and self-efficacy during COVID-19 lockdown. Behavioral Sciences, 13(4), 296. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328x/13/4/296

Haleem, A., Javaid, M., Qadri, M. A., & Suman, R. (2022). Role of digital tools in improving teaching effectiveness. Education and Information Technologies, 27(5), 6571–6585.

Hutzler, Y., Meier, S., Reuker, S., & Zitomer, M. (2019). Attitudes and self-efficacy of physical education teachers toward inclusion of children with disabilities: A narrative review of international literature. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 24(3), 249–266. https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2019.1571183

Galaterou, J., & Antoniou, A.-S. (2017). Teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education: The role of job stressors and demographic parameters. International Journal of Special Education, 32(4). https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1184123.pdf

Ganji, M., & Musaie Sejzehie, F. (2022). The effects of age, gender, teaching experience, teaching context, and academic degree on Iranian English teachers’ classroom management behaviors. Issues in Language Teaching, 11(1), 223–253. https://doi.org/10.22054/ilt.2022.65363.668

Kearns, K. (2023). Inclusive learning with assistive technologies. Journal of Special Needs Education, 34(1), 49–61.

Kersten, A., van Woerkom, M., Kooij, D. T., & Bauwens, R. (2022). Paying gratitude forward at work: How work-specific gratitude can affect burnout through interpersonal helping behavior. Journal of Personnel Psychology, 21(3), 137–147.

Li, Y., Li, X., & Zhang, L. (2020). The effect of inclusive school climate on job burnout among elementary school inclusive teachers: The mediating role of teaching efficacy under the ecosystem theory. Education Sciences, 15(5), 634. https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/15/5/634

Macapaz, M. K. S., Bubuli, C. A., Nuñal, M. P. P., Alpuerto, I. M. G., Caalaman, A. S., & Ramos, A. M. (2024). Exploring teachers’ attitudes and burnout in inclusive classrooms. International Journal of Intelligent Systems and Applications in Engineering. https://www.ijisae.org/index.php/IJISAE/article/view/6635

Mokhampanyane, M. (2024). Teachers’ capabilities in implementing inclusive education: A South African perspective. Research in Social Sciences and Technology, 9(3), 11–25. https://doi.org/10.46303/ressat.2024.44

Podolsky, A., Kini, T., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2019). Does teaching experience increase teacher effectiveness? A review of US research. Journal of Professional Capital and Community, 4(4), 286–308. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPCC-12-2018-0032

Schiefele, U., & Schaffner, E. (2015). Teacher motivation and its impact on student learning. Educational Psychology Review, 27(3), 395–408.

Tummers, L. G., & Bakker, A. B. (2021). Leadership and job demands–resources theory: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 722080. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.722080

Villarejo, F. B., Mamburao, R. S., & Lumapenet, H. T. (2022). Work demands and occupational burnout among public school teachers in the Philippines. International Journal of Advance Research and Innovative Ideas in Education, 8(3), 4923–4926.

Van Leeuwen, A., & Janssen, J. (2019). Teachers’ adaptive strategies for diverse classrooms. Teaching and Teacher Education, 86, 102914.

Wilkerson, A. (2012). The role of self-contained classrooms in autism education. Journal of Special Education Practice, 28(3), 45–58. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/jsed.2012.003