Social justice advocacy in the classroom through service-learning in public relations: welcoming students with legal refugee status

This study uses classroom ethnography to position service-learning pedagogical approaches in the context of social justice advocacy in public relations. The research focuses on public relations (PR) teaching and learning processes while implementing an advocacy project to welcome students with legal refugee status at a Portuguese university. Findings provide longitudinal evidence that improves the understanding of 1) Students’ challenges in linking theory and practice, 2) Pedagogical approaches that promote greater engagement in social justice advocacy, and 3) Students’ perceptions of the skills acquired in the context of service-learning in PR.