Vol. 10, Issue 5, Part E (2024)

Abstract
Community engagement is recognized as a vital aspect of education, which incorporates real-life experiences into learning and address community needs. The goals of community engagement in HEI are to improve quality of teaching and learning, creating better relationships between HEIs and community; to identify the problems and reach the solution faced by community members for common benefit. Teachers’ role is very important in shaping students’ behaviour and connecting educational institutions with the community. In higher educational institutions (HEIs), teachers\\\\\\\' involvement in community engagement can significantly enhance the quality of education and foster better relationships between HEIs and the communities. The objective of this study is to explore teachers’ perceptions of community engagement in HEIs, focusing on identifying barriers and best practices. Employing descriptive survey method, data was collected from 73 teachers from government degree colleges of Telangana State. Results revealed moderate levels of perceived community engagement among teachers and highlighted barriers such as limited community involvement and lack of funding.