A Catalyst for Change: Service‐Learning for TESOL Graduate Students

Abstract

This study explores ways in which TESOL graduate students were engaged in service‐learning at a public university in the midwestern United States. It describes the experiences of both domestic and international students with service‐learning that was incorporated into a hybrid graduate‐level TESOL course. Data were collected throughout the semester through weekly discussions on Blackboard, three reflective journals in which students wrote about their experiences on‐site, and in‐person discussions in the classroom, as well as through a focus group interview at the end of the semester. Findings reveal how service‐learning contributed to developing students’ intercultural awareness, civic responsibility, and teacher identity. Students also appreciated the opportunity to share their experience with the class and receive support from their peers. Overall, service‐learning gave students hands‐on experience that allowed them to translate theory into practice, thus making their learning authentic, creative, and meaningful. The findings raise important questions for TESOL educators and researchers to address as we reimagine and reconceptualize the curriculum for promoting diversity and social justice. The article concludes with suggestions for implementing service‐learning in a TESOL program.