Effect of Service-Learning on the Multicultural Competence of Teacher Candidates: From a Doing With Community Framework

Abstract

This article details the findings of a study investigating the effect of service-learning with a Doing With Community framework on teacher candidates’ multicultural attitudes and competence. Fifty-one teacher candidates participated in the research: 27 in an experimental condition and 24 in a comparison classroom. In order to transform the conventional service-learning experience into one incorporating the Doing With framework, a Dialogue with Diverse Families component was included in the experimental condition. A mixed-methods design was employed; specifically, a quasi-experimental design was utilized to obtain quantitative data from measures on multicultural attitudes and competence, and a phenomenological method was used to collect qualitative data from the students’ reflections on project experiences. The service-learning project with the Dialogue With Diverse Families component had a significant effect on teacher candidates’ multicultural competence but not on their multicultural attitudes. This article argues that the Doing With framework of service-learning contributes to teacher candidates’ multicultural competence and civic responsibility.