Evaluation of Pre-Service Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions of Community Service-Learning Course

Abstract

The aim of the study is to determine pre-service elementary teachers’ perceptions of a Community Service Learning (CSL) course. The sample consisted of 102 pre-service elementary teachers taking the CSL course in the 2012-2013 spring semesters. The Perceptions of Community Service Practice Survey, personal journals, and open-ended questions were used as data sources. The survey had five subscales including student socialization, personal development, perception of the course, perception of the institutions, and perception of the advisor. The findings showed that pre-service teachers had a positive attitude toward the course especially in the socialization subscale with a statistically significant result compared to the other subscales.