Research-Centered Service-Learning: MSW Student Reflections on Interviewing Incarcerated Individuals

Abstract

ABSTRACT Service learning, an often-cited pedagogical approach in social work education, may be one strategy to assuage student anxiety about research course work and create continuity in siloed course content. The present study sought to provide an understanding of the impact of a service-learning project embedded in a first-year, graduate-level research course. Nineteen students conducted structured interviews with individuals who were incarcerated for drug-related offenses in a rural jail. Students provided written reflections on their experiences, which were subsequently analyzed using an open-coding method. Ten codes emerged from the data that revealed three major themes: the experience, beyond the structured interview, and gratitude and growth. Student reflections demonstrated a consideration of research methodology with a vulnerable population. Moreover, they demonstrated critical thinking on the intersection of mental illness, substance use, and criminal justice in rural communities and an increased awareness of the intersection of research, practice, and policy. The study provides evidence of the multifaceted utility of service learning and its potential to affect student learning beyond the substantive content of a given course.