Sharing the Wonder: Service-Learning as an Avenue for Faith Integration in Mathematics

Abstract

The study described in this article was designed to assess students’ faith integration (FI) learning in a mathematics writing course and its impact on service-learning (SL) as well as to understand how SL can be used to help students think in new ways about the integration of mathematics and faith. A Scholarship of Teaching and Learning methodology (SoTL) was employed, with the intention of using the results to improve course design. The study was conducted in a mathematics writing course for undergraduate math majors. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analyzed in a mixed-methods study design. Findings indicated that, following the SL experience, all of the students articulated FI perceptions related to mathematics, and a majority of the new faith-related understanding emerged from their SL experience. However, when prompted, fewer than half of the students expressed a purpose for engaging in service that connected their Christian faith and communicating about math; instead, most students indicated that their faith inspired them to demonstrate good behavior or be a “role model.” Post-SL visit survey results corroborated these findings: Although 80% of the students indicated agreement that the SL experience allowed them to live out Christian values, less than 60% identified themselves as being able to understand the connection between the SL experience and their personal faith. In response to the findings, potential modifications that could be introduced in this mathematics writing course, as well as other similar courses, are presented and discussed.