Student Outcomes From Participating in an International STEM Service-Learning Course

Kristy L Daniel,Chandrani Mishra

doi:10.1177/2158244017697155

Kristy L Daniel, Chandrani Mishra

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244017697155

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to measure student affective, behavior, and content (ABC) and global awareness outcomes after participating in a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)–based international service-learning (ISL) course and impacts on long-term retention in STEM fields. We compared experiences from 12 participants (undergraduate and graduate students) enrolled in a STEM-based ISL course with experiences from four students enrolled in the same course without the service-learning component. The ISL course involved classroom discussions on environmental topics and four local and ISL projects with community partners to contribute to conservation efforts. Data came from student responses on a civics awareness questionnaire, reflective journal entries, and responses captured during individual semistructured interviews 2 years after the course. Findings indicate positive improvements in affective outcomes, significant gains in civic awareness, differences in behaviors based on class of student, specific content gains related to service-learning activities, global awareness gains for all students, and differential impacts on retention in STEM-related fields.

Highlights

There is a push to recruit and retain students into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields (National Academy of Sciences [NAS], 2007) as well as improve civic awareness (Moely, McFarland, Miron, Mercer, & Ilustre, 2002)
Our study investigates the impacts of a STEM-based international service-learning (ISL) course on college student ABC and global awareness outcomes
We found that students in the ISL group readily reported that they planned to use their newly learned skills they gained through the service-learning activities

Summary

Introduction

There is a push to recruit and retain students into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields (National Academy of Sciences [NAS], 2007) as well as improve civic awareness (Moely, McFarland, Miron, Mercer, & Ilustre, 2002). Service-learning allows students to learn through realworld application of content knowledge by collaborating with community partners (Brown, Hershock, Finelli, & O’Neal, 2009). This style of learning enhances academic knowledge, personal awareness, and sense of civic responsibility (Ash & Clayton, 2009). Authentic learning experiences associated with ISL differentiates it from traditional pedagogical approaches such as study abroad and international education (Bringle et al, 2011). ISL experiences offered to students in higher education may help retention in STEM fields along with improved understanding of the world. There are global awareness outcomes that are more restricted to ISL experiences

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