Service Learning In Higher Education Research Articles

Service-learning Pedagogy: A Pathway to Empowering Students as A Catalyst for Sustainable Tourism Development through Civic Engagement and Community Development

The field of education for sustainable development advocates for new teaching methods that offer hands-on, engaging, and transformative learning experiences that encourage critical and systemic thinking within the framework of sustainable development. Higher education institutions strive to support the attainment of SDG 4 by promoting inclusive, fair, and high-quality education. Service-learning in higher education is in tune with the educational principles of critical and transformative pedagogy and facilitated through implementation of innovative pedagogical approaches in training professionals that will be socially critical and committed to social transformation, with the goal of achieving a larger social justice. Consequently, one of the major challenges attributed to the lack of social practice and community service in the learning environment leads to the detachment of students to the community, as well as the low social responsibility among the undergraduates. The study aimed to fill the research gap in the literature on the impact of service-learning pedagogies among students based on knowledge, attitude, and spirit and how it is correlated with professional development, personal development, social transactions. Furthermore, this study highlights how civic engagement and sustainable community development, the integral components of service-learning, contribute to and align with the principles of sustainable tourism. By connecting these elements, the research emphasizes the multifaceted benefits of service-learning in shaping socially responsible professionals and fostering sustainable tourism

국내 대학에서의 봉사학습 연구 동향

Objectives This study reports on a review of research concerning service-learning in higher education in Korea over the past 22 years (from 2001 to 2022).
 Methods A total of 25 KCI-indexed empirical studies were analyzed in terms of their publication date, research methodology, service-learning characteristics, and research themes.
 Results The results indicate that research on service-learning in the context of Korean higher education was not widely conducted until the early 2010s; however, studies have significantly increased since the latter half of the 2010s. Qualitative research methodology emerged as the most popular method in examining the experiences of college students’ engagement in service-learning. In most of the reviewed studies, service-learning was im-plemented in a semester-long curricular-based format, with service hours varying from 16 to 48 hours. Students’ involvement in service-learning was found to be closely related to their personal, academic, and social growth.
 Conclusions Given that research on service-learning in higher education in Korea is in its infancy, more studies are needed, particularly those spanning diverse academic disciplines. These studies are crucial for achieving a comprehensive understanding of how service-learning experience contributes to Korean college students’ devel-opment as active citizens with social responsibility. The feedback on students’ reflection, promoted during the process of service-learning, warrants further investigation. This will enhance our understadning of the intricate relationship between reflection and successful learning via participation in service-learning.

Navigating I-positionings in higher education Service Learning as hybrid scenarios: a case study

This paper is part of a larger study on learning processes and identity change in university students participating in Service Learning (SL) programmes, considered as hybrid activities containing practices and values from at least two settings: academic activity and professional intervention. Our SL programmes, carried out in formal schools serving children from Roma and migrant backgrounds, challenge dominant views on educational and psychological processes, offering a critical view of learning and development, where traditionally unrepresented “others”, along with their cultural knowledge, bring their own voices to the arena. Our aim is to show the transformations taking place within this SL by analysing the dialogicality contained in the field notes written by a participating psychology student, Nina (pseudonym), as an illustration of the complex dynamics of learning and identity change we encounter. By analysing Nina's reflections while acting in this SL project, we attempt to delve into these processes of transformation from the perspective of an agentive participant. In her case, we tried to unfold the complex way in which different cultural traditions entered into dialogue in her I-positions as she emotionally connected and engaged with the surrounding motives, finding her own way through cultural crossroads through affect and practice.

Društveno-korisno učenje kao inovativan alat u poučavanju rješavanja okolišnih problema – što smo naučili u 10 godina?

Service-learning represents an innovative pedagogy that integrates academic learning with community service to address environmental issues based on experiential learning principles. This innovative pedagogy enhances higher education learning outcomes by fostering active engagement, real-world context, interdisciplinary insight, skills development, and civic engagement among students. The merging of service-learning contributes to a profound understanding of the subject matter, its practical applications, and personal and professional growth. This paper provides an overview of the implementation of service-learning in the STEM field, with a primary focus on the decade-long involvement of the Faculty of Chemistry and Technology in environmental protection projects. Through collaboration with the non-governmental organisation Sunce and partners from the University of Split, this initiative, led by environmental experts, has introduced a novel approach to higher education, facilitating knowledge expansion, skill improvement, and expertise development for both students and academic staff. The impact has been substantial, with the University of Split attaining the 21st position globally on the “World Universities with Real Impact” list for ethics in 2021, largely attributable to these service-learning projects. Service-learning has been integrated into the SEA-EU initiative, furthering its development at the University of Split, and establishing it as a pioneer in this field. Institutionalising service-learning in higher education requires the establishment of dedicated courses, integration into existing programmes, and the allocation of resources for academic staff, community partners, and students. Successful implementation requires a collaborative, iterative process involving careful planning, preparation, and assessment, ensuring that students benefit from meaningful opportunities to apply course content to real-world challenges while positively impacting the community.

Profiguration and Service Learning in Higher Education: critical perspectives from intergenerational interdependence

This article presents the theoretical (and applied) development of a concept: Profiguration. It is a sample of how Service Learning (SL) promotes new lines of research and induces a symbiosis with teaching. Through Profiguration, Service Learning helps to focus on introspective spaces of society and research, opening the university to society for its improvement. We propose that universities be Profigurative Centers for Intergenerational Training (Age Friendly University) that incorporate the idea and practice of the importance of intergenerational relationships in a society that sometimes seems to be crossed by generational gap. Our university SL proposal incorporates several practices and profigurative action programs in teaching, research, and transfer. It is a sociological proposal that opens educational centers to the real needs of the community and generates in teachers and researchers, transformations in the way of producing knowledge, relating formative theory and reflective practice. Profigurazione e Service Learning nell’istruzione superiore: prospettive critiche dall’interdipendenza intergenerazionale. Questo articolo presenta lo sviluppo teorico (e applicato) del concetto di Profigurazione. È un esempio di come il Service Learning (SL) promuova nuove linee di ricerca e induca una simbiosi con l’insegnamento. Con lo sviluppo del neologismo di profigurazione, il Service Learning aiuta a mettere a fuoco gli spazi introspettivi della società e della ricerca, aprendo l’università alla società per il suo miglioramento. Proponiamo che le università siano Centri Profigurativi per la Formazione Intergenerazionale (Age Friendly University) che incorporino l’idea e la pratica dell’importanza dei rapporti intergenerazionali in una società che a volte sembra essere attraversata da rotture generazionali. La nostra proposta di Service Learning universitario incorpora una diversità di pratiche e programmi di azione profigurativi, sia nell’insegnamento che nella ricerca e nel trasferimento. È una proposta sociologica che apre i centri educativi ai bisogni reali della comunità e genera negli insegnanti e nei ricercatori possibili trasformazioni nel modo di produrre conoscenza, mettendo in relazione teoria formativa e pratica riflessiva.

Service-Learning in Higher Education: critical perspectives

Il Service-Learning nel contesto universitario: uno sguardo critico

Service-Learning in Higher Education: Andragogy in Argentina, Mexico, and the United States

This paper examines service-learning case studies in Argentina, Mexico, and the United States. It analyzes whether Andragogy, the study of how to teach adult learners, is equally applicable and effective in different country contexts. First, we argue that service-learning is the most natural and appropriate teaching technique that aligns with the Theory of Andragogy. We then discuss how a clear understanding of Andragogy is the key to helping mature students process knowledge. Two cases of service-learning in an international context provide a research platform for examining differences in learning concepts, constructs, and student competences. We juxtapose Argentina and Mexico governance against U.S. governance, and we differentiate the public policy challenges within the two contexts. Our methodological approach employs grounded theory to identify themes of knowledge transfer through problematic environments. By comparing service-learning strategies in Argentina and Mexico vis-à-vis in the U.S., we find variations in assumptions of public administration practice, teaching methods, and student learning outcomes. Abstract in Spanish Este documento examina casos de estudio del aprendizaje y servicio en Argentina, México y los Estados Unidos. Analiza si la Andragogía, el estudio de cómo enseñar a los estudiantes adultos, es igualmente aceptable y efectivo en contextos de diferentes países. Primero, se planteó que la técnica de la enseñanza del aprendizaje y servicio es lo más natural y apropiado que se alinea con la Teoría de Andragogía. Después se fundamentó que un entendimiento claro de la Andragogía es la clave para ayudar a estudiantes adultos a procesar el conocimiento. Dos casos de estudio del aprendizaje y servicio en un contexto internacional proveen una plataforma para investigar diferencias en el aprendizaje con respecto a conceptos, construcciones, y competencias de los estudiantes. Se yuxtapone la gobernabilidad de Argentina y México con respecto a la gobernabilidad de los Estados Unidos y se diferencian los desafíos de las políticas públicas dentro de estos dos contextos. La metodología emplea la teoría fundamentada para identificar temas de la transferencia de conocimiento en ambientes problemáticos. Al comparar estrategias del aprendizaje y servicio en Argentina y México con respecto a los Estados Unidos, se encontró variación en los supuestos de la práctica de la administración pública, métodos de enseñanza, y resultados del aprendizaje del estudiante.

Service-Learning in Higher Education and Prosocial Identity Formation

For most nonprofits, their effectiveness, sustainability, and survival all depend on the willingness of individuals to behave in prosocial ways, for example, by giving time, money, and/or resources to various organizations and causes. Scholars have, therefore, long sought to identify predictors of prosocial behaviors; and, one consistently significant variable in this quest has been prosocial role identity. Indeed, the strength of this identity, studies have shown, positively predicts participation in a variety of prosocial activities. Despite this significance, research on service-learning, a widely utilized pedagogical practice intended to prepare prosocially active and engaged citizens, has been largely disconnected from the literature on identity motivated behavior. Yet, this literature provides a strong conceptual foundation for understanding why, when, how, and for whom participation in service-learning will be associated with positive changes in prosocial identities—and, ultimately sustained participation in role-related prosocial behaviors. In this article, we connect these literatures and propose a model.

Bridging Generation Gaps Through Service-Learning in Higher Education: A Systematic Review

Advances in health care have led to an increased life expectancy for the older populations. An increasing body of research warns of the need to provide opportunities for older people to develop their potential for physical, mental, and social well-being during the aging process. In this context, universities have incorporated the service-learning (SL) methodology into their curricular and extracurricular programs. They attempt to offer their students experiences that allow them, from their experience and reflection, to advance in knowledge, skills and attitudes toward the older population group. Therefore, this methodology allows linking academic activities with social commitment, involving young people, as genuine agents of social change, in constructing a fairer, more inclusive, and supportive society. Despite the large body of research on the definition and benefits that students generally derive from SL, there are no systematic reviews of the full range of benefits that SL experiences, specifically with older people, provide to all participants. In this context, a rigorous systematic review was conducted by referring to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement and based on Web of Science (WoS), Scopus, and Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) databases, to answer one research question: What benefits do SL experiences that engage university students with older people, provide to the groups of participants? The analysis of the 28 selected research papers provides insights into the academic literature on the benefits of such experiences. On the one hand, they refer to the integral development of the student. On the other hand, they refer to the intergenerational relationships that promote the well-being of the elderly. Finally, the ethical commitment of the university, residences, agencies, and other organizations is mentioned. As a result, the positive impact on the community is highlighted.

Building Upon Service-Learning in Higher Education: Lessons Learned and Future Recommendations

Service-learning is an educational approach that has been proven to cultivate public conscience by combining the learning objectives of curriculum content with student involvement in community service. The current study explores the various impacts of a service-learning project directed toward psychology students tutoring children with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results are taken from the perspective of 114 Kosovar students and 20 parents of children with disabilities involved in the project. The results show that the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the challenges that families of children with disabilities already faced. The tutoring sessions had a positive effect on family well-being and children’s academic achievements. The students reported improved attitudes toward children with disabilities and increased self-efficacy and motivation for community engagement. Service-learning is promoted as a teaching method that attends to societal needs, helps students reflect on their experiences and competency, facilitates a better understanding of the consequences of public policy, and contributes to responsible citizens and compassionate professionals. This study adds to the literature by highlighting the substantial results and potential benefits of service-learning and individualized support for children with disabilities and their parents by discussing the implications for practice and future research.

Reflections on service-learning in european higher education

Over the last two decades, there has been a growing emphasis on the transformation of higher education within Europe. The promotion of active and democratic citizenship through formal higher education is a primary concern. Service-learning (SL) has proven to be a powerful didactic methodology for achieving these ideals. The objective of this paper is to highlight some reflections that permeate SL european experiences, published in the European Observatory of Service-Learning in Higher Education, between January 2020 and September 2021. The counting and percentages of the valued attitudes of SL experiences were collected to explore the guiding philosophy, historical roots, purposes, and underpinning features of SL, contextual factors affecting the practice of SL in the partner institutions and countries, and future challenges and opportunities. Conclusions focus on SL growth and mainstreaming; SL as a core strategic pillar for developing deeper community-higher education partnerships and for strengthening civic engagement across higher education; the need to develop future research to explore these connections and the potential that SL can play in terms of increased civic, work-life and theoretical understandings and skills.

Identity Transitions in Hybrid Scenarios Through Service Learning in Higher Education: A Case Study

Identity Transitions in Hybrid Scenarios Through Service Learning in Higher Education: A Case Study

An analytical review on rethinking service-learning as critical transformative paradigm in higher education

In recent times, service-learning has emerged as a popular community-based instructional pedagogy. However, scholars have a sharp contention about the role of service-learning as a community engagement paradigm in higher education. Furthermore, limited studies exist on service-learning as a transformative instructional pedagogy in higher education. This paper addresses this gap in the literature by presenting an analytical review on the potential of service-learning as a transformative pedagogy in higher education. A traditional narrative review method was used to survey on the theme of the study to establish a theoretical framework and draw conclusions. An extensive survey of existing literature was conducted on the role of service-learning as transformative pedagogy in higher education. This research may help answer the following two critical questions: What are internal and external limits to service-learning in higher education? To what extent can service-learning replace the traditional mode of teaching and learning in higher education successfully? The review shows that service-learning is a critical transformative pedagogy that helps achieve the boarder goals of higher education in a more effective way. The review further informs that service-learning is a community engagement approach that can also be used as a teaching method for achieving specific civic and democratic goals of higher education.

Promoting Service Learning in Higher Education in Vietnam

Promoting Service Learning in Higher Education in Vietnam

Virtual Service-Learning in Higher Education. A Theoretical Framework for Enhancing its Development

The last decade have witnessed the unprecedented development of information and communication technologies. This has, in turn, enabled the growth and development of other sectors, such as, for example, that of distance and on-line learning. In this context of technological expansion in education it is appropriate to reflect pedagogically about technological resources and their educational purpose. That is, how to deploy the available technological resources and media in a fashion consistent with the desired educational objectives and aims. Virtual Service-Learning has emerged as a particular modality of this methodology that combines and reinforces two elements: technology applied to education and service as a pedagogic tool. This format then, reveals itself as an appropriate methodology through which to channel both technical and pedagogic innovation. In this work and, taking as reference a study focusing on two virtual Service-Learning projects, we will address the construction of a theoretical framework that will allow us to understand and improve the development of these practices through this pedagogic modality.

Embedding Social Innovation and Service Learning in Higher Education's Third Sector Policy Developments in Austria

Social innovation in Austrian HEIs is discussed under the headline of their “Third Mission.” The HE sector is pressured to have more and more impact on society. Internationally speaking, many countries benefit from national policies and networks in the Third Sector, but policies in Austria were initiated only recently, in 2017, on a national level. Interestingly, the service learning approach as an innovative and socially responsible teaching methodology stands out in Austrian HE. This article classifies the developments of the Third Sector in Austria in the form of a policy brief. Austria has a growing community of practice in social innovation and service learning. The article gives insight into the strategic developments in Austria and is underpinned with recommendable action to be transferred to others.

Infusing Service-Learning into Allied Health Profession Curriculum: Perceived Enablers and Barriers

Service-learning may offer an innovative perspective in the competing global and national health interests among Philippine universities. This study sought to understand the enablers and barriers of implementing service-learning in the context of a premier private Catholic Philippine allied health profession education. It used an in-depth descriptive qualitative design. Transcripts from interviews, field notes and organizational documents were analyzed using thematic analysis. Data were coded and categorized into perceived barriers and enablers according to The Self-Assessment Rubric for Institutionalization of Service-Learning in Higher Education (SRISL) by Furco (2002). A wide range of enablers and barriers to implementing SL in one of the university’s health-related program were discussed. The results of this study may support further uptake of service-learning as a signature pedagogy in the allied health profession, particularly for its emerging unique professional identity and role in enhancing disability-related health outcomes.

Service learning in higher education: a systematic literature review

In the last few years, adoption of service learning in higher educational institutions has emerged as a modern teaching and learning strategy. This study is aimed to offer a systematic literature review of service learning implementation in higher education. There is a lack of research on the role of service learning in higher education sector. Moreover, a comprehensive systematic literature review of service learning in higher education is also overlooked in previous studies. Therefore, this study covers an in-depth systematic literature review, which reflects the utilisation approach and outcomes of service learning in higher education. By employing a rigorous exploratory approach, this study offers four major findings: (1) Acceptance and use of service learning in different academic disciplines, which covers a detailed discussion of up to what extent service learning pedagogy practice exists in each discipline. (2) Emerging issues regarding the integration of service learning in different academic disciplines. (3) Comparative analysis of previous service learning frameworks, which includes theoretical foundation, main findings and limitations of each framework. (4) Potential benefits of service learning for all participants. Service learning presents diverse benefits for all stakeholders; we identified the list of potential outcomes in the light of emerging service learning literature. These findings show that service learning is frequently employed in some academic disciplines, i.e. medical and nursing sciences; business and economics; computer science and information system; social studies; teacher education; linguistic and environmental disciplines. Moreover, comparison of previous service learning frameworks revealed that most of them are subject-oriented, specifically focused on institutionalising and practical aspects.

La Dimensión Ética y Ciudadana del Aprendizaje Servicio: Una apuesta por su institucionalización en la Educación Superior

El presente artículo es una reflexión acerca del valor ético y cívico de los proyectos de Aprendizaje Servicio, a partir de argumentos y pruebas procedentes de un proceso de revisión bibliográfica, pero elaborando asimismo una fundamentación propia a partir de un análisis hermenéutico de esta metodología de enseñanza-aprendizaje. Se concluye que los proyectos de Aprendizaje Servicio favorecen desde la práctica una síntesis de la ética del cuidado y de la justicia, y contribuyen a una nueva definición del concepto de educación, en tanto que fomentan el aprendizaje significativo y revitalizan la dimensión ética y ciudadana de los procesos educativos, en sintonía con las propuestas de desarrollo humano y de la educación entendida como bien común de organismos internacionales como la Unesco. Tras la fundamentación teórica, se presenta un caso de su institucionalización en Educación Superior (Universitat de València), a partir de la reconsideración de la universidad como espacio público comprometido con la formación ética del estudiantado y la responsabilidad social universitaria.

Service Learning in Higher Education: Evidence from Malaysia

The conventional lecture teaching style designed by our education system is becoming less relevant in meeting the millennial students’ learning necessities. Common lecture seems no longer adequate in developing an engaging and effective lesson for the graduates. For that reason, Malaysian Ministry of Education suggests SERVICE-LEARNING (SL) to be conducted to supplement student learning. Nevertheless, prior studies on SL effectiveness showed mixed results. Therefore, this study is conducted to understand and provide a detailed account of students’ learning development in a higher education institution in Malaysia. By employing the qualitative methodology, 39 students participated in SL project were interviewed to understand students’ learning development. The responses were transcribed verbatim and analyzed by using thematic analysis. The results revealed that knowledge and skills developed meaningfully through SL unlike in typical classroom setting where knowledge is expected to flow effectively from lecturers to students without real world experience or lasting impact. However, some students were found to understand the lesson slightly different from their peers. This research provides guidelines for course instructors to design SL in academic courses and improve student learning for the purpose of realizing Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025.