ERIC Number: EJ1092158
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1935-7869
EISSN: N/A
An Exploration of the Value of Service-Learning: Characteristics of Traditional and Honor Service-Learners
Simons, Lori; Williams, Elizabeth; Russell, Brittany
Journal of Effective Teaching, v11 n1 p6-18 2011
This study explored the value of service for undergraduate students enrolled in an Honors and a non-Honors section of a service-learning course. A quasi-experimental study was conducted to identify if students who participated in an Honors (n = 18) section of a service-learning course show greater gains in attitudes and skills associated with community engagement over the semester than students who participated in a non-Honors (n = 28) course section. The results indicate that students improve their diversity and social justice attitudes, acquire competence and leadership skills, and increase their desire to make a difference through participation in short-term service projects by the end of the term, regardless of whether they were in the Honors or non-Honors course. Community partners also appraised both student groups as self-starters who exercise good judgment in their work with service recipients. The consistency of data from teacher and student reports suggests that service-learning is a useful pedagogical strategy for teaching students in both Honors and non-Honors courses.
Descriptors: Service Learning, Honors Curriculum, Conventional Instruction, Student Characteristics, Undergraduate Students, Quasiexperimental Design, Student Attitudes, Attitude Change, Skill Development, Educational Psychology, Preferences, Student Surveys, Questionnaires, Pretests Posttests, Partnerships in Education, Multivariate Analysis
Journal of Effective Teaching. Center for Teaching Excellence, 601 South College Road, Wilmington, NC 28403. Tel: 910-962-3034; Fax: 910-962-3427; e-mail: jet@uncw.edu; Web site: http://www.uncw.edu/cte/et
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Pennsylvania
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A