The Effectiveness of Teaching Social Justice in Service-Learning

Alex Hunter, Rebecca Thaman and Dr. James Camp

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Service-Learning has tremendous educational potential. It is a labor of love, yet there is very little research on how to do it effectively. This study investigated four major aspects of Service-Learning...

1. Group Solidarity
2. Living in Community
3. Reflection
4. Journaling

Literature Review Content

Through our search on our topic, we discovered how much our research project is needed. There is very little coverage of the effectiveness of service-learning today.

The information we did find aligned with our ideas. Where’s the Learning in Service-Learning? by Janet Eyler and Dwight E. Giles Jr. focused on student perspectives about what worked in their programs. Their responses included ideas like community and reflection.

Like us, Sandra J Peterson and Marjorie J Schaffer use surveys in their study Service-learning: A Strategy to Develop Group Collaboration and Research Skills.

Research Questions

1. What is the relationship between group solidarity and effective Service-Learning?
2. What is the relationship between living in community and effective Service-Learning?
3. What is the relationship between reflection and effective Service-Learning?
4. What is the relationship between journaling and effective Service-Learning?

Interview Schedule

What is Effective Service-Learning?

For this study, pre and post surveys were used employing a just world scale to determine participant’s sensitivity to issues of social justice.

Research Methods

The sample consisted of 6 subjects in a service-learning program.

Subjects A-F took a just world survey along with pre and post interviews based on our independent variables. Program evaluation data was also considered.

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Findings

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• The Just World Scale has a range of 12-60 with higher scores, reflecting greater perception of injustice.
• Differences in interview time pre and post were also notable.

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Themes in Interviews - Community

• Respect - Work
• Understanding culture

“Putting forth the effort for the common good of the community, not just ourselves” - Subject B

“They suffered a lot there and [they are] a lot more unified there.” - Subject B

Themes in Interviews - Solidarity

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• Unity - Understanding
• Togetherness - Perspective

“It means a lot more now than before I took this trip.” - Subject B

“Building a kind of trust between people.” - Subject A

Themes in Interviews - Reflection

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• Time Constraints - Differing Perspectives
• Processing Thoughts - Respect
• Trust

“Agreeing and being able to disagree.” - Subject D

“Ability to be able to relive the experience” -Subject E

Themes in Interviews - Journaling

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• Lack of Experience - Meaningful
• Journal as a Comfort Zone

“It was enjoyable, I tried to make it something I could look back on in 20 years and remember the lessons that I learned from that week.” - Subject C

“Write down everything. Even the stupid stuff.” - Subject C

Program Evaluation Data

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Additionally, various items on the program evaluation were considered. Certain items assess the importance of the study’s independent variables. On a scale of 1-5 respondents ranked these variables on average:

1. Group Solidarity: 4.33
2. Living in Community: 4.24
3. Reflection: 4.28
4. Journaling: 4.33

Program Evaluation Notable Items

• A question related to lack of cell phone use was ranked at 4.33 of importance in effectiveness of the program, but due to some perceived misconceptions, it could have been a 5
• When looking at specific items related to “togetherness”, for example “sunrise reflection” and a few others things, they are ranked as VERY important.

Study Limitations

• Small sample
• Outlying subjects
• Personality limitations
• Appropriateness of the Just World Scale

Conclusion

Conclusion

Thematic analysis of interviews indicated that subjects were far more capable of articulating meaningful responses concerning the issues in the post interviews. Various themes indicate that trust, respect, and journaling time were very important in promoting effective service-learning.

Questions?

Literature Review Sources

• Where’s the Learning in Service-Learning? by Janet Eyler & Dwight E. Giles Jr.
• Inception to Implementation: Feminist Community Engagement via Service- Learning by Johanna Phelps-Hillen
• Service Learning: A Strategy to Develop Group Collaboration and Research Skills by Sandra J Peterson & Marjorie J Schaffer
• Service Learning Pitfalls: Problems You Didn’t See Coming by Emily Lane Morinand
• The Effectiveness of Service Learning: It’s Not Always What You Think by Chantal Levesque-Bristol, Timothy D. Knapp, & Bradley J. Fisher

Just World Scale

Lipkus, I. (1991). The construction and preliminary validation of a Global Belief in a Just World Scale and the exploratory analysis of the Multidimensional Belief in a Just World Scale. Personality and Individual Differences, 12, 1171-1178.