Service-learning in Teacher Education

II. Service-learning in Teacher Education

Rationales | Models for Integration | Principles of Good Practice | Challenges and Strategies

Rationales

Teacher education institutions across the country are increasingly including service-learning in their efforts based upon several rationales. For example, Sullivan (1991) argued that service activities can strengthen teaching candidates' habits of critical reflection, causing them to examine their assumptions about the ways in which teachers and schools interact with students. A number of other authors have noted the consistency between service-learning and elements of education reform, such as performance-based assessment, authentic learning, interdisciplinary teaching, and collaborative learning (Gomez, et al., 1990; Moon & Root, 1993). Proponents of service-learning also argue that it can prepare teachers to meet their obligations as civic educators and can strengthen their ethic of care.

Studies of service-learning in teacher education confirm its positive effects on teacher education students. Preservice teachers involved in service-learning show gains in their commitment to teaching, self-efficacy, and reported feelings of compassion and concern (Green et al., 1994; Wade, 1995; Flippo et al., 1994). Root and Batchelder (1994) found that service-learning enhanced the complexity of students' thinking in response to problems of childhood. Wade (1995) discovered that preservice teachers who participated in service-learning made gains in their feelings of connection to other people and attitudes toward community involvement.

Service-learning experiences with ethnically and economically diverse individuals are associated with increased sensitivity to diversity issues and reduced stereotyping. Service experiences with diverse populations also appear to assist majority candidates to become more aware of their privileged status, and less inclined to attribute problems associated with poverty and discrim-ination to personal failings. Participants in service-learning with multicultural populations appear to revise their attitudes toward multicultural teaching, becoming more aware of the need for multi-cultural curricula and teaching strategies adapted to diverse youth. Tellez and his colleagues (1994) also found that preservice teachers gain a greater commitment to working with urban youth (Beyer, 1991; Siegel, 1994; Tellez et al., 1994; Vadeboncoueur et al., 1995; McKenna & Ward, 1996; O'Grady, 1997; Boyle Baise, 1998).

One critical question in service-learning and teacher education has been, "What types of experiences lead teachers to implement service-learning in their own classrooms?" Wade and her colleagues (1998) attempted to answer this question by surveying beginning teachers who had graduated from teacher education programs which included service-learning. They found that 30% of respondents had incorporated service-learning. Factors which predicted teachers' use of service-learning included planning and implementing a service-learning project with K-12 students and positive perceptions of their college service-learning experiences were more likely to include service learning. Additionally, the availability of funding for service-learning in the teacher's present school, a previously established and ongoing service-learning program, and length of time in teaching predicted the implementation of service-learning.

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Models for Integration

Teacher Education departments have adopted different approaches to including service-learning. At some, service-learning is included in specific courses in order to support course objectives. For example, at Alma College, service-learning is included in the Growth and Development course to help preservice teachers learn to act as advocates for children. Groups of students identify a social problem affecting children or youth, such as youth violence. In the first step of the project, students engage in fact finding about the problem and the individuals and organizations that may respond to it. For example, they interview teachers to explore the responsibilities and constraints they encounter when attempting to advocate for a child or group of children with the problem. They interview representatives of agencies to determine the local prevalence of the problem, the legal responsibilities of different organizations for students, and the ways in which organizations work with the schools to help students with the problem. Students also conduct an Internet search to identify national organizations which advocate for children with the problem.

Once they understand the nature of the problem, and the systems that intervene for students, groups design and carry out an advocacy project. Advocacy for children can occur at a variety of levels. Students can work directly with young people or their families to assist them or to help them obtain services. Or students can attempt to impact the systems which affect children with this problem, for example, circulating a petition to change laws or government policies.

In a second model, teacher education students are introduced to the pedagogy of service-learning to prepare them to use this approach in their own teaching. For example, at the University of Iowa, service learning is included in the Elementary Social Studies Methods course (Wade, 1995). Students are introduced to service-learning as a pedagogy and explore the relationship between service-learning and the goals of social studies education, for example, fostering civic involvement. Students in social studies methods courses can choose from several community service projects, including the Yes! Project. The Yes! Project is an intergenerational project which involves teams made up of a child from a single parent family, a senior citizen, and two students from the methods course. Each team meets weekly to do activities together, such as reading and writing, and arts and crafts. In addition to the Yes! Project, students in social studies methods take a one credit practicum in which pairs of students work with a local elementary teacher to plan and implement a thematic unit centered around a service-learning project. Projects chosen in the past by students have ranged from environmental clean-ups to collecting oral histories. Students create bulletin boards and learning centers on the service project theme. They teach whole group lessons related to the service project. They participate in the service project and lead reflections sessions with children afterwards. Social studies methods students create a portfolio based on their activities with the elementary classrooms and the Yes! Project. A third approach is a program that both engages preservice teachers in a service experience, and allows them to practice service learning as a teaching method. These programs typically begin with a course which involves preservice teachers in a service experience. Students are then introduced to service-learning as a teaching method. These programs usually culminate with student teaching and an assignment to student teachers to guide students in a service-learning project. At Providence College in Rhode Island, for example, all elementary education majors obtain certification in both elementary and special education. In addition, a cohort of elementary teaching candidates is currently enrolled in Public and Community Services Studies Minor.

The goals of the Public and Community Service Studies Minor are "to prepare teachers who (1) can engage children in an inquiry oriented curricular approach using community needs as the foundation; (2) provide meaningful learning experiences that foster civic responsibility, democratic values, and a sense of being an integral part of the community; (3) foster the development of a collegial environment within and among school, home, and community; and (4) address the needs of all children within the classroom curricular activities."

Students pursuing elementary/special education certification and the Public and Community Service Studies Minor take the following sequence of courses:

Yr./Sem. Education Major Public/Community Service Studies Minor

Soph. 1 Introduction to Public and Community Service

Soph. 2 Teaching of Math & Science/ Practicum Diversity, Community and Service

Jr. 1 Teaching Language Arts and Social Studies/Practicum Ethics, Moral Leadership, and the Common Good

Jr. 2 Teaching Reading/ Practicum Community Service in American Culture

Sr. 1 Assessment and Curriculum for Students with Mild/Moderate Learning Problems/Practicum Foundations of Organizational Service

Sr. 2 Student Teaching: Elementary and Special Education Independent Study

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Principles of Good Practice

Integrating service-learning into teacher education programs must be based on a set of beliefs that guide the process toward identifiable goals. Anderson (1999) conducted a study to obtain principles of good practice for service-learning in Teacher Education. These principles are important considerations that have been found to contribute successfully to service-learning outcomes.

Preservice teachers should prepare to use service-learning as a pedagogy by participating in service-learning experiences, as well as in-class study of principles of good service-learning practice.
- Explicit instructions in the use of service-learning as a pedagogy increases the chance that beginning teachers will engage their students in service-learning experiences and thereby expand benefits to both learners and the community.
Teacher educators should align service-learning outcomes with program goals, and appropriate state and national standards for teacher certification and accreditation.
- In this era of standards-driven teacher education, it is necesssary for service-learning instruction and activities to address these standards. Linking service-learning to a standard helps to insure that it will remain in a teacher education program in the face of changes in faculty or administration. Additionally, in in all programs, it is important that teacher educators design service-learning activities that facilittate achievement of intended outcomes.
Teacher education faculty involved with service-learning should have a clear understanding of service-learning theory and principles of good practice and model these principles in their use of service-learning as a teaching method.
- Historically, messages in the hidden curriculum of teacher education have contradicted the official curriculum. It is imperative that teacher educators involved with service-learning learn all they can about successful service-learning practice and use what they have learned in their own teaching.
Teacher education courses that include service-learning should be grounded in theories and practices of teaching and learning which are congruent with service-learning.
- Teacher educators who ground service-learning instruction in in class approaches that actively involve students in the construction of their own knowledge are likely to be more effective. Additionally, if preservice teachers are expected to play a learning-leader role in the community, then faculty should adopt practices that will allow students to play a similar role in the classroom.
All stakeholders should be included in the design, implementation, and evaluation of service-learning projects.
- The most successful service-learning projects involve a synergy of preservice teacher, teacher educator, community member and K 12 student energy and creativity that combine to produce outcomes much greater than any one group could accomplish alone.
Collaboration between the teacher education program, K-12 schools, and the community is characterized by reciprocity and mutual respect to enhance a shared ethic of service.
- Effective collaboration requires regular communication regarding community needs and assets, a service-learning project plan, reflection and evaluation processes, and outcomes. Additionally, the service-learning partners need to develop clear roles and responsibilities as they pertain to supervising and evaluating students.
Preservice teachers should participate in multiple and varied service-learning experiences that involve working with diverse community members.
- Service-learning experiences should be provided in multiple courses of a teacher preparation program. Each added experience increases preservice teachers' understanding of goals or connections to the curriculum, and different approaches to preparation, reflection and assessment. Commitment to working with diverse community members refers to ethnic, cultural, economic, gender, and age differences, as well as differences due to physical and mental abilities.
Preservice teachers should participate in a variety of frequent and structured reflection activities and be prepared to facilitate reflection with their students.
- Participation in reflection is the key to helping students integrate service experiences with core learning goals. In effective reflection, preservice teachers not only make sense of their service experiences, but engage in deeper analyses of civic, ethical and public policy issues. Reflection should involve multiple methods and should be conducted in a variety of group settings.
Preservice teachers are taught how to use formative and summative assessment to enhance student learning and measure service-learning outcomes.
- Programs should provide preservice teachers with theoretical and practical knowledge for formative and summative assessment of service-learning. Preservice teachers should be able to link assessment to predetermined as well as unanticipated outcomes. They should learn to use a variety of forms of authentic assessment to measure outcomes of service learning. Multiple stakeholders should be involved in designing and implementing assessment plans.
The teacher education program, institution, and the community should support service-learning by providing the resources and structural elements necessary for continued success.

Teacher educators who are familiar with these principles of good practice, and use them effectively in their programs, run a greater chance of success when implementing service-learning activities into their programs or curricular areas.

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Challenges and Strategies

Anderson and Pickeral (1999) conducted a study of 72 teacher educators to determine their perspectives on challenges to the integration of service-learning, as well as strategies to overcome these challenges. Challenges most often mentioned included lack of faculty time and difficulty fitting service-learning into the teacher preparation curriculum. Other challenges identified by faculty included a lack of correspondence between service-learning and departmental priorities and/or faculty roles and rewards. Although several obstacles were exposed, faculty suggested numerous strategies for overcoming the obstacles. They were categorized under five themes:

Theme One: Teacher educators can implement strategies for integrating service-learning without external/internal funds or resources.
Theme Two: Teacher educators' initial service-learning projects should be limited to manageable efforts.
Theme Three: To be effective, teacher educators need an in-depth understanding of service-learning philosophy and practice.
Theme Four: Collaboration is essential to the success of service learning.
Theme Five: Supportive policies and infrastructure that support effective practice are necessary for the success of service-learning.

Service-learning appears to enhance dispositions and skills associated with humane, student-centered teaching and the ability to use service-learning in the teacher's own pedagogy. Instructors have adopted different models for integrating service-learning, depending on program and course goals, however, programs which provide preservice teachers with background in the pedagogy of service-learning increase their graduates readiness to utilize service-learning in their own classrooms.

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Yr./Sem.	Education Major	Public/Community Service Studies Minor
Soph. 1		Introduction to Public and Community Service
Soph. 2	Teaching of Math & Science/ Practicum	Diversity, Community and Service
Jr. 1	Teaching Language Arts and Social Studies/Practicum	Ethics, Moral Leadership, and the Common Good
Jr. 2	Teaching Reading/ Practicum	Community Service in American Culture
Sr. 1	Assessment and Curriculum for Students with Mild/Moderate Learning Problems/Practicum	Foundations of Organizational Service
Sr. 2	Student Teaching: Elementary and Special Education	Independent Study