International Journal of Research on Service-Learning in Teacher Education

A Visit With . . . Barbara Holland

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Developing Social Justice Through Service-Learning: The Potential of University-School Partnerships for Fostering Justice-Oriented Dispositions Among Students of Color and Males Through Service-Learning Opportunities in Urban Schools

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This article explores the impact that a liberal studies education course with an embedded service-learningÂ component had on preparing pre-service teachers to teach in urban schools. Using a combination ofÂ descriptive and narrative analysis, college studentsâ€™ reflection journal entries and class discussion notes wereÂ examined to determine whether deficit perceptions about urban schooling and students could be transformedÂ over the duration of the course. Findings suggest that students of color and males, primarily thoseÂ with non-urban schooling experiences, exhibited the greatest transformation in justice-oriented dispositionsÂ toward culturally and socioeconomically diverse students. Given this new insight, curriculum recommendationsÂ for teacher education programs are offered to help better prepare educators to teach in increasinglyÂ diverse school settings.

Diversifying the Teaching Force: What We Have Learned From a Three-Year Partnership

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This article features the creation of processes for developing a sustainable and viable recruitment andÂ retention effort to diversify the teacher workforce between a school district and institution of higher education.Â The three-year journey of program development has resulted in numerous successes and powerfulÂ opportunities for aspiring educators and authentic learning for the partners. Data was collected from students-of-color focus groups and a network of Black male education professionals and informed an aspiring student group to consider teaching and education as a career choice. Researchers used the Community ofÂ Cultural Wealth framework as a guide to develop the program and categorize data. Team members reportedÂ data and used the findings for continued revisions and expansion of the program.

How Active-Learning Strategies Can Improve Efficacy and Critical Thinking Skills in a Service-Learning Course

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Improving preservice teachersâ€™ ability to recognize work-related problems and apply effective strategies andÂ solutions to fundamental challenges in the field is at the crux of an effective college preparation. AlthoughÂ there is evidence that service-learning experiences within a teacher education course can have powerfulÂ outcomes on student learning, what is being done in the lecture part of a service-learning course to improveÂ the impact of community-based practice largely goes undiscovered. This study investigates whether aÂ contextually developed set of active-learning strategies in the lecture part of a service-learning courseÂ improves preservice teachersâ€™ efficacy. Findings showed significant improvement within personal teachingÂ efficacy constructs as a result of experiencing the active-learning sequence. Academic tracking of studentsÂ showed those pursuing a B.A. degree in teacher education benefitted significantly more from an active learningÂ experience than those pursuing a B.S. degree in health-related sciences. The paper also describesÂ how the active-learning sequence was a preferred method of instruction by instructors and students, as wellÂ as how these strategies were purposeful with problematizing teaching situations and engaging students withÂ course content.

The Benefits for Teacher Educators Participating in Pure Service-Learning

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This study examines the benefits realized when three teacher educators take on the role ofÂ â€œlearnerâ€ in a â€œpureâ€ service-learning context, where service to communities comprises theÂ intellectual core of the course (Heffernan, 2001). The â€œpureâ€ service-learning model focused onÂ teaching a community writing workshop for students ranging from ages 12 to 21. The qualitativeÂ study interweaves the narratives of our personal journeys and evidence of professional impactsÂ to demonstrate how engaging in service-learning as learners (rather than just facilitating theÂ service-learning experience as faculty members) equipped us to support authentic and effectiveÂ instruction of pre-service teachers. Collaborative autoethnographic methods were used to examineÂ our daily journaling throughout the workshop experience and to analyze the transcripts of theÂ self-conducted, post-workshop focus group. Critical examination of our experiences as learners inÂ a service-learning experience enabled us to find our authentic teacher voices in a non-traditionalÂ classroom setting, inspired us to better prepare our pre-service teachers for civic engagement,Â and enabled us to make meaningful connections in our MotherScholar livesâ€”a merging of ourÂ identities and responsibilities that span our personal and professional spaces.

Editors Welcome and Comments

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