Higher education has an essential role in the promotion of sustainable development. For this to be possible, the use of methodologies in accordance with principles of sustainability must be fostered. This article theoretically analyzes the characteristics that make service-learning an effective tool in education for sustainable development. In order to understand the challenges involved in its implementation in higher education, first of all, the concepts of sustainable development and sustainability are defined. Next, the use of education for sustainable development and curricular sustainability in higher education is contextualized. Finally, the pedagogical proposal of service-learning is addressed and linked to the principles of sustainability in the university environment. To conclude, in relation to prospective applications of service-learning, it is argued that it is an optimal methodology to educate about, for, and from sustainability and that its institutionalization in higher education is highly desirable.
Son cada vez más los docentes universitarios que utilizan el aprendizaje-servicio como alternativa a los contextos tradicionales de enseñanza-aprendizaje. Esta realidad hace evidente la necesidad de contar con herramientas que faciliten los procesos de diseño, implementación y evaluación para esta nueva propuesta educativa. Actualmente son escasos los recursos para asegurar la calidad de las experiencias de aprendizaje-servicio, y con frecuencia no están validados. Este artículo describe el proceso seguido para el diseño de un cuestionario para la autoevaluación de experiencias de aprendizaje-servicio universitario y su posterior validación utilizando el método Delphi modificado online, que es una técnica de carácter cualitativo cuyo objetivo es proporcionar una respuesta grupal fidedigna.El proceso implicó dos rondas de consulta mediante el correo electrónico, en las que participaron 16 expertos académicos que valoraron la relevancia y claridad de los ítems propuestos. El objetivo de la primera ronda de consulta fue determinar la relevancia y la claridad de todos los ítems. En la segunda ronda se analizó la claridad de los ítems que habían sido reformulados. Los resultados sobre la validez de constructo y de contenido sugirieron la eliminación o reformulación de algunos ítems iniciales para constituir un cuestionario de 41 ítems relevantes y claros, que se valoran a través de una escala Likert de 5 puntos. Se concluye aportando dos vías posibles para dar continuidad a este trabajo: incluir en el proceso de validación los juicios de expertos no académicos y participantes en proyectos de aprendizaje-servicio; y profundizar en la validación psicométrica del cuestionario a través de métodos intra-pruebas e inter-pruebas.
Service-learning is growing gradually in European higher education. It aims to instil a sense of civic engagement and responsibility in students and work towards positive social change within society while developing curricular competencies. For some advocates, Paulo Freire's workings would serve as a theoretical anchor for service-learning since he imagined education as fostering a critical and active citizenry. This paper addresses the influence his writings have had on European practitioners. Qualitative data collected by the EOSLHE has been analysed and a content analysis was made of the descriptive summaries of 144 experiences. The Freirean notion of seminar applied to service-learning systematises popular wisdom and contributes to a new sense of evolving the social identities of the students toward a fairer society.
In recent years, the perception of the role of school counselors has undergone a significant change. Within this framework, it is particularly relevant to know the role of the school counselor in service-learning. This is the objective of the case study that is being carried out at a secondary school in Madrid that is considered a reference point in the use of this methodology. Results of the study show the pedagogical leadership of these professionals, who can act as promoters, coordinators, consultants, developers, and ambassadors of S-L in their schools.
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