Analyzing Reflections in Service Learning to Promote Personal Growth and Community Self-Efficacy

Abstract

The use of structured reflections for promoting personal understanding and community self-efficacy was examined in 65 occupational therapy college students in a service learning course. Students in the experimental group wrote structured reflections throughout the semester while students in the control groups used non-structured reflections. Outcome measures included quantitative tests of personal understanding and community self-efficacy (Personal Growth Initiative Scale, New General SelfEfficacy Scale, and the Community Self-Efficacy Scale) and a qualitative narrative. Results indicated that students who wrote structured reflections significantly increased in personal growth and personal self-efficacy, whereas those using non-structured reflections showed no change. Both groups improved in community self-efficacy scores with no significant difference between groups.

Social responsibility and higher education: just a market target or a real educational challenge? An answer from the trenches

“…The second part focused on development of communication skills, leadership, interdisciplinary teamwork and social responsibility. The third part consisted of a seminar in which teachers, community partners and students from SOTL in the South 2(2): September 2018 Jiménez, Jiménez, Márquez, Astudillo, Morales, González & Hermosilla different programs discussed the group experience of incorporating SL as a didactic strategy for disciplinary and interdisciplinary learning (Sanders, Oss & McGeary 2016).…”

Volunteer Motivations, Satisfaction, and Future Intent: A Comparative Analysis Between Student-Athletes and Service-Learning Students

“…Students being able to critically think and reflect on their experience is an important piece to the assessment of student learning gains and what makes these courses valuable to higher education (Molee, Henry, Sessa, & McKinney-Prupis, 2010). Engaging in servicelearning has produced a host of learning, personal, and social outcomes for college students, including increased ability to apply course content (Martin et al, 2016), increase critical thinking skills (Hebert & Hauf, 2015), increase self-efficacy (Sanders, Van Oss, & McGeary, 2016), leadership (Huda, Mat The, Nor Muhamed, & Mohd Nasir, 2018), and social and cultural understanding (Kohlbry, 2016).…”

Student Engagement with Community

“…When service‐learning is carried out according to best practice, such as helping students to see how course goals are met through service and providing structure for students’ reflection on service, students are more likely to gain some of the affective outcomes listed above (Ash, Clayton, and Atkinson ; Sanders et al. ). The reflective process is critical and appears to be more powerful when students examine the emotions that are triggered as they face social realities (Felten and Clayton ; Felten, Gilchrist, and Darby ).…”

“…Such reflections help students make connections between their learning in the classroom and their learning in the community (Ash and Clayton ; Ash, Clayton, and Atkinson ; Sanders et al. ). Campus Compact (n.d.), a resource for university faculty and staff using service‐learning pedagogy, outlines four ways to structure reflection.…”