Examining Undergraduates’ Perspectives on Course-based Outcomes of Service-Learning from Vocational Education Context

Abstract

Service-learning is an emerging teaching and learning approach. It promises numerous academic outcomes for students, teachers, and communities. However, findings of previous studies are mixed and inconclusive about the service-learning outcomes in terms of gender, ethnicity and type of courses. The existing studies have mostly been conducted in general education field. There is insufficient evidence about its outcomes for students of vocational education. Hence, further investigation is warranted to assess its contributions for students of vocational education. This study investigated the impact of service-learning on course-based outcomes of students in vocational education. Using a survey approach, data were collected from 100 students who happened to attend a service-learning course in vocational training institutes of Punjab, Pakistan. Factor analysis was computed for instrument validation. Descriptive statistics and ANOVA were calculated under inferential statistics to analyze the collected data. The results showed a mixed effect of service-learning on course outcomes of students in terms of gender. The students showed better improvement in mastery of course work content but did not demonstrate significant work related to team skills enhancement. Future research is recommended to validate the results of this study in other contexts for further understanding the contributions of service-learning regarding course-based outcomes.