Pedagogical regression through service-learning develops the holistic medical graduate by redefining reciprocity

Abstract

Pedagogical regression through Service-learning uses dialogue and deliberation as active learning tools. Reciprocity is a consequence rooted in this engagement with diverse communities. The aim of the study was to analyse how reciprocity manifests during service-learning. Data collected from students, Grade 12 learners, radiography facilitators, and conference delegates were analysed. Students indicated that service-learning enhanced their learning through selfdiscovery and group interactions, but nothing academic was learned from the learners. They experienced personal growth and increased levels of social responsiveness. Grade 12 learners reported no educational exchange with the students. Radiography facilitators agreed that servicelearning cultivates reciprocity through application of knowledge and elevates personal growth and social responsiveness in students. Conference delegates said that service-learning enhances the curriculum and cultivates social responsiveness in students. Reciprocity in service-learning is polygonal and needs to be redefined in terms of its equal mutualistic nature, of all communities benefitting from a broadly defined exchange.

The Influence of Student-Community Partner Working Relationships on Satisfaction: A South African University Service Learning Programme

“…Many recent service learning programmes (SLPs) have been developed and implemented by education institutions around the world (Garger, Vracheva, & Jacques, 2020;George, Menon, Thevanoor, & Tharakan, 2020;Gonzales, Harmon, & Fenn, 2021;Herlina, Widodo, Madhakomala, 2019;Rodríguez-Izquierdo, 2020) and in South Africa (Botha & Bezuidenhout, 2020;Du Plessis, 2020;Jacobs, 2020), but the research of these programmes have generally focused on the studentorientated benefits derived from the SLP, which include: the ability to apply and master course content and theory (du Toit, 2019;Juaneda-Ayensa, Olarte-Pascual, San Emeterio, & Pelegrín-Borondo, 2019); deeper learning (Matzembacher, Gonzales, & do Nascimento, 2019); increased employability Hence, the main aim of the research was to consider the influence of the student agency working relationships on the participating SL client organizations' satisfaction. The study also considered the effect of the agency-client working relationship on SL clients and student agency variables, and SLP measurement variables (nature of the working relationship, perceived usefulness, lasting impact, overall satisfaction, and future participation) in terms of satisfaction.…”