Volunteering: Trainee Teachers and Their Instructors Evaluate a Community Service Learning Course

Abstract

In this study, the Community Service Practices (CSP) course, offered for pre-service teachers, was evaluated utilizing the Context, Input, Process and Product (CIPP) Model. The purposes of this study are twofold. First, the effectiveness of the program in relation to satisfying pre-service teachers' needs and expectations is discussed. Second, the pre-service teachers' attainment of the course objectives and the consistency between objectives, content and activities are examined. The data was gathered from 17 junior pre-service teachers via needs assessment and summative evaluation questionnaires, formative evaluation self-reporting progress papers, in-class and out-of-class observation and two instructors by means of interviews. The results are presented under the four components of the CIPP model, as follows. In relation to context evaluation, students' needs and expectations were congruent with the goals and objectives of the course. In input evaluation, course activities and plans were examined. Within process evaluation, activities and procedures appear to have been implemented as originally planned, with some limitations such as problems in integration of practice and theory, lack of course materials, problematic NGO permissions and attitudes of NGOs towards students. Lastly, within product evaluation, a decision was made on the continuation of the course. In conclusion, although the course satisfied students' needs and successfully achieved its objectives, the analysis posits that it would be worthwhile to improve the aforementioned points in order to strengthen the course.