From Service-Learning to Post Graduation Service: Insights from University Graduates
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The purpose of this heuristic case study was to develop a rich, thick description of the ways that university graduates experience and perceive service-learning activities during college and after college. For this study, service-learning was defined as a teaching tool used to connect students to the community and engage them in purposeful learning (Jacoby, 1996). The unit of analysis was the student perspectives of their experiences with service-learning while in college and following graduation. Limited qualitative research is available which focuses on the lived experiences of service-learning from a university graduate’s perspective. This research gap means that educators and educational institutions have an incomplete picture of the service-learning experience from the university graduates’ perspective. Using the study participants’ voices, this study sought to fill this gap in the literature by describing the ways that university graduates experience and perceive service-The purpose of this heuristic case study was to develop a rich, thick description of the ways that university graduates experience and perceive service-learning activities during college and after college. For this study, service-learning was defined as a teaching tool used to connect students to the community and engage them in purposeful learning (Jacoby, 1996). The unit of analysis was the student perspectives of their experiences with service-learning while in college and following graduation. Limited qualitative research is available which focuses on the lived experiences of service-learning from a university graduate’s perspective. This research gap means that educators and educational institutions have an incomplete picture of the service-learning experience from the university graduates’ perspective. Using the study participants’ voices, this study sought to fill this gap in the literature by describing the ways that university graduates experience and perceive service-The purpose of this heuristic case study was to develop a rich, thick description of the ways that university graduates experience and perceive service-learning activities during college and after college. For this study, service-learning was defined as a teaching tool used to connect students to the community and engage them in purposeful learning (Jacoby, 1996). The unit of analysis was the student perspectives of their experiences with service-learning while in college and following graduation. Limited qualitative research is available which focuses on the lived experiences of service-learning from a university graduate’s perspective. This research gap means that educators and educational institutions have an incomplete picture of the service-learning experience from the university graduates’ perspective. Using the study participants’ voices, this study sought to fill this gap in the literature by describing the ways that university graduates experience and perceive service-The purpose of this heuristic case study was to develop a rich, thick description of the ways that university graduates experience and perceive service-learning activities during college and after college. For this study, service-learning was defined as a teaching tool used to connect students to the community and engage them in purposeful learning (Jacoby, 1996). The unit of analysis was the student perspectives of their experiences with service-learning while in college and following graduation. Limited qualitative research is available which focuses on the lived experiences of service-learning from a university graduate’s perspective. This research gap means that educators and educational institutions have an incomplete picture of the service-learning experience from the university graduates’ perspective. Using the study participants’ voices, this study sought to fill this gap in the literature by describing the ways that university graduates experience and perceive service-learning activities during college and after college. This study sought to answer the following research questions: What types of service-learning activities do students engage in while in college?; What are the perceived benefits of participation in service-learning?; and What do students do to continue service-learning after graduation? Information from an e-mail survey, face-to-face interviews and documents were utilized for data collection and analysis. Ten face-to-face interviews were conducted with the case study participants and all were associated with the service-learning program at Washburn University, in the Midwestern region of the United States. The primary method of data analysis was the six basic phases in the heuristic process of phenomenological analysis: (a) initial engagement, (b) immersion, (c) incubation, (d) illumination, (e) explication and (f) creative synthesis (Moustakas, 1990). Results of the study found that university graduates’ did benefit from their service learning experiences while in college in several ways: community awareness leads to community involvement; service-learning leads to personal growth and development; and service-learning participation leads to lasting behavior changes. This study could provide educators with an understanding of the meaning of the service-learning experience and how service-learning activities can be sustained following graduation
Table of Contents
Abstract -- List of tables -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- Review of literature -- Methodology -- Findings -- Discussion -- Appendix -- E-mail request for participants -- Informed consent cover letter -- Informed consents form -- Interview script -- Interview questions -- References
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Ph.D.