Session Information
07 SES 16 C, Service-Learning for Social Justice and Reciprocity – Theoretical Considerations and Empirical Results from Austria, Germany, and Spain
Symposium
Contribution
The need for social commitment and social responsibility among the European youth is stated explicitly by policy documents, research, and strategic plans (EUROSTAT, 2019). To support the improvement of these skills, service-learning is addressed as one of the methods. The integration of service-learning into to school curriculum as a methodology can help engage students in activities where they learn about community needs and develop civic responsibilities (Furco, 2009; Seifert, Zentner & Nagy, 2012). The development of such competencies would promote interpersonal skills and raise awareness about underserved groups and how to respond to the diverse needs of society. The service component of service learning can help develop connections with the world outside the school. Students can experience a sense of agency through helping, supporting or advocating for a community-based cause. Service-learning has favorable outcomes in terms of overcoming the gap between practice and the wish for inclusiveness. The integration of service-learning projects into the school curriculum engages students in service to the marginalized groups of the community such as the disabled, elderly or refugees but at the same time, it can develop a feeling of inclusiveness. Students encounter the diversity of the population in real-life situations. Turning schools into inclusive communities requires creating possibilities where students can develop feelings of belonging and contentment with achievement (Lavery, Chambers & Cain, 2018). However, the integration of service-learning as a methodology into the school curriculum and achieving the development of civic competencies through it requires teachers on board. Planning, implementing or assessing service-learning projects within the school cannot be achieved without teachers who believe in the necessity of it. Developing skills and competencies that guarantee the required professional and personal development is an important task for universities, especially for teacher education departments. In this study, a study with teacher candidates who study inclusive education as a subject will be presented. By using the journey maps method, teacher candidates reflect on their experiences with service-learning projects that they planned and implemented within their practice teaching. They evaluate the inclusiveness that can be achieved through service-learning projects, which also demonstrate their readiness to integrate service-learning into their teaching and how to make use of it to promote inclusiveness.
References
EUROSTAT (2019). Young people and social inclusion. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Young_people_-_social_inclusion Furco, A. (2009). Die Rolle von Service Learning im Aufbau einer gesellschaftlich engagierten Universität. In K. Altenschmidt, J. Miller, & W. Stark (Eds.), Raus aus dem Elfenbeinturm? Entwicklungen in Service Learning und bürgerschaftlichem Engagement an deutschen Hochschulen (pp. 47–59). Weinheim & Basel: Beltz Verlag. Lavery, S., Chambers, D. & Cain, G. (2018). Service-learning: enhancing inclusive education. Bingley: Emerald Publishing Limited. Seifert, A., Zentner, S. & Nagy, F. (2012). Praxisbuch Service-Learning – Lernen durch Engagement an Schulen. Weinheim & Basel: Beltz Verlag.
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