Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) programs incorporate a wide variety of approaches to field-based learning. These field experiences can span a broad spectrum, from comprehensive, hands-on teaching practices to more observational roles with minimal or no direct interaction with primary school students. In addition, these field experiences may be subject to varying levels of supervision by university faculty, ranging from minimal or no oversight to more intensive and closely supervised engagement. It is also important to note that certain programs may forgo field experiences altogether before the start of in-service teaching. Despite of this, field experiences are often considered pivotal in shaping the professional development of pre-service teachers. Such experiences can be especially transformative, providing preservice teachers with valuable opportunities to gain insight into the real-life context and educational field, while also critically assessing their own pedagogical beliefs and practices (Moura et al., 2023). Additionally, they allow for reflection on the philosophies and teaching methods that have been acquired throughout their training.

One of the strategies used to facilitate these opportunities is through service-learning (SL). This approach to field experiences encourages critical reflection and promotes interaction between preservice teachers and the context and community. Cress (2005) defined SL as a dual process that emphasizes the connection between PSTs' educational experiences and a specific need within the community. For PETE programs, a notable benefit of service-learning is its effectiveness in fostering profound learning during field experiences (Daum et al., 2022).

The SL model in PETE programs has been well documented in the literature (Chiva-Bartoll et al., 2019; Ruíz-Montero et al., 2022; Santos-Pastor et al. 2021). The main objective of most SL interventions implemented within PETE programs is to offer a comprehensive learning experience that addresses an identified community need, while simultaneously providing a service through which university students can develop teaching competencies (Lobo-de-Diego et al., 2024). By offering preservice teachers more frequent opportunities to engage with the school environment, PETE programs enable them to become involved in the teaching and learning process at an earlier stage (Capella et al., 2020; Santos-Pastor et al., 2021). This early engagement allows them to practice pedagogical strategies before formally entering the profession, ensuring they are well-prepared to teach in diverse settings and contexts (Cervantes & Meaney, 2013; Domangue & Carson, 2008). Thus, service-learning enriches the experiences of preservice teachers by offering genuine and hands-on opportunities to apply, reflect on, and deepen their understanding of course content and materials (Lobo-de-Diego et al., 2024; MacPhail & Sohun, 2019).

Building upon this framework, the objective of this study is to investigate university students' perspectives regarding the impact of an innovative teaching project that integrates Service Learning (SL) with diverse groups within the pre-service education of a Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) program.

In this research, a qualitative and interpretative methodology has been employed (Flick, 2009). Specifically, this research aims to understand the experiences, perceptions, and impact of the development of a Teaching Innovation Project focused on improving and developing teaching competencies in a PETE program through SL. The participants in this study are university students enrolled in the fourth year of the PETE program, specifically those who have completed the course "Physical Education and Health." This course was linked to the Innovative Teaching Project and, through which they have had the opportunity to develop physical activity sessions with populations exhibiting sedentary attitudes and behaviors. Consequently, the students, under the supervision and guidance of university faculty, have been responsible for the design, implementation, and assessment of the process undertaken, consistently accompanied by analysis and reflection to continuously improve and adapt the service provided to the context and its needs. In order to collect data, the instrument used for this research was the field notebooks written by undergraduates in the PETE program. Throughout the semester, they have recorded the teaching and learning processes undertaken, their own perceptions, emotions and reflections on the lesson planning implemented, decision-making, challenges and achievements, among other aspects, allowing students to express their experiences in a free and reflective manner. The field notebooks were analyzed by the three researchers using content analysis, seeking patterns and categories that facilitate the understanding of students' experiences (Strauss & Corbin, 1998). This approach provides a holistic view of the learning process, considering the student perspective as the central axis of the research. It is therefore a technique that allows the reprocessing and reduction of data, which helps us to extract the manifest and latent content of the data analysed, to group them into units of meaning, and to establish relationships between the themes treated. (Mayring, 2000). In this way, three categories have been established to guide the analysis of the information: 1) personal experience, 2) learning outcomes, and 3) emotions and sensations. This prompted the researchers to discern networks and relationships present within the discourse of the participants. Subsequently, a second round of analysis was conducted through a process of constant comparison of the information to draw valuable conclusions about the reality under study.

In this section, we present the main findings of the study. Three main themes emerged; the first reflects how SL experiences had a positive impact in the personal growth of the undergraduate students. Moreover, the results not only reflect the positive impact of the intervention, or in addressing a community need but also in providing a profoundly enriching personal experience. As one of the university students expressed: Participating in this project has been a great experience. The highlight has been the opportunity to spend quality time with my grandmother. During this time, I have come to appreciate how community service not only benefits those who receive assistance but also strengthens familial and personal bonds" (Field notebook 3, p. 32). The second theme relates to learning outcomes and how through SL students put into practice the knowledge acquired throughout the four years of training and in turn acquire new learning that will allow them to develop their teaching work with greater security and confidence. This project has not only been an opportunity to improve physical fitness of the beneficiaries, but also to integrate relevant content we learnt in our education in a practical and meaningful context. The combination of learning and service has proven to be an effective tool to work on both physical and emotional aspects, promoting holistic development. (Field notebook 1, p.29) The third theme reflects the emotions and sensations pre-service teacher have had with the development of this experience. They all mentioned that it has allowed them to generate, and in some cases recover, close links with the people benefiting from the service. In this way, the interpersonal relationships developed have also contributed to creating a close atmosphere for all participants and making pre-service students feel confident in the development of teaching competences.

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