Evaluation of Pre-service Science Teachers’ Perceptions of Community Service-Learning Course

Author(s):

Behiye Akcay(presenting / submitting)

Conference:

ECER 2013

Network:

10. Teacher Education Research

Format:

Paper

Session Information

10 SES 12 A, Paper Session

Paper Session

Time:

2013-09-13

09:00-10:30

Room:

A-201

Chair:

Jae Major

Discussant:

Michaela Artmann

Contribution

Community Service-Learning (CSL) rooted in “Morrill or Land Grand Act” (Kesten, 2012). Theoretical background of the course is based on John Dewey and William Kilpatrick’s study. Dewey argued importance of experience in child education. During 1980’s, secondary and higher education curricula included service learning programs (Wang, Ye, Jackson, Rodgers and Jones, 2005; Kesten, 2012). Robert Sigmon and William Ramsey were the first researchers who used CSL concept in the current sense in 1967 (Elma et al., 2010; Gokce, 2011). CSL is a teaching and learning approach which is aimed to promote service experience and academic learning to preservice teachers during their undergraduate education (Wang et al., 2005; Cetin & Sonmez, 2009).

In Turkey, Council of Higher Education (YOK) had a reform on teacher training programs in 2004. Beginning of 2006-2007 academic years, CSL offered in the teacher training curriculum. The course content covered both classroom and service experience and offered for junior students as a one term mandatory course. The scope of this course is to promote service experience and academic learning to preservice teachers who can determine the actual problems of society and to prepare the project for getting a solution as well as encouraging students to participate panel discussions, conferences, congresses, symposiums, and scientific activities, as audience or speaker (YOK, 2006).

Context of the course is differing in each university. Context of the course (Istanbul University, 2012) in present study is explained below:

Students determine the activities and the relevant institutions or organizations in advance during Fall term to be able to give enough time to course instructor to obtain permission for desired activities
Students’ projects should be original and able to support creative thinking
Students required preparing a portfolio throughout the term. This portfolio must include activity reports, pictures, and brochures, certificate of participation, personal journals and self-assessment reports.

Even though there are many studies documented on CSL in the USA and other countries, there is not enough research has been done on CSL because the concept is new to Turkey. Importance of the present study is to fill the gap in Turkish literature and contributing international studies on service-learning. This study aimed to explore perceptions of pre-service science teachers regarding the Community Service-Learning (CSL).

Method

Participants enrolled in service-learning course from spring 2011 to winter 2012 in a college of education in a university located in west part of Turkey. Students in the course were involved in different experiences based on their interest areas. Some students tutor at elementary and middle school students in science. Some students volunteered to work on university library to read books for visually impaired students. Others prefer to work in childcare centers, senior residents, different clinics in university hospital, and volunteered in non-profit government organizations. Three different data sources were used. First data source is a community service learning survey includes 53 items. The survey is designed as five point scale from strongly agree, agree, disagree and strongly disagree. It was designed to measure students’ perceptions of service learning experiences on personal, academic, and social dimensions as well as their views about course outcomes and the course context. The questionnaire applied at the end of the semester. Second data source is personal journals collected from students’ portfolios. Last data source was the open-ended questionnaire to learn about their opinions about the course content and the service learning experiences.

Expected Outcomes

Results from the survey demonstrate that students gain favorable learning experience during the course. Analyses of survey showed that CSL increased students’ sensitivity, responsibility and awareness of current societal issues; communication skills, self-assessments, self confidence and team work skills. Students respond the open-ended questions were overwhelmingly favorable; some are included below. The community service learning increase students’ personal competence: “Before this course I had a social anxiety in which I was afraid of the talk in front of the people. After taking this course I changed and evolved now I can express myself very easily. It also increased my self-esteem too.” Students also have some suggestions after they saw value of the course: “I think, this course should be part of all faculties curriculum not only the education faculties because this course not only provide academic learning it also promote service experience from real life situations.” Data from students’ personal journals support the data get from survey and the open-ended questions. In journal students who were volunteered in school as a tutor in science explained that their professional skills increased during the project in terms of understand student needs, increased their management skills and academic performances.

References

Elma, C., Kesten, A., Kıroğlu, K., Uzun, E.M., Dicle, A.N., & Palavan, O. (2010). Öğretman adaylarının topluma hizmet uygulamaları dersine ilişkin algıları. Kuram ve Uygulamada Eğitim Yöntemi [Educational Administration: Theory and Practice], 16(2), 231-252. Cetin, T., & Sonmez, O. F. (2009). Sosyal bilgiler öğretmen adaylarının topluma hizmet uygulamaları dersinin amaç ve içeriğine yönelik görüşlerinin değerlendirilmesi. Gazi Egitim Fakultesi Dergisi, 29(3), 851-875. Gokce, N. (2011). Sosyal bilgiler öğretmen adaylarının topluma hizmet uygulamalarına ilişkin değerlendirmesi. Uluslararası Insan Bilimleri Dergisi, 8(2), 177-194. Istanbul University (2012).Topluma hizmet uygulamaları rehberi. Istanbul: Istanbul Universitesi Hasan Ali Yucel Egitim Fakultesi. Kesten, A. (2012). The evaluation of community service-learning course in terms of prospective teachers’ and instructors opinions. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 12(3), 2139-2148. Wang, Y., Ye, F., Jackson, G., Rodgers, R., & Jones, S. (2005). Development of students service-learning course survey (SSLCS) to measure service learning course outcomes. Association for Institutional Research, 3, 1-16. YOK (2007) . Ogretmen Yetistirme ve Egitim Fakulteleri (1982-2007). Yuksekogretim Kurulu Yayını Retrieved January 11, 2013 from http://www.yok.gov.tr/content/view/16/52

Author Information

Behiye Akcay (presenting / submitting)

Istanbul University

Science Education

Istanbul

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