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Understanding Student Complaints in the Service Learning Pedagogy
Author(s) -
Rosing Howard,
Reed Susan,
Ferrari Joseph R.,
Bothne Nancy J.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
american journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.113
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1573-2770
pISSN - 0091-0562
DOI - 10.1007/s10464-010-9338-5
Subject(s) - service learning , health psychology , psychology , pedagogy , qualitative research , medical education , mathematics education , sociology , public health , nursing , medicine , social science
This study draws upon student evaluations across 3 years of service learning (SL) courses at a large, urban, faith‐based university identifying issues of greatest concern to students. Analysis of qualitative responses revealed perspectives on the limits, pitfalls, and barriers to successful SL student work in the community replicated over the 3 year timeframe. Over 2,200 written responses were coded and tested for reliability for each of 3 years. The top three comments SL students were most likely to express included: (1) concern about their placement in the community, for example, that sites were not prepared or that further goal‐setting, communication and training by the university was necessary; (2) that the university's choice of sites may have been ill considered; and, (3) that there were problems with time and scheduling. Ongoing assessment of students' perspectives on their placement experience identifies practices that can enhance their learning and contributions toward building stronger communities.