Praxeological Education: What Are the Teacher Perceptions of Service-Learning in Early Childhood Education in Ohio?

• In Event: 44.084 - Roundtable Session 18
  In Roundtable Session: 44.084-5 - Service-Learning for Preservice and In-Service Teachers

Abstract

Teachers are often forced to adopt didactic curriculum materials and pedagogical approaches, rather than look to the local community to provide invaluable collaborations (Lake & Winterbottom, 2009). This transference has been especially difficult for teachers who strive to use experiential approaches that focus on issues closely related to collaborative practices, which can involve service-learning. In this presentation, we examine teachers’ viewpoints working in Ohio on the following three questions: (i) Is service-learning an appropriate and successful teaching method? (ii) Do teachers through service-learning develop a better understanding of the connection between standards and real-life learning? and (iii) Is service-learning a means of providing a better understanding of their strengths and weaknesses as teachers?

Authors

• Christian Winterbottom, University of North Florida

• Matthew Ohlson, University of North Florida