Fostering Civic Engagement Through College Service-Learning

• In Event: 61.040 - Being and Becoming Citizen Teachers: Examining the Ecology and Complexity of Democratic Teacher Development

Abstract

This paper shares our research on the evolution of civic engagement through the addition of a service-learning project in our first-year linked-course experience for education majors. The service-learning project intentionally creates an opportunity for pre-service teachers to connect with both families and communities while being exposed to issues of diversity, poverty, social issues, and more to enhance their understanding of becoming an active citizen before entering the classroom.
In the United States, students in public schools are becoming increasingly diverse cognitively, linguistically, and academically. With students experiencing this diversity in the classroom, teachers must be prepared to enter the classroom to meet all the students’ needs (Bryant, Triplett, Watson, & Lewis, 2017; Cunningham, Perry, Stanovich, & Stanovich, 2004). The challenge is that our society has a predominately white teaching force trying to effectively teach students from diverse backgrounds causing teacher preparation programs to consider methods of preparing future teachers in this area (Assaf, Battle, & Garza, 2010; Bryant et al., 2017). At our institution, our students are predominately white females from communities that lack cultural diversity. With this potential lack of experience and understanding of diversity and social justice, addressing these issues can be a challenge (Hollins & Gusman, 2005; Tinkle & Tinkle, 2013). For pre-service teachers to understand how multiculturalism and diversity connect with their role as teachers, teacher education programs need to take responsibility for guiding pre-service students to develop this awareness, skills, and knowledge beyond the standard methods and practicum that exist in the schools to service-learning experiences in the communities (Akiba, 2011; Hollins & Gusman, 2005; Silverman, 2010).
On college campuses, service learning initiatives are being implemented as part of the college experience with research focusing on how this experience affects the development of students as contributing citizens in their community (Hildenbrand & Shultz, 2015). To prepare our pre-service teachers in the areas of civic engagement, diversity, and community, we added a service-learning project to our first-year linked-course experience. This weekly service-learning project connects incoming students majoring in education to the community, allowing them to interact with children, families, and professionals. The cohort of first-year students not only share an integrated first-year academic programs, but also a service-learning experience that increase retention by developing a sense of belonging to the institution and community as well as creating a sense of shared knowledge, learning and responsibility for students in the program (Tinto, 1998).
The paper shares details of the first-year linked course experience, service-learning project, and other intentional experiences included to enhance the civic engagement development of our students. The paper will share data that includes civic engagement portfolios, focus group interviews, reflections, and service-learning autobiographies. Portfolios are evaluated using the Active Citizen Rubric that assesses where students are on the continuum over four levels: active citizen, conscientious citizen, volunteer, and member. Focus group interviews with the first-year students, the service-learning leaders, and community members will be analyzed to capture their experience, understand the strengthens and weaknesses, discuss the development of community, and articulate how all members have grown through the experience (Wardle, 2007).

Authors

• Tanya Sturtz, Keene State College

• Darrell C. Hucks, Keene State College