Understanding student motivation to participate in international service-learning

• In Event: Roundtable Group 8
  In Refereed Roundtable Session: Equity, access, and diversity in the college student experience

Proposal

Longitudinal data shows us that the vast majority of students who study abroad (in any capacity) are white females (Institute of International Education, 2021). Women are also more likely to participate in service-learning (Chesbrough, 2009; Clever & Miller, 2019), although discrepancies in participation along racial lines vary more depending on program type (Chesler & Vasques Scalera, 2000). It is well-established that ISL programs are beneficial to the students who participate (Jones & Abes, 2004; Kilgo, Sheets & Pascarella, 2015; Lutterman-Aguilar & Gingerich, 2002; Rutti, et al. 2016), but these demographics suggest they may be yet another example of higher education benefitting privileged individuals at the expense of marginalized communities.

This study aims to explore why ISL is such a white, female-dominated space by first understanding the motivations of students who self-select to participate in ISL programs. Using qualitative case study design (Stake, 2005), I worked with ten undergraduate students from a Nazareth University who participated in a two-week service-learning program in South Africa and Eswatini. The program was conducted through a partnership with a third-party, and was led by university faculty from the Music Therapy and Physical Therapy programs, as well as the Director of the Center for International Education. The trip was designed to integrate educational themes (apartheid, healthcare and the AIDS epidemic) as well as service components (music and physical activities with local schools). Of the ten student participants, all consented to participate in the study and submitted written application material, seven completed an online qualitative survey and five completed 1:1 interviews. All participating students identify as white females.

Early stages of data analysis are suggesting some common themes in the motivations of these students: helping majors, a desire for a unique experience, and a focus on cultural humility. Although the program was open to all majors, the majority of participants were from social work, music therapy and nursing majors. While this could be due to faculty representation and/or the nature of the service component, it is an interesting thread which could be followed by more in-depth research on demographics of ISL by academic major. In pre-trip surveys all seven participants sited location as one of their motivating factors in selecting this trip amongst Nazareth’s other international programs, making this the only unanimous factor selected. Expounding on this during interviews revealed that students were looking for an experience that’s “not your run of the mill trip to France or Italy,” and that distinguished them from both their peers as well as other family/friends. Finally, participants also discussed the value of learning from and with people from other cultures through the lens of cultural humility. This was often discussed as an academic topic that was taught in class or in orientation sessions, as well as projected to students’ future work in service fields. This final point will be explored in greater depth through the lens of cultural and racial capital, as students seem to feel that their own capital increases through the interpersonal connections afforded through ISL.

Authors

• Emily Marchese, The George Washington University

• Bernhard T Streitwieser, George Washington University