Does service-learning crowd-out volunteering while studying?

• In Event: Exploring the Nexus Between Volunteering and Employment

Abstract

Service-learning provides the students with the opportunity to learn from real-world experiences and develop volunteering as a resource for themselves (Koolen-Maas, et al., 2023). Service-learning helps student to be better prepared for their future, as employee (profession) and as citizen (volunteer) (Omar et al., 2022). Service-learning is a clear example of combining two time-consuming activities (education and volunteering) to improve volunteer ability (Meijs et al, 2006). But maybe being active in-service learning does crowd out other volunteering? Or maybe this depends on the level of involvement in the service-learning course? Using a quantitative approach, this paper will focus on the research questions:

1. What kind of volunteering do service-learning students do next to their service learning?
2. Are more involved students doing more volunteering next to their service learning?

In this paper we use a service-learning course at a major business school, called the I Do course (Husseinifard, 2022), as our focal point to gather data on: (a) Students presently doing the service learning course (b) Students who were part of the service learning course and now graduates from the university (c) Students who are presently in bachelor three or master’s level, and are in leadership roles to implement the service learning course.

Volunteering activities before participating in the service-learning course (b)Volunteering activities during the service-learning course for NPOs participating in the course (c) Volunteering activities outside the service-learning course while the service-learning course is on-going. As senior students take the role of teaching staff in the I Do (Husseinifard, 2022) the course has three different levels of commitment. Only student, only teaching student and student (year 1) plus teaching (year 2). The research follows a quantitative approach, using surveys to current enrolled students and teaching students (about 90 respondents per year).

The expected empirical and conceptual findings will show the relation between service-learning and other volunteering activities before and during the service-learning. It will also be possible to correlate this with low (only student), medium (teaching) and high (student plus teaching) involvement.
The findings will also provide the opportunity to identify and understand the types of volunteering activities that the service-learning student practices before and during their participation in the service-learning course.

As an expected scientific contribution, the analyzed results will add a niche to the already existing body of literature in the direction of volunteering during a service-learning course. In addition, the research would provide useful directions on how to design, develop and implement the service-learning curriculums in universities, to foster the participation of students in volunteering activities during their studies. As a societal contribution, the results would provide useful pathways to policymakers and leaders in countries and universities on how to improve volunteering activities by students before and during their studies. Thus, would enable the university to include relevant topics that can aid the continuous practice of volunteering to a reasonable extent.

References

Husseinifard, S., Corleissen, L., & Meijs, L. (2022). The I DO project: using experiential service learning to increase the impact of PIS. Journal of Global Responsibility, 13(1), 21-28.
Koolen-Maas, S. A., Meijs, L. C., van Overbeeke, P. S., & Brudney, J. L. (2023). Rethinking Volunteering as a Natural Resource: A Conceptual Typology. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 52(1_suppl), 353S-377S. 08997640221127947. (Open access)
Meijs, L.C.P.M, Ten Hoorn, E.M. & Brudney, J.L. (2006). ‘Improving Societal Use of Human Resources: From Employability to Volunteerability’Voluntary Action. Vol. 8 (2): pp. 36‐54

Authors

• Taslim Alade, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam

• Lucas Meijs, Erasmus University Rotterdam