ERIC Number: EJ909071
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1812-9129
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Service Learning as an Opportunity for Personal and Social Transformation
Meyers, Steven A.
International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, v21 n3 p373-381 2009
Service-learning can be used as a teaching tool to promote social justice, and its implementation can encourage both students' personal development and social engagement. In this article, I illustrate how service-learning can help students become more self-aware, appreciative of diversity, and agents of social change. This process involves students reaching out to marginalized populations through community placements, reaching in through detailed reflection and introspection about their attitudes and experiences, and reaching around their communities through advocacy and activism to address social problems that are evident at field sites. I include supporting qualitative data that document how these experiences impacted students' personal growth and civic participation.
Descriptors: Social Justice, Social Problems, Service Learning, Social Change, Teaching Methods, Student Development, Consciousness Raising, Cultural Pluralism, Change Agents, Minority Groups, Student Attitudes, Attitude Change, Advocacy, Activism, Student Participation, College Students, Reflection
International Society for Exploring Teaching and Learning. Web site: http://www.isetl.org/ijtlhe
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A