Research on Service-Learning in Teacher Education: Key Issues and Themes

1. Research on Service-Learning in Teacher Education: Key Issues and Themes Presentation Order: • Overview of the International Center for S-L in Teacher Education at Clemson and its Predecessors — Nancy Dunlap, Clemson University • Status of S-L in Teacher Education — Joseph Erickson, Augsburg College • Institutionalization of S-L in Teacher Education — Jane Callahan, Providence College • Impacts of S-L on Preservice Teachers— Susan Root, RMC Research Corp. • Impacts on Practice: Use of S-L in Teaching — Jeffrey Anderson, Seattle University • http://web.augsburg.edu/education/islrc2004/index.html *

2. International Center for Service-Learning in Teacher Education — Nancy Dunlap Eugene T. Moore School of Education Clemson University

3. Founding Organizations National Service-Learning in Teacher Education Partnership American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education Compact for Learning and Citizenship Education Commission of the States National Youth Leadership Council SC Department of Education Campus Compact RMC Research Corp. Clemson University College of Health, Education, and Human Development Eugene T. Moore School of Education National Dropout Prevention Center

4. NSLTEP The ICSLTE grew from the NSLTEP organization. National Service-Learning in Teacher Education Partnership               History                 Purpose

5. History • NSLTEP founded in 1997 with 6 regional partners and funding from CNS • 2000 NSLTEP joined with AACTE’s CNS-funded SLATE project • 2003 NSLTEP evolved into the ICSLTE

6. Purposes of NSLTEP • Provide technical assistance and consulting support to teacher educators • Conduct and disseminate research • Complete policy studies that examine S-L with key issues (diversity, character ed, citizenship ed, civic engagement) • Conduct a national Institute on S-L in Teacher Education • Provide resources and information--publications and curriculum materials

7. Why Service-Learning in Teacher Education? • Pedagogy • To prepare teacher educator candidates and their future students to use Service-Learning as a pedagogy that enhances personal, social, and moral development • School Improvement • To familiarize teacher candidates with educational reform initiatives and achieve education standards. • Community Engagement To promote civic responsibility and preparation for active, democratic citizenship by addressing community needs including social, political, and economic issues.

8. Goals Of The Center To create a vital, sustainable, and reflective organization that will… Goal I. Improve the quality of teaching and learning by preparing teachers and school leaders to use effective service-learning methodologies. Goal II. Promote excellence in Service-Learning by supporting, conducting, and disseminating current and future research on Service-Learning in teacher education. Goal III. Effect active civic engagement and community participation within a democratic framework through the dynamics of Service-Learning . Goal IV. Develop and promote policies and guidelines that support the implementation of effective Service-Learning in schools and colleges.

9. Activities 1. Professional Development And Technical Assistance 2. Creation, Collection And Dissemination Of Information And Resources 3. Collaborations And Partnerships 4. Research And Evaluation

11. http://www.clemson.edu/icslte/ *

12. Status of S-L in Teacher Education — Joseph EricksonAMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES FOR TEACHER EDUCATION (AACTE)SERVICE-LEARNING IN TEACHER EDUCATION SURVEY PRESERVICE TEACHER SERVICE-LEARNING EXPERIENCES Item 14. Is service-learning (S-L) included in your teacher education (TE) program?

13. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES FOR TEACHER EDUCATION (AACTE)SERVICE-LEARNING IN TEACHER EDUCATION SURVEY PRESERVICE TEACHER SERVICE-LEARNING EXPERIENCES Item 15. Does your teacher education program prepare preservice teachers to use service-learning as a pedagogy with their future P-12 students?

14. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES FOR TEACHER EDUCATION (AACTE)SERVICE-LEARNING IN TEACHER EDUCATION SURVEY PRESERVICE TEACHER SERVICE-LEARNING EXPERIENCES Item 16. If you include S-L in your TE Program, which classes include S-L? (Continued…)

15. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES FOR TEACHER EDUCATION (AACTE)SERVICE-LEARNING IN TEACHER EDUCATION SURVEY PRESERVICE TEACHER SERVICE-LEARNING EXPERIENCES Item 16. If you include S-L in your TE Program, which classes include S-L?

16. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES FOR TEACHER EDUCATION (AACTE)SERVICE-LEARNING IN TEACHER EDUCATION SURVEY PRESERVICE TEACHER SERVICE-LEARNING EXPERIENCES Item 17. Which of the following experiences and methods are included in your program?

17. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES FOR TEACHER EDUCATION (AACTE)SERVICE-LEARNING IN TEACHER EDUCATION SURVEY PRESERVICE TEACHER SERVICE-LEARNING EXPERIENCES Item 18. Approximately what percentage of the preservice teachers in your institution experience service-learning as a part of their required coursework?

18. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES FOR TEACHER EDUCATION (AACTE)SERVICE-LEARNING IN TEACHER EDUCATION SURVEY PRESERVICE TEACHER SERVICE-LEARNING EXPERIENCES Item 19. Approximately what percentage of full-time, teacher education, tenure-track faculty in your institution include service-learning in a class they teach?

19. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES FOR TEACHER EDUCATION (AACTE)SERVICE-LEARNING IN TEACHER EDUCATION SURVEY PRESERVICE TEACHER SERVICE-LEARNING EXPERIENCES Item 20. Which of the following statements most accurately describe the degree to which S-L is currently a part of your institution’s TE program? 26%  a. Service-learning is not a regular part of our teacher education program. 22%  b. Service-learning is not a regular part of our teacher education program but some faculty mention it in their courses and a few occasionally assign service-learning readings. 28%  c. Service-learning is recognized as a promising approach to teaching that supports the mission of our teacher education program and some faculty use it in their courses but preservice teachers are not taught how to use it as a pedagogy for P-12 students. (Continued…)

20. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES FOR TEACHER EDUCATION (AACTE)SERVICE-LEARNING IN TEACHER EDUCATION SURVEY PRESERVICE TEACHER SERVICE-LEARNING EXPERIENCES Item 20. Which of the following statements most accurately describe the degree to which S-L is currently a part of your institution’s TE program? 19%  d. Service-learning is recognized as an approach to teaching that supports the mission of our teacher education program. Key faculty use service-learning in their courses and preservice teachers are taught the pedagogy and encouraged to use it in their P-12 practicum experiences and/or student teaching.  4%  e. Service-learning is strongly integrated in the core courses of our teacher education program. All preservice teachers are taught service- learning pedagogy and expected to develop and teach a service- learning activity in their P-12 practicum experiences and/or student teaching. Our School/College/Department of Education provides infrastructure support for service-learning and works hard to secure classroom placements with teachers supportive of service-learning.

21. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES FOR TEACHER EDUCATION (AACTE)SERVICE-LEARNING IN TEACHER EDUCATION SURVEY D23-Does SCDE have a S-L staff person (Y/N)?

22. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES FOR TEACHER EDUCATION (AACTE)SERVICE-LEARNING IN TEACHER EDUCATION SURVEY D28-S-L mentioned in criteria for tenure and promotion (Y/N)? *

23. Institutionalization of Service-Learning in Teacher Education — Jane Callahan Foundational Institutionalization Studies • Billig (2000, 2002) • Holland (1997, 2000) • Furco (1999)

24. Michigan Study • Three year Corporation for National Service Higher Ed grant • Integrated service-learning into Teacher Education in four state institutions • Faculty Fellow model of training and technical assistance

25. Conclusions • Committed and experienced leader • Perceived compatibility with program goals • Perceived value to faculty • Administrator support was not a determining factor • Program approval issues not important

26. NSLTEP Study • Examined process and critical factors • Developed matrix specific to teacher education • Five institutions examined

27. Conclusions • Strong, committed service-learning champion • Match with vision and goals of institution and program • Training for administrators and faculty • S-L noted as criteria for new hires • Campus S-L center provides support and resources • Cultivation of long-term partnerships with schools and agencies • Dependence on context of institution and program

28. Future Directions for Research • Is there a difference in integration between public and private institutions? • What kind of approaches work at different types of institutions? • If the mission of the institution is not strongly related to service, what approaches might work in integration? *

29. Impacts of Service-Learning on Preservice Teachers — Susan Root Study One Purpose: • To examine the effects of service-learning in teacher education on the development of important dispositions of teachers, e.g., teaching efficacy, attitudes toward diversity, commitment to teaching. • To assess the moderating effects of characteristics of preservice teachers and the service-learning experience on these outcomes

30. Methodology • Participants=442 Education students in service-learning courses in 9 teacher education programs. • Participating faculty nominated by NSLTEP directors. • Faculty members administered pre and post surveys in 1999-2000 and completed an interview about their service-learning courses.

31. Results Preservice teachers showed significant increases in: • Attitudes toward diversity; • Desire to teach because of teachers’ ability to bring about social change; and • Intent to use service-learning in their own teaching

32. Moderating Variables Characteristics of the service-learning experience: • Quality Experience-Students who had a higher quality experience made greater gains in commitment to teaching. • Instructional support-Students who reported greater support were more likely to show gains in teaching efficacy, and positive attitudes toward diversity. • Opportunity to plan and/or implement a service-learning project in a P-12 classroom-Students who had opportunity showed greater increases in intent to use service-learning in own teaching and attitudes toward diversity.

33. Limitations of the study Participating classes included both those in which service was included to strengthen important characteristics in future teachers (knowledge and dispositions) and courses in which students learned about and practiced service-learning as a pedagogy.

34. Current studies • Study #1-Examined courses in which service-leaning was used to strengthen future teachers’ ethic of care.. • Study #2-Study of courses in which preservice teachers learn and practice the pedagogy of service-learning on beliefs about teaching and learning.

35. Study #2-Results • Future teachers who learned the pedagogy of service-learning showed: • Increased sophistication about one epistemological belief- the idea that knowledge is evolving rather than fixed. • An increased tendency to endorse certain constructivist teaching practices • Giving students complex real-life problems to solve • Authentic assessment • The strongest predictor of posttest intent to use service-learning was the pretest score. However, students whose beliefs about knowledge became more sophisticated expressed a greater intent to use service-learning. *

36. Impacts on Practice: Use of S-L in Teaching — Jeffrey Anderson • Wade, R., Anderson, J., Yarbough, D., Pickeral, T., Erickson, J., & Kromer, T. (1999). Novice teachers’ experiences of community service learning. Teaching and Teacher Education, 15, 667-684. • 344 graduates of 4 teacher education programs which had included preparation in the use of SL as a pedagogy • 30% implemented SL during first three years of teaching • Ranged from 18% at Site A to 52% at Site D

37. Strengths of S-L Projects • Expressed Learning and Service Goals • Curriculum Integration • Collaboration • Student Ownership

38. Limitations of S-L Projects • Little Assessment • Shallow Reflection • Limited Amount of Service

39. Predictors of S-L Use • Responsibility for implementing a S-L project during teacher preparation in which teacher candidates had significant ownership • Positive evaluation of college SL experience • Class size in current school • Length of time in teaching • S-L program in current school and funding available

40. Recommendations for Teacher Educators • Provide multiple S-L experiences • S-L experiences should include meaningful, enjoyable service, and frequent opportunities for different types of reflection • Help teacher candidates develop simple, low-cost S-L projects • Emphasize reflection and assessment strategies • Work with K-12 schools to help develop comprehensive S-L programs

41. Suggestions for Future Research • Examine the influence of different types of preservice preparation (coursework, community placements, S-L in student teaching) on beginning teachers’ practices • Examine the effects of specific school-based factors (funding, S-L coordinator, school-wide S-L program) on beginning teachers’ practices • Study preservice and inservice S-L preparation to determine what should be included in each *

42. Research on Service-Learning in Teacher Education: Key Issues and Themes For more information, slides, handouts, and links: http://www.clemson.edu/icslte/ http://web.augsburg.edu/education/islrc2004/index.html