Improving Preservice Teachers’ Self-Efficacy through Service Learning: Lessons Learned

Abstract

University students have been barraged with service learning opportunities both as course required and as volunteer opportunities in recent years. Currently, many universities now require students to participate in engaged learning as a graduation requirement. Situated in Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy, this study examines the effects service learning has on students teaching self-efficacy when required to participate in an activity (course connected), compared to when they chose to volunteer in service learning projects. As instructors of preservice teachers it is our commitment to prepare these students to their maximum potential. Identifying best practices for teacher preparation is an overarching goal of this study. A pre/post survey examined students’ self-perceptions for each service opportunity in regards to their perceived teaching self-efficacy. Results indicate that students’ self-efficacy improved when service learning was connected or imbedded in the context of learning and connected to a specific course. These findings indicate course connected service learning has a greater impact on preservice teachers’ perceptions of their ability to be effective future classroom teachers. Therefore course connected service learning can be viewed as a best practice in preservice teaching instruction

Keywords

• -

Improving Preservice Teachers’ Self-Efficacy through Service Learning: Lessons Learned

Abstract

-

Keywords

• -

References

1. Anderson, J. (1998). Service-learning and teacher education. Washington, DC: ERIC
2. Clearinghouse on Teaching and Teacher Education. [ED421481]
3. Astin, A. W. (1990, December). Student involvement in community service:
4. Institutional commitment and the Campus Compact. Paper presented at the meeting of the California Campus Compact, Los Angeles. Astin, A.W., & Sax, L.J. (1998) How undergraduates are affected by service participation. Journal of College Student Development 39(3): 251-63.
5. Bandura, A. (1991). Self-efficacy mechanism in physiological activation and health- promotingbehavior. In J. Madden, IV (Ed.), Neurobiology of learning, emotion and affect (pp.229-270). New York: Raven.
6. Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: Freeman.
7. Belcheir, M. J. (2000). The National Survey of Student Engagement: Results from Boise
8. State freshmen and seniors. Report No. BSU-RR-2000-04). Boise, ID: Office of

9. Institional Advancement (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 480914).
10. Ben-Peretz, M. (1995). Curriculum of teacher education programmes. In L. W. Anderson (Ed.),
11. International encyclopedia of teaching and teacher education (2nd ed). New York: Pergamon, 543-546. Bringle, M. G., & Hatcher, J. A. (2002). Campus community partnerships: The terms of engagement. Journal of Social Issues, 58: 503-516.
12. Bringle, R. G., & Hatcher, J.A. (1996). Implementing service learning in higher education. The Journal of Higher Education, 67: 221-239.
13. Buchanan, A.M., Baldwin, S. C., & Rudisill, M.E. (2002). Service Learning as
14. Scholarship in Teacher Education, Educational Researcher, 31(5):28-34. Cioffi, D. (1991).Beyond attentional strategies: A cognitive-perceptual model of somatic interpretation. Psychological Bulletin, 109: 25-41.
15. Cone, N. (2009). Community-based service-learning as a source of personal self- efficacy: preparing preservice elementary teachers to teach science for diversity.
16. School Science and Mathematics. 109: 20-30. Conrad, D., & Hedin, D. (1991). School-based community service: What we know from research and theory. Phi Delta Kappan, 72(10): 743-749. EJ 426 971.
17. Daniel, K.N., Patterson, G., & Dunston, Y. (2010). Rules of engagement: A service learning pedagogy for preservice teacher education. Journal for Civic Commitment, 15:1
18. Eyler, J., & Giles, D.E., Jr. (1999). Where's the learning in service-learning? San
19. Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Heiselt, A.K., Wolverton, E. (2009). Partners in linking college students and their communities through service learning. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 49 (1): 83
20. Herther, N.K (2008). Service-learning and engagement in the academic library. College
21. & Research Libraries News, 69(7): 386-389. Hoy, A.W. (2004). The educational psychology of teacher efficacy. Educational Psychology Review. 16: 153-176.
22. Huer, M. B., & Saenz, T. I. (2003). Challenges and strategies for conducting survey and focus group research with culturally diverse groups. American Journal of Speech
23. Language Pathology, 12(2): 209-220. King, G., Murray, C.J.L., Salomon, J., & Tandon, A. (2003). Enhancing the validity and cross-cultural comparability of measurement in survey research. American Political Science Review, 97(4): 567-583.
24. Markus, G. B., Howard, J.P.F., & King, D.C. (1993). Integrating community service and classroom instruction enhances learning: results from an experiment. Education
25. Evaluation & Policy Analysis, 15: 410-419. Martin, M. (1994). The philosophical importance of the Rosenthal effect. In M. Martin
26. & L. McIntyre (Eds.), Readings in the philosophy of social science (pp. 585-596). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. McDonnough, J.T., & Matkins, J. J. (2010). The role of field experience in elementary preservice teachers’ self-efficacy and ability to connect research to practice. School
27. Science and Mathematics, 110(1): 12-23. National Society for Experiential Education.(1994). Partial List of Experiential
28. Learning Terms and Their Definitions, Raleigh, North Carolina. Rhoades, R. A. (1997). Community service and higher learning: Explorations of the Caring Self. Albany: State Univ. of New York Pr.
29. Root, S. C., & Batchelder, T. (1994, April). The impact of service-learning on preservice teachers’ development. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans.
30. Root, S. C. (1997). School-based service: A review of research for teacher educators. In
31. J. Erickson & J. Anderson (Eds.), Learning with the community: Concepts and models for service learning in Association for Higher Education. Ryan, L.B. & Callahan, J. (2002). Making Connections: Service-learning competencies and beginning teacher standards. The Teacher Educator, 38(2): 126-140.
32. Sarquis, M. & Hogue, L. (2000) Science Night Family Fun from A to Z. Middletown,
33. Ohio: Terrific Science Press. Seigel, S. (1995). Community service learning as empowering pedagogy: Implications for middle school teachers. Doctoral dissertation, University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
34. Sigmon, R. L. (1994). Linking Service with Learning. Council of Independent Colleges.
35. Sullivan, R. (1991, February). The role of service learning in restructuring teacher education. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association of Teacher
36. Educators, New Orleans. Swars, S., Smith, S., Smith, M., Hart, L. (2006). Elementary preservice teachers’ changing pedagogical and efficacy beliefs during a developmental teacher preparation program. Proceedings of Psychology of Mathematics Education – North American
37. Chapter, Yucatan, Mexico, 2006, 2: 548-555.
38. Tang, S. Y. F. (2003). Challenge and support: The dynamics of student teachers' professional learning the field experience. School Science and Mathematics Teaching and Teacher Education, 19: 483-498.
39. Vogelgesang L. J., et al., "Service-Learning and the First-Year Experience: Outcomes Related to Learning and Persistence in Service-Learning and the First-Year Experience: Preparing Students for Personal Success and Civic Responsibility, ed. Edward Zlotkowski (Columbia: Univ. of South Carolina, National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, 2002)
40. Wade, R. (1995). Developing active citizens: Community service learning in social studies teacher education. Social Studies, 86(3): 122-128.
41. Zimmerman, B. J. (2000) Self-regulatory cycles of learning. In G. A. Straka (ed)
42. Conceptions of self-directed learning, theoretical and conceptual considerations. New York, Waxman, 221-234. teacher education. (pp. 42-72). Washington, DC: American