Term of Award
Spring 2024
Degree Name
Master of Science in Experimental Psychology (M.S.)
Document Type and Release Option
Thesis (open access)
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Department
Department of Psychology
Committee Chair
Rebecca Ryan
Committee Member 1
Nicolette Rickert
Committee Member 2
Lindsey Stone
Abstract
Service-learning (SL) has increasingly been used as an educational tool based on the theory of experiential learning, which states that knowledge is developed through experience (Kohl, 1984). SL provides students with the opportunity to connect course work to the community leading to a better understanding of the content. Previous research has shown that SL is associated with positive academic, social, and civic outcomes. However, many of the previous studies fail to provide demographic information on the participants, specifically their ethnicities. There has also been a lack of quantitative studies that examine how first-generation students perceive SL and its benefits. The current study explored the extent to which students benefited from SL and if students who are a part of underrepresented populations, ethnic minority and first-generation, gained the same benefits that previous research has shown. This study used the Benefits of Academic Community Engagement (BACE) scale to determine the extent to which students’ personal development and social responsibility were positively connected to SL. Results showed that the students in the ethnic minority scored higher than those in the ethnic majority on personal development, social responsibility, and overall. These findings suggest that ethnic minorities found their SL experience to be even more beneficial than those in the ethnic majority. On the other hand, there were no statistically significant differences on personal development, social responsibility, or overall, based on family education level as first-generation and continuing-generation students did not differ. These findings extend previous research about SL and underrepresented populations and show that SL is just as, if not more, beneficial to underrepresented populations.
Recommended Citation
Bellard, Sondra, "Service-Learning and Student Success: Are Underrepresented Students Gaining the Same Benefits?" (2024). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2786.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/2786
Research Data and Supplementary Material
No
