Session Format
Conference Session (20 minutes)
Target Audience
Secondary Education
Location
Research Burst 1 (PARB 126)
Abstract for the conference program
Education is not only about teaching students in academic domains, but also teaching them about the application of those domains in society as civic-minded, engaged citizens. Service learning projects can be effective at fostering a sense of civic-mindedness in students, at least in college (e.g., Weber & Weber, 2010). During the 2017-2018 school year, we conducted a case study with 73 middle school students from two rural schools in the Arkansas Delta to examine, in part, the impact of one service-learning initiative (EAST). Participating students researched authentic problems in their communities and developed projects aimed at addressing those problems. Based on data from the case study, students appeared to become more aware of problems in their communities and believed they could help to solve those problems. Using the EAST model, this proposed session will examine how service-learning projects can help secondary educators develop civic-mindedness in students.
Proposal Track
T2: Applied STEM Education
Start Date
3-22-2019 11:30 AM
End Date
3-22-2019 11:50 AM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Hopper, James; Stowers, Sheila; Brinkley, Christy J.; Smith, Olivia; and Saarnio, David, "Developing Civic-Mindedness in Middle- and High-School Students Using Service-Learning" (2019). Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019). 14.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/stem/2019/2019/14
Developing Civic-Mindedness in Middle- and High-School Students Using Service-Learning
Research Burst 1 (PARB 126)
Education is not only about teaching students in academic domains, but also teaching them about the application of those domains in society as civic-minded, engaged citizens. Service learning projects can be effective at fostering a sense of civic-mindedness in students, at least in college (e.g., Weber & Weber, 2010). During the 2017-2018 school year, we conducted a case study with 73 middle school students from two rural schools in the Arkansas Delta to examine, in part, the impact of one service-learning initiative (EAST). Participating students researched authentic problems in their communities and developed projects aimed at addressing those problems. Based on data from the case study, students appeared to become more aware of problems in their communities and believed they could help to solve those problems. Using the EAST model, this proposed session will examine how service-learning projects can help secondary educators develop civic-mindedness in students.
