Service Learning: Social-Emotional Development and Civic-Engagement of Elementary School Students

1 online resource (108 pages) : PDF

2021

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

ABSTRACTAIMEE MOORE MILLER. Service-Learning: Social-Emotional Development and Civic-Engagement of Elementary School Students. (Under the direction of DR. REBECCA SHORE).Social-emotional learning and character education are topics which have both become more commonplace in schools (Shriver & Weissberg, 2020). While no one reason has been identified, many school children seem to have become more self-absorbed and are less engaged in their communities (Borba, 2016; Turkle, 2015). Some scholars suggest this has impacted their ability to have positive interactions with their peers as well as kept them from developing an awareness of and connection to their communities. Borba (2016) and Turkle (2015) suggest that involving students in their communities through service is a possible strategy to help develop empathy and civic engagement in children. This bounded, single-case study explored the potential influence of a service-learning experience on second-grade students. Students participated in a seven-session module designed by the researcher over the course of four weeks, and completed surveys before and after their participation. Qualitative data was compiled from written reflection journals, discussion transcripts, and observations, and quantitative data was collected from surveys conducted at the beginning and end of the study. A line-by-line analysis of the qualitative data produced themes of emotion, empathy and civic engagement. Students demonstrated some understanding of the themes; however, there was no significant change in any of the students’ responses over time. A paired t-test of the quantitative data did not show any significant influence. Limitations related to the short duration of the study, and the lack of student voice may have hampered identifiable influences in students.

doctoral dissertations

Educational leadership

D.Ed.

Civic-Engagement
Elementary
Service-Learning
Social-Emotional

Educational Leadership

Shore, Rebecca

Lambert, Richard
Coffey, Heather
Leahy, Maria

Thesis (D.Ed.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2021.

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