ERIC Number: EJ1274101
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Dec
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1053-8259
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Does Service Learning Work? Attitudes of College Students toward Individuals with Disabilities
Lee, Jihyun; Chang, Seung Ho; Haegele, Justin A.
Journal of Experiential Education, v43 n4 p365-380 Dec 2020
Background: Service-learning has been used in adapted physical activity and education (APA/E) courses in kinesiology. However, evidence has been lacking to clarify the need for utilizing service-learning in APA/E courses as an avenue to change attitudes of students. Purpose: This study aimed to compare two APA/E courses, one with service-learning and another without, to examine the effect of hands-on experiences working with individuals with disabilities on the attitudes of kinesiology undergraduate students. Methodology/Approach: Seventy-six undergraduate students enrolled in two APA/E courses were divided into the experimental (n = 28) and control group (n = 48). Only the experimental group had service-learning, which required working with children with autism in a physical activity program for 8 weeks. Both groups completed a self-efficacy measure and the Multidimensional Attitudes Scale Toward Persons With Disabilities (MAS) questionnaire at pre- and posttest. Findings/Conclusions: The results showed a significant positive change in the experimental group's affect subset scores of the MAS and the self-efficacy measure. No significant changes in all variables were found in the control group. Implications: The findings of the study indicate that including a service-learning component in APA/E courses would be essential to change attitudes and increase self-efficacy of kinesiology students.
Descriptors: Service Learning, Student Attitudes, Attitudes toward Disabilities, Adapted Physical Education, Attitude Change, Kinesiology, Undergraduate Students, Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Students with Disabilities, Attitude Measures, Experiential Learning, Self Efficacy, Pretests Posttests
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: California
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons Scale
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A