This dissertation is an invitation into our beloved biology classroom. Weaving hermeneutic phenomenology and critical participatory teacher action research, this study investigated self as teacher and two cohorts of student participants in a high school biology experience utilizing an 'Aina Aloha praxis. Articulating my ongoing 'Aina Aloha praxis,…

This study is centered on first-generation Latinx students at Sacramento State and their academic journey. The research explores the impact of community engagement through service learning, community-based learning, volunteerism, and civic engagement on these students and their degree completion. The undergraduate experience in higher education is…

Service-learning initiatives often serve as higher education's approach to achieving institutional goals of fostering students' civic growth. Alternative Spring Breaks (ASBs), defined in this study as short-term immersion trips developed to engage college students in direct service experiences, have been understudied as service-learning…

Hong Kong is in need of adequately trained educators and educational leaders to meet the needs of children who live there. The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) has been trying to meet those needs by offering a curriculum that goes beyond teaching content and subject knowledge by incorporating service learning opportunities. Service…

With the new era of higher education centered on reshaping curricula in community colleges, educators and researchers are left with the task to develop innovative ways to keep students focused. The perceived best practices to educate students are always changing and with the millennial generation geared more towards participatory and hands on…

The use of community service to promote learning and civic responsibility in higher education has blossomed since the 1980s. The problem addressed in this study was that although the X University initiated the required community service program in 2004, it had not assessed the effectiveness of the program from students' perspectives. Using Kolb…

Employers in Information Technology (IT) fields state that students entering the workforce may have solid programming skills, but they lack interpersonal skills, also known as employability skills. One way students may be able to improve their employability skills is to participate in service-learning projects as part of their regular college…

Service learning is a pedagogy designed to teach democratic skills to prepare students to become civically engaged members of society. One of the challenges in the field of service learning is to demonstrate the effectiveness of this pedagogy. Common methodological problems include small sample sizes, difficulty differentiating correlation from…

An explanatory correlational study was conducted to explore whether and to what extent a relationship between hours of participation in service learning and commitment to social responsibility exists for students enrolled in pre-licensure baccalaureate-nursing programs currently participating in the Nursing Licensure Compact. The convenience…

Bachelors of Science Nursing students at a small liberal arts college in the upper Midwest volunteer with an instructor at a free clinic as part of their curriculum. This study's purpose was to identify the impact of nursing students' free-clinic experiences on their subsequent professional nursing practice and their ability to attend to: (a)…

This research explored issues surrounding service-learning directors (SLDs) within higher education institutions, including who they are, how they became SLDs, and what they experience in the role. Qualitative data were drawn from in-depth interviews of 11 SLDs, as well as review of their vitaes. A qualitative inductive analysis was conducted in…

Service-learning is a teaching methodology instituted by colleges and universities that allows students to make connections between theoretical learning in the classroom and authentic experiences in society. Historically, mission statements for institutions of higher education have reflected an idea of service and preparing active and socially…

The purpose of this research study was to understand how college graduates used their service-learning experiences while in college to enhance their work lives after graduation. Service learning in higher education is a community-based, reciprocal approach using experiential education theories. Through service-learning activities associated with…

The growing interest in service learning in higher education is connected to the idea that it helps students achieve course objectives and develop a sense of civic responsibility. Thus, it ties into broader goals within the institution of engagement of students and outreach to communities. This research examines students' perceptions of service…

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between short-term service immersion programs (STSI), such as Alternative Spring Break (ASB), and socially responsible leadership as measured by the Socially Responsible Leadership Scale (SRLS). Participation in STSI programs have been growing exponentially since 2006 (Bohn, 2009; Break…