The purpose of this study was to engage students in critical reflection pertaining to critical service-learning as a vehicle to transform beliefs and perspectives regarding equity and social justice in a community. The authors engaged in personal self-formation with an emphasis on reflexive agency to unpack course requirements, critical…

This academic service learning initiative enabled teacher education candidates to create research-based family literacy activities around a diverse selection of children's books. Each project included a detailed parent or caregiver letter, which provides an overview of the family literacy activity; materials and props; step-by-step procedures;…

Service learning, as a pedagogical approach, can offer situated encounters or critical incidents for pre-service teachers to make sense of their professional identity in relation to others and the wider community. However, additional research is still needed to ascertain how teacher identity can arise from these situated encounters. Hence, this…

Previous studies have demonstrated that using guided, targeted, reflections in service-learning (SL) courses can increase student engagement and learning. However, little research has been conducted on how these reflective models can be adapted for faith-based institutions to help students to better integrate faith into their learning experience,…

During semester-long courses in inclusive methods and beginning reading instruction, pre-service teacher candidates participate in weekly tutoring sessions with elementary students in grades K-5. We outline principles identified for effective service-learning and describe how to embed them to integrate community service. We discuss…

Background: The theory and practice divide is a persistent conundrum in teacher education. Moreover, foundation phase literacy teacher education is no exception because such graduates are expected to acquire knowledge and skills to address the challenges of the classroom. Objectives: This article focuses on the application of an integrated…

This article presents a study of prospective teachers' writing about service-learning experiences. Focusing on three teachers' writing about their work with students who are 'at-risk' of school failure, this article outlines how Bakhtin's theory of dialogism assists in understanding the responsive quality of writing. Specifically, the article…

Service learning (SL) is both a pedagogy and philosophy adopted by many early childhood teacher educators. Extant research suggests the incorporation of service-learning can be effective for facilitating preservice teacher learning of curriculum, pedagogy, approaches to diverse learners and families as well as establishing a professional identity.…

This article describes a community service learning collaboration between a teacher education program and a nonprofit literacy society. Seventeen teacher candidates (TCs) tutored young readers weekly for seven months as part of their course-related field experience and completed reflective assignments analyzing their own learning and the learning…

The purpose of this study was to explore teacher candidates' (TCs') learning when provided with an opportunity to a gain deeper understanding of their identity as teachers in a diverse community-based clinical experience at a local Boys and Girls Club. The analysis of two course assignments pointed to the community-based clinical experience as a…

This article describes a service-learning program developed at the University of Verona, Italy. This community service research learning (CSRL) program involves preservice and in-service teachers and incorporates learning, community service, and research. We detail the program's theoretical basis and then present the results of a research project…

The purpose of this study was to analyse the impact of service-learning (SL) in physical education teacher education students (PETEs). The PETEs (n = 169) completed one of the editions of a SL program carried out between 2015-2018. This program consisted of designing and leading motor game sessions to facilitate the inclusion of 116 children with…

In this dissertation, I elaborate a pedagogical practice of creative interference. I use curricular and instructional disturbances to open the possibility for different ways of thinking and acting. I aim to confront problematic representations of people and cultures through complex social contextualization, and to interfere with discourses that…

Although service-learning can support the development of intercultural competence, it has also maintained power differentials, reinforced privileged perspectives, and strengthened deficit thinking. Recent research has investigated the conditions within service-learning associated with positive change in diversity-related attitudes. We extend that…

The paper reports an action research study that investigated pre-service teachers' beliefs about service-learning in a Makerspace lab at an elementary school. As part of the service-learning project requirement in an Educational Technology course, the pre-service teachers were asked to work in an elementary school to provide service to the…