Though uncomfortable emotion in the classroom has become politically controversial, scholarship has established its importance. In transformational learning in particular, scholars have theorized that far from being an undesirable side effect, student emotion is inherent in shifting beliefs and motivating action. In the "pedagogy of…

Service-learning courses offer a unique experience to students by reinforcing typical school curriculum with experiences outside the classroom, where the emphasis is on learning by doing accompanied with reflection (Conrad & Hedin, 1981). Studies show that the quality of the service-learning experience has the potential to impact student…

This article examines the phenomena of mismatched expectations on international nursing service-learning trips and the resulting dissonance those expectations can produce in trip participants. The work of Festinger and others are used as a theoretical framework for recognizing the elements of dissonance and how to navigate through the various…

Service-learning (SL) is a form of experiential education which promotes student learning through community service and critical reflection. This study aims to examine the effect of SL on Chinese college students' transfer of learning and to explore the psychological mechanism of such effect. In Phase 1 with 186 Chinese college students, the SL…

Although there have been growing concerns on how service-learning can accentuate the power differences between the server and the served, service-learning can foster transformative partnership by recognizing the contributions each can offer for a better society. Using participant observation and discourse analysis, this case study examines the…

This study extended research on transformational service learning by examining the impact that a community placement context can have on college students' transformational processes. Kiely's "Transformational Service-Learning Process Model" was used as a framework to better understand how context, dissonance, and student reactions are…

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to investigate students' developmental readiness to navigate dissonance and experience transformation as they engaged in an international service-learning program. Using case-study methodology, researchers collected data from a diverse group of 7 graduate students and 5 undergraduate students who…

Connecting with others and experiences of dissonance are two factors identified as central to transformative learning in engaged teaching and research (Kiely, 2005). At the same time, these ways of knowing are unpredictable and come with the risk of actually disrupting rather than enhancing learning. This article reports the findings of a mixed…

Dread is an unfortunate, yet all too common occurrence in the classroom. It often arises when a student has little motivation toward a class or its content. As an instructor of a traditionally "dreaded" class (Design History I), my goal was to seek ways to increase student motivation for the topic of design history and historic…

While many scholars agree that service learning is beneficial to both the student and the community, the research on service learning in the physical education setting is limited. However, there are courses that can be aligned with the professional preparation needs of students and the broader needs of the community. Drawing on theory which has…

This qualitative, insider account of student civic development in a university service-learning course has two primary goals. One is to propose frameworks for describing the process of civic development of service-learning students that are situated in theories of civic identity, cognitive development, and cognitive dissonance. The other is to…

A disorienting dilemma is a catalyst for change in perspective that may culminate in transformative learning. The authors analyze three activities in higher education that created disorienting dilemmas--a field trip, a service-learning experience, and study abroad. Results indicate that a disorienting dilemma can prompt students and faculty to…

A semi-structured focus group prompted interaction among 23 human service undergraduates prior to a unique service-learning experience that involved completing a horticultural project and case management tasks with at-risk youth living in a locked psychiatric residential treatment center. The focus group provided an opportunity for university…