Characteristics of Faculty Who Adopt Community Service Learning Pedagogy

This research draws from literature on the diffusion and adoption of innovations to explore the theoretical foundation for research on faculty as adopters of pedagogical innovation. This research's purpose was to determine the characteristics of faculty who engage in innovative pedagogy, specifically community service-learning (CSL). The researchers analyzed faculty responses from 32 structured interviews completed at a large metropolitan, southwestern university. Results suggest that faculty who engage in CSL pedagogy share many attitudes, beliefs, and values about teaching, learning, and community. CSL, respondents said, satisfies various faculty/teaching, student/learning, and community/nonprofit needs. Sustaining faculty participation was noted as a significant challenge in perpetuating CSL efforts; however, results suggest a learning-driven model enables a self-perpetuating process that involves increasing faculty numbers to effect cultural change in the university. (MJCSL Abstract)