Becoming Culturally Responsive Teachers Through Service-Learning

The term service-learning does not simply imply that one provides a service for a particular target group; the service participants must also strive to learn how to augment and reform their own knowledge base. Brown (2005) has redefined service-learning for teacher candidates and asserts that service-learning must include a five-point outcome criterion for it to truly be effective for both the recipient and provider. This case study examines the influence of the Brown model on the teaching philosophies of five novice secondary teachers who matriculated through a one-year, alternative program for secondary certification and who are currently in their first to fourth year in the classroom. This study addressed: (1) whether service-learning activities based on the Brown model can raise social justice awareness and commitment and (2) whether novice teachers do carry forward service-learning experiences to augment their instruction, management and assessment strategies.[author]