Academic Service-Learning in Teacher Education

This study examines the impact of service-learning on undergraduate students enrolled in Social Foundations of Education at a private liberal arts college in the mid-Atlantic region. Findings suggest that students developed a more meaningful understanding of course themes as a result of their community experiences particularly with regard to teacher roles, student diversity, and self-assessment. The implications of service-learning for the content and structure of the course are also discussed using Jeffrey Howard's (1998) framework for transitioning from a traditional to an academic service-learning course. (author)