Issues of Definition and Program Diversity in the Study of Service-Learning

One of the greatest challenges in the study of service-learning is the absence of a common, universally accepted definition for the term. The overarching educational goals of service-learning are subject to numerous interpretations. The programmatic features of service-learning (e.g., duration of the service experience, degree of student choice, etc.) vary widely among classrooms, and sometimes across service-learning experiences within classrooms. All service-learning activities, regardless of their overall design and programmatic goals, involve a complex interaction of students, service activities, curricular content, and learning outcomes. What results are highly idiosyncratic, situational experiences for which there is minimal predictability of how each service-learning experience will unfold. Although this chapter focuses specifically on developing comprehensive methodologies for studying the impact of service-learning on students (service providers), the issues addressed are applicable to broader investigations of service-learning's impact on communities, schools, and other program participants.