Evaluating Civic Learning in Service-Learning Programs: Creation and Validation of the Public Affairs Scale–Short Survey (PAS-SS)

Abstract

Community engagement and civic learning have become increasingly common components of higher education in the United States. Service-learning programs are one way to promote civic learning. Researchers and practitioners must evaluate the effectiveness of service learning by measuring the degree to which it results in meaningful student-level outcomes. The Public Affairs Scale has been developed as a valid and reliable measure of civic learning in the three domains of community engagement, cultural competence, and ethical leadership. However, the scale contains 40 items and can take a long time to administer. This study sought to create and validate a short version of the Public Affairs Scale. Using exploratory factory analysis, we identified a 15-item structure and then subjected it to confirmatory factor analysis. Results of confirmatory factor analysis supported the 15-item short scale version of the Public Affairs Scale. The short scale was found to correlate with similar measures of service-learning outcomes.

Keywords:

• cultural competency
• undergraduate teaching
• civic engagement

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Chantal Levesque-Bristol

Chantal Levesque-Bristol, PhD, is professor of educational studies and director of the Center for Instructional Excellence (CIE) at Purdue University. She provides support for the instructional community and resources to faculty interested in learning pedagogies and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. She has received several teaching awards and research awards. She is a grantee of the National Institute of Mental Health. She has lectured at several institutions of higher education on motivation and learning principles.

K. Andrew R. Richards

K. Andrew R. Richards, PhD, is a postdoctoral research associate in the Center for Instructional Excellence (CIE) at Purdue University. In his primary discipline of physical education, Richards conducts research related to the recruitment, training, and socialization of physical education teachers. In CIE, Richards assists in the conduct of research related to the scholarship of teaching and learning. His primary responsibility is related to evaluating a large-scale, course redesign project at Purdue University.