The Value-Added Nature of Service-Learning

Abstract

This research explores the benefits of service-learning among a group of Midwestern college students. Students enrolled in a section of a Juvenile Delinquency course served as volunteers at a juvenile detention facility and were studied using a pre-test/post-test survey design. This pilot project also included a comparison group of students in a section of the course which did not involve service-learning. The study compared service-learning to non-service-learning students in terms of attitudes regarding juvenile delinquency, punishment, and attributions of criminal behavior. We also examined any possible effects of service-learning on student academic skills, career goals, and comfort level with delinquents. Overall, we found that the service-learning project was a valuable educational tool having a positive impact on a number of student outcomes. We discuss the implications of these findings for service-learning research and practice.

Notes

¹ This research project was approved by the University’s Institutional Review Board.

² Statewide admissions to juvenile detention facilities in 2017 included 57.4% black youth, 31.6% white youth, and 11% juveniles of another race (Ohio Department of Youth Services [ODYS], 2017).