Service-Learning: Motivations for K-12 Teachers

The purpose of this study is to describe the essence of the service-learning experience for K-12 teachers, specifically exploring teacher motivations for initiating service-learning in the classroom. The guiding questions that directed this study include a) How do teachers understand and describe their experiences in implementing service-learning projects? b) What motivates teachers to initiate service-learning experiences for their students? c) What benefits do teachers derive from their service-learning experiences? d) What, if any, academic student benefits do teachers perceive resulting from service-learning experiences? and e) What personal student benefits do teachers perceive resulting from service-learning experiences? This is a phenomenological study. The co-researchers of this study were six K-12 teachers who had implemented service-learning in their classrooms in the 24 months prior to the study. Three major themes emerged to describe the essence of implementing service-learning from the K-12 teacher s perspective: a) Connections, b) Resonation in the Heart of the Teacher, and c) The Right Fit with a Teacher s Philosophy and Teaching Style.

Autorentext

Dr. Marjori M. Krebs is an Assistant Professor at the University of New Mexico in the Department of Teacher Education. Previously she was an instructor at Bowling Green State University in Ohio and a classroom teacher in Worthington, Ohio.