Service-learning education: A philosophical clarification.

摘要

A constant desire of the American public is the reform and improvement of educational practice. Service-learning is one such reform that recently has caught the attention of educators, politicians, and the general public. Its advocates suggest it as a way to make public education more responsive to the needs of students and as a way to strengthen democratic institutional and participatory practice. It is also, however, in need of conceptual clarification. Until service-learning is understood at its most basic, foundational level, it may well travel the path that other reforms have and never reach its full potential. The purpose of this study is to clarify the service-learning concept so that its practice will be successful.; As a study that provides conceptual clarity, it is necessarily philosophical in method. This philosophical analysis relies heavily on the work of both progressive philosophers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as well as contemporary service-learning scholars to provide the foundational guidance needed to understand service-learning and, therefore, its practice as a democratic, educational reform.; The author first traces the conceptual history of service-learning, tying it to the thought of progressive philosophers such as John Dewey, William James, William Kilpatrick, and Paul Hanna. He then brings the service-learning idea through the twentieth century and in doing so indicates when and how the current conceptual confusion has developed. The subsequent chapters attempt to clarify those concepts that drive service-learning practice. Those concepts are service, experiential education, and reflection.; The conceptual framework developed from the analysis of each of these notions then is used to determine the appropriate aims of service-learning education. Finally, service-learning is "placed" in the context of democratic educational practice as a way to determine its viability as an educational reform and to suggest further research endeavors that might test the conceptual understanding embraced by this study. Ultimately, this project provides a foundation upon which future service-learning practice can be based and current service-learning practice can be constructively critiqued.