Challenges in education: A study of safety in service-learning.

摘要

Service-learning has been defined as a teaching and learning approach that integrates community service with academic study to enrich learning, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. The effective application of this strategy often requires student participation beyond the safety of the classroom in a wide variety of environments containing different potential safety issues. It is important to determine potential challenges that service-learning presents to safety and prescribe effective measures that reduce risk and enhance the service-learning experience. This study sought to identify safety issues arising in the field to determine the unique nature of safety with regards to service-learning in an effort to promote responsible application.In this study, six service-learning practitioners participated in a qualitative panel discussion of their experiences related to safety in service-learning. The study identified 12 themes emerging from an analysis of the panel's experiences essential to safe practice. The themes were communication, preplanning, project familiarity, project appropriateness, student conduct, service impact, student ownership, adult supervision, community partner, administration, parental consent, and transportation. The study concluded with recommendations for further study, including a recommendation to develop a practical theory or model of safe service-learning practice.