Service Learning: Social-Emotional Development and Civic-Engagement of Elementary School Students

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Miller, A. (2021). Service Learning: Social-Emotional Development and Civic-Engagement of Elementary School Students. Unc Charlotte Electronic Theses And Dissertations.
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Abstract

ABSTRACTAIMEE MOORE MILLER. Service-Learning: Social-Emotional Development and Civic-Engagement of Elementary School Students. (Under the direction of DR. REBECCA SHORE).Social-emotional learning and character education are topics which have both become more commonplace in schools (Shriver & Weissberg, 2020). While no one reason has been identified, many school children seem to have become more self-absorbed and are less engaged in their communities (Borba, 2016; Turkle, 2015). Some scholars suggest this has impacted their ability to have positive interactions with their peers as well as kept them from developing an awareness of and connection to their communities. Borba (2016) and Turkle (2015) suggest that involving students in their communities through service is a possible strategy to help develop empathy and civic engagement in children. This bounded, single-case study explored the potential influence of a service-learning experience on second-grade students. Students participated in a seven-session module designed by the researcher over the course of four weeks, and completed surveys before and after their participation. Qualitative data was compiled from written reflection journals, discussion transcripts, and observations, and quantitative data was collected from surveys conducted at the beginning and end of the study. A line-by-line analysis of the qualitative data produced themes of emotion, empathy and civic engagement. Students demonstrated some understanding of the themes; however, there was no significant change in any of the students’ responses over time. A paired t-test of the quantitative data did not show any significant influence. Limitations related to the short duration of the study, and the lack of student voice may have hampered identifiable influences in students.

Details
Author

Miller, Aimee

Title

Service Learning: Social-Emotional Development and Civic-Engagement of Elementary School Students

Physical Description

1 online resource (108 pages) : PDF

Date

2021

Degree Granting Institution

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Abstract

ABSTRACTAIMEE MOORE MILLER. Service-Learning: Social-Emotional Development and Civic-Engagement of Elementary School Students. (Under the direction of DR. REBECCA SHORE).Social-emotional learning and character education are topics which have both become more commonplace in schools (Shriver & Weissberg, 2020). While no one reason has been identified, many school children seem to have become more self-absorbed and are less engaged in their communities (Borba, 2016; Turkle, 2015). Some scholars suggest this has impacted their ability to have positive interactions with their peers as well as kept them from developing an awareness of and connection to their communities. Borba (2016) and Turkle (2015) suggest that involving students in their communities through service is a possible strategy to help develop empathy and civic engagement in children. This bounded, single-case study explored the potential influence of a service-learning experience on second-grade students. Students participated in a seven-session module designed by the researcher over the course of four weeks, and completed surveys before and after their participation. Qualitative data was compiled from written reflection journals, discussion transcripts, and observations, and quantitative data was collected from surveys conducted at the beginning and end of the study. A line-by-line analysis of the qualitative data produced themes of emotion, empathy and civic engagement. Students demonstrated some understanding of the themes; however, there was no significant change in any of the students’ responses over time. A paired t-test of the quantitative data did not show any significant influence. Limitations related to the short duration of the study, and the lack of student voice may have hampered identifiable influences in students.

Genre

doctoral dissertations

Subjects--Topics

Educational leadership

Degree

D.Ed.

Keywords

Civic-Engagement
Elementary
Service-Learning
Social-Emotional

Subject Area

Educational Leadership

Advisor(s)

Shore, Rebecca

Committee Members

Lambert, Richard
Coffey, Heather
Leahy, Maria

Degree Note

Thesis (D.Ed.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2021.

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Rights Holder Information

Copyright is held by the author unless otherwise indicated.

Identifier

Miller_uncc_0694D_12748

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/etd:2319