Service-Learning : Theory and Practice

This book examines key concepts, principles, and applications of the service-learning approach. Service-learning is a community-based educational approach to improve a student’s academic, personal, leadership, civic, and professional development through civic engagement. Unlike other traditional approaches to education, service-learning students can use their classroom-based knowledge and skills in a real-life context in collaboration with community organisations and residents.

This volume explores the theory, research, and practices of how service-learning is understood, implemented, and evaluated in different contexts. It provides essential guidelines to implement and integrate service-learning at educational institutions through extensive discussions on the principles, philosophical challenges, opportunities, and its applications. Key themes include:

• Theory of service-learning

• Concept of service-learning

• Challenges to service-learning 

• Applications of service-learning

• Service-learning as professional development

• Service-learning as communication

Accessibly written, this book would be of interest to faculty, students, community organisations, and researchers working in the areas of education, pedagogy, sociology, and social work.