Students' Motivation in Academic Service-Learning over the Course of the Semester.

Abstract

Academic service-learning (AS-L) pedagogy helps students translate theory into practice, understand issues facing their communities, and enhance personal development (Eyler & Giles, 1999; Hardy & Schaen, 2000; Simons & Clearly, 2006). Students' motivation in AS-L increases when students gain insight into their values and goals (Brody & Wright, 2004; Duffy & Raque-Bogdan, 2010). This study identifies factors that increase and decrease student motivation in AS-L and explores ways to support students throughout semester. At beginning, middle, and end of semester, participants completed questionnaires that elicited their reasons for their changes in motivation. Quantitative analyses revealed a decrease in motivation over course of semester and interaction between gender and student motivation. Males' motivation peaked at mid-semester, while females' motivation started at high levels and declined over course of semester. Qualitative analysis found that motivation increased when students enjoyed AS-L experience, were interested in helping people, formed relationships with clients and community partners, and felt responsible to community partners. Motivation decreased due to lack of communication with community partners, lack of integration between course and AS-L experience, transportation issues, and difficulty with time demands on student schedules. Keywords: student motivation, academic service-learning ********** College students enroll in academic service-learning courses to gain applied disciplinary knowledge by engaging in a real-world experience in local community. Kronick (2007) defined academic service-learning (AS-L) as the process of integrating active assistance in community into learning that is occurring in classroom (p. 300). Research has shown that AS-L enables students to apply theory to practice, better understand issues facing community, and enhance personal development (Eyler & Giles, 1999; Hardy & Schaen, 2000; Simons & Clearly, 2006). Students start course with certain goals and expectations for semester. As semester proceeds, students experience successes and failures that influence their motivation and to AS-L experience. This study examines students' motivation for engaging in AS-L over course of semester. Chesbrough (2011) found that college students' initial reasons for participating in service opportunities are often external, such as enhancing their resume, but as time goes on they become more internally motivated. The reason for this shift in motivation comes from students feeling strongly about a cause and wanting to contribute (p. 702). Student motivation in AS-L increases when students gain insight into their values and goals (Brody & Wright, 2004; Duffy & Raque-Bogdan, 2010). Students' exposure to real-world experience helps equip them for careers later on in life. As a result of such experiences, students indicated that they would recommend service-learning to their peers and that service-learning had been an ideal environment in which to explore multiple career paths (Overall, 2010). A major factor that influences student motivation throughout an AS-L course is gender. For example, female students tend to have significantly higher levels of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation than males for college in general (Brouse, Basch, LeBlanc, McKnight, & Lei, 2010). Chesbrough (2011) found that male students are often reluctant to engage in service opportunities due to lack of awareness of these opportunities, lack of interest, concerns about time, and not being asked to participate. Male college students who do participate in AS-L courses describe their service roles as a societal duty, while females participate for relationships they form, which are based in emotional and subjective personal commitment (Chesbrough, 2011, p. …

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