The Research of the Current Status and Outcomes of Service Learning in High Schools

• Main Authors: Hsiao, Sui Chen, 蕭穗珍
• Other Authors: Chang, I Hua
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/14864740065589205996

碩士 === 國立政治大學 === 學校行政碩士在職專班 === 98 === Service learning is a teaching program that provides students a rich platform of learning that is based not only on the campus but on the entire social resources. Students who participate in this program meet more people as their learning models. They also expand the depth and scope in the knowledge and skills learned. Moreover, students’ learning results indicate that they are more able to lift a simple theory and knowledge into a holistic life development aspect. In recent years, scholars and experts have been putting lots of effort on promoting the service learning concept, not mentioning about the striving of supportive teachers who are always looking upon students’ best interest. Seeing that the government now understands the significant impact of this program to students, schools and even to the entire society and starts to promote this program is no doubt a most encouraging event to its pioneer supporters. However, the task doesn’t just end here. It carries out a bigger responsibility to introduce this program to all the teachers, students and parents in high schools nationwide, and provide them with specific and practical instructions. The objective of this research is to find out the problems and difficulties that eventually affect the promotion of service learning. By obtaining the information of current situations and results from high schools in Taipei City that are now enrolling in this program, this research aims to conclude a solution to those problems. Factors observed in this research also include teacher professional knowledge, self efficiency, and background variables (both population and school). In order to accomplish the abovementioned objective, this research, basing on an empirical study, employs documentary analysis technique and questionnaire survey technique. In addition to questionnaire investigation, the research also adopts techniques like interviews, seminars and document analysis to make up the insufficiency of the quantitative questionnaire. Moreover, in order to deepen the research, well‐performed schools of this program in Taipei city were invited to the interviews and seminars to go through a semi‐structured interview for deeper communication and understanding. Schools were encouraged to share their promotion experiences, concept of planning, problems and gains while implementing this program. The main finding of this research is as below: I. The service learning outcome and current situation of high schools in Taipei are acceptable. II. High school teachers and administrative staffs’ recognition to service learning is fairly good in Taipei. III. Teachers aware that the results of service learning respectively in fields of service knowledge, self efficiency and problem solving are different in high schools in Taipei. IV. Teacher’s gender is an important factor that affects the promotion of service learning. V. Differences school background doesn’t serve as an important factor that affect teachers’ promoting service learning. VI. The problem of insufficient self‐efficiency in promoting service learning is generally observed among high school teachers in Taipei. ‧ 國 立 政 治 大 學 ‧ Na t i o na l Ch en gc h i U n i v e r s i t y VII. Common visions about service learning in well performed schools: a. New thinking, new vision, new action b. Experience life, make life well‐qualified and innovated. c. Energetic, attractive and bright. After documentary discussion and statistic analysis to this research, the suggestions are as below: I. Suggestions to the central government authority: a. Improve the policy in promoting and implementing service learning. b. Make appropriate links in between servicing learning to high school integrated activity learning. II. Suggestions to the government education authority: a. Provide budget and resources support b. Build a website and a communication platform for service learning. c. Offer in‐service training, and train seed teachers of service learning. d. Cooperate with the law of volunteer service, and establish a reward policy on service learning. e. Make good plans for service learning relating courses. III. Suggestions to schools: a. Enhance community resources, and increase the interaction with those community institutions. b. Enhance the promotion of service learning on a long‐time plan base. c. Strengthen teachers’ professional ability. Train teachers for the methodology of self‐efficiency and integration of learning. d. Take account of students’ daily life in order to combine service learning with integrated activity courses. e. Motivate students for service learning. f. Obtain parents’ support and enhance the supporting organizations. IV. Suggestions to further studies: a. Research method: equal emphasis both on quality and quantity. b. Research scope: expand research scope. c. Research subject: expand to include parents, students, service providers, service receivers and all participants in the community. d. Research fields: expand research time, increase research items and develop research tools. e. Research variables: conduct qualitative research; enhance and integrate variable research both vertically and horizontally. Key words: service learning, service learning program, service learning outcomes