A study of English-major Freshmen’s Attitudinal Outcomes towards Participating in Service-learning

• Main Authors: Chen, Hsiangchun, 陳香君
• Other Authors: Chou, Hueynah
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2012
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/00679682413252112988

碩士 === 靜宜大學 === 英國語文學系 === 100 === Service-learning in Taiwan is a new pedagogy to promote education by utilizing the concept of service-learning (Hu, 2008). The purpose of the study was to investigate how English-major freshmen’s (EMFs’) attitudinal outcomes take place through participating in service-learning. The participants were sixty English-major freshmen who took the course of service-learning at a university in central Taiwan. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaire and qualitative data were collected via interviews, observations, and reflective journals. Positive attitudinal outcomes of English-major freshmen (EMFs) were examined in this study. The findings of this study demonstrated that EMFs’ major attitudinal outcomes including citizen responsibility and altruism, interpersonal relationship and communication ability, personal growth, respect for diverse values, leadership skills, identification with the English department, and enthusiasm for serving others were enhanced after participating in the service-learning program. They also revealed that EMFs who engaged in service-learning showed increases in citizen responsibility and altruism. In addition, positive attitudinal outcome of growth including self-confidence, time-management, problem-solving skills, emotions control were found. Moreover, based on the three-layer structure of the service-learning project, EMFs learned to communicate with different age groups. Hence, EMF’s interpersonal relational and communication ability were improved in this study. Furthermore, EMFs had more identification with the English department because that they thought they were really teaching English by using their academic profession. Last, the attitudes and enthusiasm like personal attitudes and values, and commitment to future service were shown after EMFs participating in the service-learning project. This study revealed positive attitudinal outcomes of EMFs after participating in service-learning program. The findings of the study had a number of implications: They can improve future service-learning programs and help teachers to lead EMFs in the future. First, service-learning teachers should integrate service-learning into academic learning. Second, service-learning teachers must understand and explain instructional objectives of the program well. Third, teachers should provide professional suggestions about how to connect their majors to service-learning. Last, all service-learning centers and departments should assist teachers by giving professional suggestions to EMFs.