The purpose of this study was to contribute to the expansion of Service-Learning which is a service learning method in accord with service economy by determining the service learning experience of learners who participated in Service-Learning, and pro...
The purpose of this study was to contribute to the expansion of Service-Learning which is a service learning method in accord with service economy by determining the service learning experience of learners who participated in Service-Learning, and providing a theoretical basis based on the analysis of the features of learners(service provider) and the method of dealing with service objects(customer), and the performance of Service-Learning realized by learners.
The phases of the study consisted of 5 phases: 1) reconceptualizing the service and Service-Learning, 2) observing the Service-Learning classes and having interviews, 3) analyzing the Service-Learning activities: activity theory, 4) finding the learning experience in Service-Learning: Q methodology, 5) investigating the features of found learning experience: survey research.
The subjects of this study were students attended Service-Learning course at the S Women's University in Seoul which operates the Service-Learning course as a regular curriculum only in the country. 26 students who attended second semester of 2011 participated in the Q methodological study, and 149 students who attended first semester of 2012 participated in the survey research.
The results of the study were as follows.
First, service learning experience through the Service-Learning activity was recognized as three factors: 'service activity learning', 'service skill learning', and 'social experience learning'.
Students who recognized the Service-Learning activity as a 'service activity learning' factor focused both on the service and the learning with equal values. Here the service means the learning through an activity providing the service, not a learning within the classroom. With this factor, students learned all over the service activity, which was enabled by regular contact with customers and stable interaction. In addition, customer learning which is based on wide comprehension was the most noticeable aspect in the 'service activity learning', while the key point of Service-Learning is to learn about customers. It can be suggested that the recognized factor of 'service activity learning' is the closest equivalent to the service activity "which creates the common value through the process of putting one's capability for the benefit of others" and to the Service-Learning which fulfills "learning and community service" through the service activity.
Students recognizing the factor of 'service skill learning' were cynical about the learning experience demanding more from both service and learning. The relevant learners thought their capabilities were insufficient to provide the service and found it difficult to be involved in the class which was not associated with the service activity. It is suggested that students recognizing the factor of 'service skill learning' were not satisfied with the needs as a customer in the way that they were customers at the same time who get service from the operating body of Service-Learning. In this factor, some of service related learning appeared while the customer learning which is the key point of service learning was not conducted. It is considered that it is because students had limited time to contact customers notwithstanding the regular contact in person, and they did not have enough time to interact with customers since they spent more time for the preparation and other works.
Students recognizing the factor of 'social experience learning' focused not on the service learning but on the individual learning of service provider who is the subject. The relevant learners did not recognize and learn a contradiction, but admitted it as a property of society and adapted to it. They are directed at the learning rather than the service, and the learning here means a self-learning related to preliminary social experience, not a learning related to service providing. It is supposed that this feature of the 'social experience learning' factor is attributed to fewer opportunities to interact with customers from the indirect and occasional encounter.
Second, it was found that there could be some effects of vocational education in Service-Learning.
Many aspects aimed by Service-Learning as follows meet with the philosophy of vocational education emphasized by Dewey: the purpose of individual growth and social contribution, and the learning through the practice in the real context, and the way to perform the service to others. In addition, the performances of Service-Learning suggested in this study as a capability of the service human resources corresponded to the basic capability of vocation analyzed by many countries in the world. Service-Learning has a positive effect on 'understanding customers' which is a core capability for the professionals, same as that in 'service activity learning'.
Based on the above discussions, this study proposes several suggestions to contribute to the expansion of Service-Learning for cultivating the service human resources as follows.
First, in regard to further studies, it is required that the study on the service and Service-Learning should be conducted in terms of developmental strategy of the nation, and the study to generalize this exploratory study for researchers.
Second, educational institutions should design Service-Learning to interact with customers in a stable contact, and the various Service-Learning programs and activity settings should be composed so that learners can have a merged learning experience. With this, active service cooperation of organizations in service sector is required to expand the setting of Service-Learning activity.
Lastly, political endeavors are necessary to expand Service-Learning into the curriculum of Vocational Education and career exploration in the elementary and secondary education as well as higher education, same as that in the developed countries.