Educators Embrace Service-Learning as a Strategy for Improving Learning

It’s no surprise that many Americans believe that high schools in the United States need to improve how they are teaching both academic subjects and the skills students need to succeed in life. What may be more surprising is that a relatively unfamiliar teaching method — service-learning — could be an effective solution to improving learning.

It’s no surprise that many Americans believe that high schools in the United States need to improve how they are teaching both academic subjects and the skills students need to succeed in life. What may be more surprising is that a relatively unfamiliar teaching method — service-learning — could be an effective solution to improving learning.

These are some of the findings of a new National Youth Leadership Council/Harris Interactive survey of 2,323 U.S. adults conducted online by Harris Interactive from February 24 to February 26, 2010, using Harris Interactive’s QuickQuery Omnibus.

“Service-learning combines classroom instruction with reflection and meaningful service to the community,” said Jim Kielsmeier, NYLC’s founder, president, and CEO. “Teachers familiar with the method say it has powerful classroom results, and educational research backs that up.”

Justin Greeves, Senior Vice President of Harris Interactive’s Public Affairs and Policy group, presented the survey results on March 25, 2010, at the 21st Annual National Service-Learning Conference in San Jose, Calif.

Key findings include:

The public believes U.S. high schools need to improve. Respondents gave schools mean grades of C- to D+ in teaching academic subject areas and a C in teaching skills needed in today’s workplace.

One possible solution for improvement is service-learning, but familiarity with the concept is low, even among educators. Two-thirds of the public are not at all familiar with or have never heard of service-learning. Only 47% of pre-K-12 educators and 18% of parents with school-age children said they were familiar, very familiar or extremely familiar with service-learning.

Once educators and parents are introduced to the concept of service-learning, the value is clear. The large majority of educators and parents agree that service-learning could be an effective method for teaching future workplace skills as well as academic subjects.

“These results underscore the need to dial up the knowledge about service-learning to all those with interest and involvement in our children’s education,” said Greeves. “The public at large, as well as parents and those in the education community see service-learning as one of several effective solutions to improve education in high schools today.”

Karen Baker, Secretary of Service and Volunteering for the state of California, in another session at the conference, likewise spoke passionately about the need to educate teachers and parents about the value of service-learning. She called on the educators and others in the audience advocating for service-learning to think deeply about how to increase awareness by being clear and accessible when talking about what this looks like. She pointed out that many teachers and schools are doing this in their classrooms but calling it something else.

A more detailed report of the survey will be available in June from NYLC.