RUNNING HEAD: SERVICE LEARNING AND ADULTS

Service Learning and Adult Education
Jonathan M. Woodward
The University of Southern Mississippi
Continuing and Community Education, HE 717
Saturday, November 8, 2008

Service Learning and Adult Education
Introduction
One of the primary goals of the American educational system is to produce productive and active citizens. However, the connection between community involvement and educational institutions is not always nurtured. An innovative new approach in education aims to address this disconnect, service learning. Many times there is a distinction between academic course work and community service. Service learning is a pervasive new tactic that is meant to enhance the academic curriculum, as opposed to just being a second thought or unnecessary addition to coursework. Some research has even revealed that service learning participation has more benefits for students than taking part in traditional volunteer community service (Vogelgesang and Astin, 2000). The focus of one study written by M. Cecil Smith, “Does Service Learning Promote Adult Development? Theoretical Perspectives and Directions for Research,” focused on the effects of service learning as it relates to older adult learners. Smith quickly pointed out that very little research has been done on service learning that involves adult learners. In fact, adults are quite often the recipients of service learning as opposed to participants.
Literature Review Some research did provide a foundation for Smith. For example, one survey of college alumni recorded that adult learners involved in service learning were more likely to have recently been involved in community service after completing college (Fenzel, Peyrot, Speck, and Gugerty, 2003). In addition, this same study revealed that these adult learners were also more likely to work in service-related fields and that this participation in service learning could help predict attitudes toward community and personal responsibility. Smith began by reviewing developmental changes that occur in adulthood. Smith alluded to seven domains in which adults develop over time: cognitive, moral ethical, spiritual, social-emotional, physical, cultural and civic, and vocational. Smith moved on to document previous findings about how service learning positively affects the intellectual and cognitive development of youth (Billig and Klute, 2003), and similar research reported on the increased sense of civic responsibility of youth participating in service learning (Scales, Blyth, Berkas, and Kielsmeier, 2000). Smith then postulated that these changes might also occur in adults. He based this hypothesis on the research conducted on youth and research done on the seven domains that develop over time in adults. In this particular article, Smith focused on three of these domains: cognitive growth, moral development, and psychosocial development.
Background on Dimensions of Service Learning Adult development can be seen in several dimensions of service learning. Smith discussed four of the dimensions in this article. First, the duration that participants are involved in service learning relates to the affects the participation might have on participants. Involvement over an extended period of time shows better results. Second, the scope, or breadth, of opportunities has not been researched in adult students. Third, the intensity of involvement might play a role in how deeply an individual is affected. For example, service opportunities that are emotionally charged might have a great impact, but this too has not been researched. Last, the amount of time spent on reflection has been shown to produce positive results. However, research in this area has focused on learning in a course; developmental outcomes have not been researched.

Cognitive Growth Smith began the discussion on cognitive growth by pointing out that reflection on service learning allows students to have an opportunity to analyze other people’s assumptions and challenge their own. Smith contended that most adult learners seldom reflect on their own attitudes and actions, and he cited the constructive-developmental theory. This theory aims to describe how adults grow cognitively. In the end, Smith described research in which movement from one form of knowing to another takes many years.
Moral Development There is strong evidence that service learning increases a sense of ethics, which is standing up for what is right and is socially responsible. Additional research shows that students involved in service learning are more likely to want to help other people. Smith quickly pointed out that this concern for the well-being of other people is a crucial part of moral development. However, the author also discussed differing research that revealed no change in the moral development of service learning participants. Smith concluded that the opportunities for relationship building inherent in service learning might contribute to an “ethic of care.”
Psychosocial Maturity Based on previous research, Smith revealed that an individual is mature psychosocially when they achieve a sense of social responsibility and autonomy. Autonomy simply refers to one’s ability to function independently. In contrast, social responsibility refers to one’s ability to ensure the survival and well-being of others. One aspect of social responsibility discussed is “generativity.” Smith defined generativity as “the ability to care for and provide for the next generation.” Some researches claim that only middle-aged and older adults can truly express generativity. Therefore, service learning provides an ideal setting for this expression to be outpoured. However, no research has been conducted on this hypothesis.
Conclusion
In the end, Smith reviewed the research that establishes service learning as having a dramatic impact on “K-16” students. He restated his hypothesis that service learning has a similar affective outcome on adult learners, but Smith conceded that little research has been conducted to support this hypothesis. Smith finished the article by laying the groundwork for future research on service learning in adult learners, and he focused on the three domains mentioned earlier in the article: cognitive, moral, and psychosocial. On the other hand, he warned that adult educators should proceed with caution in order to avoid making “unsubstantiated claims as to the benefits of service learning for adults.” This was an informative article. Service learning is currently an important issue in educational circles. I had not thought about the different outcomes service learning might have on adult learners as opposed to youth. Also, service learning is an excellent way to enhance classroom material while serving the community at the same time, a win-win situation. Future research in this area would certainly be a worthwhile pursuit.

References

Billig, S. H. & Klute, M. M. (2003). The Impact of Service-Learning on MEAP: A Large-Scale Study of Michigan Learn and Serve Grantees. Presentation at National Service- Learning Conference, Minneapolis, Minn., April 2003.
Fenzel, M. L., Peyrot, M., Speck, S., & Gugerty, C. (2003). Distinguishing Attitudinal and Behavioral Differences Among College Alumni Who Have Participated in Service- Learning and Volunteer Service. Paper presented at annual meeting of American Educational Research Association, Chicago, April 2003.
Scales, P. C., Blyth, D. A., Berkas, T. H., & Kielsmeier, J. C. (2000). The Effects of Service- Learning on Middle School Students’ Social Responsibility and Academic Success. Journal of Early Adolescence, 20(3), 332–358.
Smith, Cecil M. (2008) Does Service Learning Promote Adult Development? Theoretical Perspectives and Directions for Research. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 118(Summer 2008), 5-15, 1 chart.
Vogelgesang, L. & Astin, A. (2000). Comparing the Effects of Community Service and Service-Learning. Michigan Journal of Community Service-Learning, 7(Fall 2007), 25–34.
Ser