Chapter 2: The Missing Link: Exploring the Context of Learning in Service-Learning

Although there is a wealth of anecdotal evidence of the benefits of participating in service-learning, researchers have often struggled to find supporting empirical evidence. Frequently the data have yielded small effect sizes or inconsistent results. However, with increased demands for scientifically-based evidence that demonstrates the impact of programs, service-learning researchers will be increasingly called upon to present empirical evidence of program outcomes. In this chapter an argument is presented for framing service-learning learning research within the context of the service experience. The contextual characteristics of service-learning are defined as those characteristics that make the program and student experiences unique. They are described in this chapter as site context, background context, reflection context, and the planning context. The chapter describes each context and discusses the levels of specificity with which data can be collected and analyzed. Using real data it presents how the findings can be influenced by contextual information. An argument is presented for use of a Hierarchical modeling approach that allows for interactions among different contextual levels and for consideration of these issues during the design phase of a study.