Self-Selection Effects in Service-Learning

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Published: Dec 8, 2015
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14434/josotl.v15i6.18912
Keywords:
service learning, self-selection, civic action, civic responsibility, outcomes

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Kenna Bolton Holz
University of Wisconsin Superior
Eleni Pinnow
University of Wisconsin Superior

Abstract

This study directly examines the possibility of pre-existing differences between undergraduate students who choose to take service-learning classes compared to those who do not. Foremost among the findings, on most measures there was no significant effect of self-selection. However, students who chose a hypothetical course with a service-learning component reported higher civic responsibility and civic action scores, and reported lower socioeconomic status and greater enjoyment of past service learning than those who chose the hypothetical course without the service-learning component. Challenges and opportunities related to random assignment within service-learning research are discussed.

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How to Cite
Bolton Holz, K., & Pinnow, E. (2015). Self-Selection Effects in Service-Learning. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 15(6), 39–47. https://doi.org/10.14434/josotl.v15i6.18912
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Vol. 15 No. 6 (2015): Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
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Articles
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Author Biographies

Kenna Bolton Holz, University of Wisconsin Superior

Assistant Professor, Psychology

Eleni Pinnow, University of Wisconsin Superior

Associate Professor, Psychology

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