Service-learning and student development : the role of critical reflection
| dc.contributor.advisor | Bringle, R. G. | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Louw, D. A. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Naudé, Luzelle | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2015-09-08T07:29:53Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2015-09-08T07:29:53Z | |
| dc.date.copyright | 2007-11 | |
| dc.date.issued | 2007-11 | |
| dc.date.submitted | 2007-11 | |
| dc.description.abstract | English: In response to the challenges facing South African higher education institutions in the 21st century, the call for developing holistic and civic minded individuals who can contribute to a democratic South Africa, is heard louder than ever before. Emphasis is placed on the shaping of citizens with the ability of praxis (reflection and interaction with the world in order to transform it). In this regard, educational transformation (including innovative pedagogies such as service-learning and reflective practice) is imperative. From the perspectives of developmental and social psychology, as well as experiential and service-learning, this study investigates the role of structured reflective activities in the development and transformation of students enrolled in a service-learning module. During 2006, 75 psychology students in their third and fourth years of study respectively in the Human and Societal Dynamics, BPsych, and Psychology Honours programmes at the University of the Free State (UFS) participated in the Mangaung Schools Counselling Service-Learning module. Two kinds of reflective activities (levels of independent variable), namely individual and group reflection, were employed in this study. Experimental group 1 (25 students) received opportunities for structured group reflection (bi-weekly focus group discussions), as well as individual reflection (bi-weekly reflective journals), while Experimental group 2 (25 students) only received opportunities for individual reflection (bi-weekly reflective journals). The control group (25 students) was not exposed to any form of structured reflection. It was hypothesised that exposure to reflective activities (independent variable), would result in change with regard to the different dependent variables, namely civic responsibility, cultural sensitivity, social competence, self-esteem and hours spent in the community. The amount of the change observed was expected to differ depending on the kind of reflection that students were exposed to. Furthermore, it was hypothesised that differences may exist in the pre-scores, as well as patterns (amount, extent and direction) of change for the different race groups (black and white). The statistical analyses (based on the pre and post data collected by means of multi-item scales) yielded significant results for two of the dependent variables, namely cultural sensitivity (operationalised by universal orientation and social dominance) and the number of hours spent in the community. Some racial differences (interactive effects) were also seen with regard to these two variables. No statistically significant effects were found for the dependent variables civic responsibility, social competence, and self-esteem. Furthermore, all the significant differences occurred between the group that received a combination of group and individual reflective activities and the other two groups. No significant differences were found between the group that received only individual reflective activities and the group that received no reflective activities. Research results were interpreted and discussed in the context of the philosophical and theoretical perspectives explicated in the literature study. An argument was made for how learning principles, informed by a psychological understanding of student development, can enhance educational practice in the field of service-learning and reflective practice. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | Afrikaans: In reaksie op die uitdagings waarmee Suid-Afrikaanse hoëronderwysinstellings in die 21e eeu gekonfronteer word, is die aanvraag na die ontwikkeling van holistiese en burgerlik georiënteerde individue wat kan bydra tot ‘n demokratiese Suid-Afrika, sterker as ooit tevore. Die vorming van burgers met die vermoë tot praxis (refleksie en interaksie met die wêreld met die doel om transformasie teweeg te bring) word beklemtoon. In dié verband, is onderwyskundige transformasie (insluitende innoverende praktyke soos samelewingsdiensleer en reflektiewe praktyk) noodsaaklik. Vanuit die perspektiewe van ontwikkeling- en sosiale sielkunde, sowel as ervarings- en samelewingsdiensleer, ondersoek hierdie studie die rol van gestruktureerde refleksie-aktiwiteite in die ontwikkeling en transformasie van studente wat ingeskryf is vir ‘n samelewingsdiensleer-module. Gedurende 2006, het 75 sielkunde studente in hul derde en vierde jaar van studie in die Mens- en Samelewingsdinamika-, BPsig.-, en Sielkunde Honneursprogramme aan die Universiteit van die Vrystaat, deelgeneem aan die Mangaung Skoolvoorligting Samelewingsdiensleer module. Twee soorte refleksie (vlakke van die onafhanklike veranderlike), naamlik individuele en groeprefleksie, is toegepas in die studie. Eksperimentele groep 1 (25 studente) het geleentheid ontvang vir gestruktureerde groeprefleksie (tweeweekliks fokusgroep besprekings), sowel as individuele refleksie (tweeweeklikse refleksie-verslae), terwyl Eksperimentele groep 2 (25 studente) slegs geleentheid vir individuele refleksie (twee-weeklikse refleksie-verslae) ontvang het. Die kontrole-groep (25 studente) is nie blootgestel aan enige vorm van refleksie nie. Die hipotese is gestel dat blootstelling aan refleksie-aktiwiteite (onafhanklike veranderlike), verandering ten opsigte van die verskillende afhanklike veranderlikes, naamlik burgerlike verantwoordelikheid, kulturele sensitiwiteit, sosiale vaardigheid, selfbeeld en tyd spandeer in die gemeenskap, teweeg sou bring. Daar is verwag dat die hoeveelheid verandering sou verskil, afhangend van die soort refleksie waaraan die studente blootgestel is. Verder is die hipotese gestel dat verskille mag voorkom in die voortellings, sowel as patrone (hoeveelheid, omvang en rigting) van verandering vir die verskillende rassegroepe (swart en wit). Die statistiese analises (gebaseer op die voor- en natellings verkry deur middel van veelvuldige-item-skale) het betekenisvolle resultate gelewer vir twee van die onafhanklike veranderlikes, naamlik kulturele sensitiwiteit (geoperasionaliseer deur universele oriëntasie en sosiale dominansie), sowel as vir die hoeveelheid tyd spandeer in die gemeenskap. Sommige rasseverskille (interaksie-effekte) is ook waargeneem ten opsigte van hierdie twee veranderlikes. Geen statisties beduidende resultate is gevind vir die afhanklike veranderlikes burgerlike verantwoordelikheid, sosiale vaardigheid en selfbeeld nie. Voorts is al die beduidende resultate gevind tussen die groep wat die kombinasie van groep- en individuele refleksie ontvang het en die ander twee groepe. Geen beduidende verskille is gevind tussen die groep wat slegs individuele refleksie ontvang het en die groep wat geen refleksie ontvang het nie. Navorsingsresultate is geïnterpreteer en bespreek in die konteks van die filosofiese en teoretiese perspektiewe wat in die literatuuroorsig ontvou is. ‘n Argument is gemaak rakende die rol wat leerbeginsels, ingelig deur die sielkundige begrip van studente-ontwikkeling, kan speel om onderwyskundige praktyke in die veld van samelewingsdiensleer en reflektiewe praktyk te verbeter. | af |
| dc.description.sponsorship | National Research Foundation (NRF) | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/1179 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Development | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Experiential learning | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Developmental psychology | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Higher education | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Reflection | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Self-esteem | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Social competence | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Student social psychological perspectives | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Universal orientation | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Social dominance | en_US |
| dc.subject | Cultural sensitivity | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Civic responsibility | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Education, Higher -- South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Service learning -- South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Critical thinking | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Experiential learning | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology))--University of the Free State, 2007 | en_US |
| dc.title | Service-learning and student development : the role of critical reflection | een_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |