Development of Service-Learning Pedagogy for Political Science Education

• In Event: Civic Engagement and Service Learning on College Campuses

Abstract

Service learning is a pedagogy that integrates classroom learning with hands-on activities outside the classroom through practical efforts to address a community problem. It is a pivotal type of pedagogy used in political science education to train students to obtain knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for revitalizing citizenship, promoting democracy, improving public participation, and serving the communities within a climate of polarization. This study is a systematic literature review on the pedagogical development of service learning. The electronic database of Web of Science is used to select studies published in English peer-reviewed journals in the fields of political science education in the years 2003 to 2023. Thematic analysis is conducted, and the resulting sample of papers is analyzed by their content to gain a better understanding of the pedagogical development of service learning for political science education.
The findings reveal a set of developments in service-learning pedagogy in terms of pedagogical beliefs, tools, and methods, which can be divided into five categories: (1) Value-oriented; (2) Action-driven; (3) Collaboration-based; (4) Sustainability-focused; and (5) Technology-powered. This paper concludes with key recommendations and implications for future research and practice in political science education within the prevailing climate of polarization. It contributes to the advancement of social learning in political science education by identifying the pedagogical trends in various literature.

Author

• Huiting Qi