K-12+service-learning+-+New+research+on+what+works

Download a PDF of this page. **K‐12 service‐learning: New research on what works ** Shelley Billig, Vice President, RMC Research Corporation [billig@rmcdenver.com]


 * Keywords:** K-12, meta-analysis, Learn and Serve, quasi-experimental, effect size


 * Conference track:** K‐12 civic and learning outcomes


 * Format:** Research/Scholarly paper

This session provides findings from multiple K‐12 research studies of Learn and Serve grantees. The session will include information on the methodologies used, typically pre/post surveys with seven validated scales of desired outcomes, including scales that measure academic engagement, acquisition of 21st century skills (such as problem solving, leadership, teamwork, analysis, and persistence), acquisition of science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics (STEM) knowledge, skills, intention to enroll in advanced courses or pursue a career in these areas, civic engagement, social‐emotional learning, and intention to pursue higher education.
 * Summary**

Using a quasi‐experimental approach, a multi-study research project collectively include a sample of several thousand students, grades 3‐12, who engaged in a variety of types of service‐learning programs, all of which were school‐based.

Based on the findings, this session will discuss the types of instructional changes needed to have outcomes with stronger effect sizes. The research suggests that effect sizes can be increased when teachers include instruction on the appropriate level of cognitive demand, when individualized feedback is provided that is timely, frequent, and constructive, and when students provide feedback to teachers. In addition, effects can increase when the learning objectives are more explicit and more strongly tied to curricular objectives, when questioning strategies use scaffolding with background knowledge, are geared toward higher order skills of analysis, citing evidence, and other particular aims, and when reflection and demonstration activities go beyond mere summary of events and outcomes.

There were no references provided with this proposal.
 * References**


 * To access materials from this session please click on the file link(s) below:**

include component="comments" page="K-12 service-learning - New research on what works" limit="50"