Publication: Challenges and Strategies for Success with Service-Learning in Preservice Teacher Education

• Anderson, Jeffrey B
• Pickeral, T

This study examined challenges to the use of
service-learning in preservice teacher education and also
strategies used to overcome those challenges. We surveyed
123 teacher educators, education deans, and state
department of education service-learning coordinators to
gain their perspective regarding challenges most critical
to the use of service-learning in teacher education. We
then interviewed 42 of the survey respondents to obtain
detailed descriptions of specific strategies used to
overcome challenges. Results indicate the most critical
challenges relate to lack of time for teacher educators to
plan and implement service-learning, an already overcrowded
curriculum, and a lack of alignment of service-learning with
faculty roles, rewards, and institutional priorities.
Results include 155 specific strategies that address the
most critical challenges as well as advice for teacher
educators new to service-learning. The study provides
evidence that teacher educators are able to devise and
implement strategies that can surmount some of the barriers
to the use of service-learning in preservice teacher
education. It also provides a rich source of ideas to
stimulate the thinking of teacher educators grappling with
obstacles to the use of service-learning.