Effects+of+a+service-learning+homelessness

**Effects of a service-learning homelessness project on** **students’ learning and civic attitudes** Roger Reeb, Professor of Psychology and Director of Graduate Programs in Psychology, University of Dayton roger.reeb@notes.udayton.edu] Anne Steel, Graduate Student in Clinical Psychology, University of Dayton anne.steel@notes.udayton.edu] Sara Mason, Graduate Student in Clinical Psychology, University of Dayton sara.mason@notes.udayton.edu] Laura Stayton, Graduate Student in Clinical Psychology, University of Dayton laura.stayton@notes.udayton.edu] Kelsey Ufholz, Graduate Student in Clinical Psychology, University of Dayton kelsey.ufholz@notes.udayton.edu] Jasmine Smith, Student in Psychology and Sociology, University of Dayton jasmine.smith@notes.udayton.edu]



**Keywords:** Psycho-Ecological Systems Model, college student outcomes, academic learning, civic attitudes, homelessness

**Track**: Student development and learning

**Format**: Poster presentation **Date & time:** Friday 9:00

**Location:** Salon 4 / Salon 9

**Summary:** This research is guided and informed by the Psycho-Ecological Systems Model for Service-Learning Research and Engaged Scholarship (Reeb & Folger, in press), which demonstrates the ways in which the multiple levels of our environment and person factors interact. In this model, service-learning students and community members are nested within, and influenced by, a number of interdependent systems. Depending on the complexity of a community problem to be addressed, and the service-learning curriculum goals to be achieved, a service-learning intervention could focus on one or multiple ecological systems (Reeb & Folger, in press) and a variety of student outcomes could be pursued.

Using a quasi-experimental design, this particular study examined outcomes in service-learning students versus non-service-learning students. Service-learning students worked at homeless shelters in Dayton, Ohio. The study examined two general hypotheses: Relative to non-service-learning students, service-learning students will exhibit (1) increasingly superior exam performance over the course of the semester and (2) greater pre-to-post service positive improvements in community service self-efficacy, intentions for future service, attitudes about the homeless, and familiarity with Millennium Development Goals.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">The poster will present the theoretical background for the research, and then present (a) the quantitative analysis of pre- to post-semester changes in learning of course content and civic attitudinal changes and (b) the qualitative analysis of content of service-learning students' reflection papers. Results suggest partial support for the hypotheses delineated above.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Examples of recommendations for future research to be shared include: (1) examining links among student outcomes, community member outcomes, and community outcomes; (2) examining the effects of multidisciplinary reflection exercises on students' learning and attitudinal changes; and (3) examining the relative effects of different types of service-learning work with the homeless (e.g., work focused on ameliorative care vs. work focused on structural or psycho-political changes) on student outcomes.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">**References:** <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Klingree, J. B., & Daves, W. F. (1997). Preliminary validation of the attitudes toward homelessness inventory. //Journal of Community Psychology//, //25//(3), 265-288.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Moely, B. E., Mercer, S. H., Ilustre, V., Miron, D., & McFarland, M. (2002). Psychometric properties and correlates of the civic attitudes and skills questionnaire (CASQ): A measure of students’ attitudes related to service-learning. //Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, 8,// 15– <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">26.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Reeb, R. N., & Folger, S. F. (in press). Research on community development and outcomes in service- learning: From local to global. In P. H. Clayton, R. G. Bringle, & J. A. Hatcher (Eds.), //Service-////learning research: Conceptual models and assessment.// Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Reeb, R. N., Folger, S. F., Langsner, S., Ryan, C., & Crouse, J. (2010). Self-efficacy in service- learning community action research: Theory, research, and practice. //American Journal of// // Community Psychology //, //46//(3-4), 459-471.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Reeb, R. N., Sammon, J. A., & Isackson, N. L. (1999). Clinical application of the service-learning model in psychology: Evidence of educational and clinical benefits. //Journal of Prevention and// //Intervention in the Community, 18,// 65-82.

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Van de Ven, A. H. (2007). //Engaged scholarship: A guide for organizational and social research.// New York, NY: Oxford University Press

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">**Please click here to access a PDF of this page:** <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">[|Reeb_Effects of a service-learning homelessness project on students_ learning and civic attitudes.pdf]

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