Using+research+to+enhance+service-learning+courses-+An+international+perspective+on+the+pedagogy+of+teaching+children+considered+to+be+at-risk

**Using research to enhance service-learning courses:** **An international perspective on the pedagogy of teaching children** **considered to be "at-risk”**

Therese Wehman, Professor, Elmhurst College theresew@elmhurst.edu] Michael Savage, Professor, Elmhurst College micks@elmhurst.edu]



**Keywords:** Multi-country qualitative research, at-risk elementary students, pre-service teachers

**Track:** International impact and development

**Format:** Research paper


 * Date & time: ** Friday 3:20-4:30


 * Location: **Salon 12

**Summary:** This research project investigated teachers in elementary schools in five countries: the United States, South Africa, England, Australia, and Jamaica. It attempted to define and identify best practices used in teaching children considered to be “at-risk” in these five countries. Three questions guided this qualitative research study and findings were infused into four international service-learning courses offered at Elmhurst College for pre-service education students.


 * 1) How do classroom teachers define children "at-risk" in their culture and country?
 * 2) How do classroom teachers identify children "at-risk" in their classrooms?
 * 3) What educational strategies do teachers implement to make learning meaningful for children "at-risk" for academic failure in their classrooms?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Classroom teachers at each school site in the five countries were interviewed by faculty research team members. Narrative data were compiled across the data sets from the five countries. Common themes and distinctive cultural responses from teachers in each specific country were identified in the responses and served as the answers to this study’s research questions. This is presented within seven primary risk categories that emerged from the 20 teacher interviews and ten specific instructional strategies that emerged as the most commonly utilized strategies by teachers.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Findings from this research project were infused into Elmhurst College's Education Department course curriculum in the four international service-learning courses that take students into schools for work experiences in South Africa, Jamaica, England, and Australia. The research findings were also used to enhance courses in our Teacher Education curriculum to better prepare our teacher education candidates to work in high needs schools with students who are "at-risk" for school failure in the United States. This international, inter-cultural research project also fits extremely well into the growing focus on globalization and social justice issues at Elmhurst College.

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Wehman, T., Savage, M., White, J., Lee, N. & Grimes, J. (2010). //Using cross-cultural research to define best practices in developing service learning courses: An international perspective on the pedagogy of teaching children considered to be “At-Risk.”// In Proceedings from the International Conference on Education, Research and Innovation (iCERI), Madrid, Spain, Nov. 2010.

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