Serving Other People: An Empirical Study of the Impact of Service Learning on the Moral Character of Students in Japanese Higher Education-A Pilot Test

Abstract

This empirical research exercise attempted to measure the impact of service learning on the students’ sense of community service, virtue of responsibility, and the Common Good. Assessing the impact of community service on student’s attitude involved utilizing the Community Service Attitude Scale questions developed by S. H. Schwartz to measure such items as Awareness, Connectedness, Normative Helping Behavior, Seriousness, and Intentions towards community service. The impact of service learning on students’ awareness and on how it engendered in them a positive attitude towards the common good was also assessed.