Service-learning: A powerful pedagogy for promoting academic success among students of color

Abstract

This article discusses a mixed-methods study that investigated the service-learning experiences of students of color at College of the Holy Cross to better understand how service-learning may be an effective pedagogical tool for reducing cultural dissonance and addressing related achievement gaps. Quantitative data were collected from over 1,500 students who had enrolled in 59 different service-learning classes. In addition, interviews were conducted with 13 students of color who had participated in service-learning. Findings indicated that students’ service-learning experiences paralleled study participants’ descriptions of how they learned most effectively. Furthermore, the findings suggest that service-learning may resonate for students of color because of the way in which (1) it enables students to integrate social responsibility with academics; (2) students of color can personally relate to the course content as well as the people and experiences encountered at service-learning sites; (3) service-learning reduces cultural dissonance by empowering students who are struggling to build confidence and feel that they belong in a highly selective, predominantly White college.