University Students Teaching Environmental Science to Primary School Students as Service-Learning: Lessons Learned

Abstract

The service-learning pedagogy attempts to enhance student learning by integrating academic study with meaningful community service. This paper discusses lessons learned when attempting to integrate direct service (having S-L students provide science lessons for primary students) and indirect service (having S-L students prepare curriculum guides for use by primary teachers) to maximize academic learning in a course entitled “Ecology: The Science of the Environment” at Lingnan University in Hong Kong. Although the course covered fewer topics when taught using the service-learning pedagogy, S-L students reported that participating in the service-learning project (i) increased their academic learning, (ii) enhanced their interest in science, and (iii) improved their communication and problem solving skills. Based on student feedback received, attempts were made to improve the service-learning experience by (i) altering the course outline so that S-L students have learned the material in class before sharing with the primary students, (ii) providing more input to the focus of their topics, (iii) allowing S-L students to interact with the primary students during their on-site orientation, and (iv) encouraging the primary school teachers to provide immediate feedback to the S-L students at the end of each lesson.