If Service-Learning is So Great, Why Doesn’t Everyone Use it? Lake Superior Service-Learning Regional Conference University of Wisconsin Superior April.

If Service-Learning is So Great,If Service-Learning is So Great,Why Doesn’t Everyone Use it?Why Doesn’t Everyone Use it?

If Service-Learning is So Great,If Service-Learning is So Great,Why Doesn’t Everyone Use it?Why Doesn’t Everyone Use it?

Lake Superior Service-Learning Regional ConferenceUniversity of Wisconsin Superior • April 15, 2010

The Providers' NetworkFostering Excellence in Service-Learning Professional Development

The Providers' NetworkFostering Excellence in Service-Learning Professional Development

James Toole, Ph.D.Compass InstituteUniversity of Minnesota

Ball Toss and PLCsBall Toss and PLCs

Tennis Ball Toss Typical School Decision

The goal is well defined. People often don’t agree on what the goal should be.

Everyone is given a clear role and responsibility.

Roles and responsibilities are not clear.

The task is relatively value free. The task is value-laden and therefore people may passionately disagree.

Everyone participates. Participation is highly uneven.

The outcome doesn’t matter. The outcomes matter significantly/ high stakes.

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Large Share of Schools(Percentage of schools using service learning)

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Student Service-Learning andCommunity Service Survey, 1999.

ServiceLearning

48.7%

High SchoolsMiddle Schools

ServiceLearning 38.6%

Small Share of Teachers(Percentage of teachers using service learning)

Don’t Use Service Learning

Users6.6% Very few teachers

are doers. At three quarters of the schools with service learning, 80% or more of the teachers don’t engage in the practice.

The portion of all middle and high schools in which most of the teachers use service learning: 5%.Source: U.S. Department of Education, National

Student Service-Learning and Community Service Survey, 1999.

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Support in Place With Without

Policies to encourage service learning

15.4% 3.6%

Financial support or additional time 13.7% 2.8%

Training 14.4% 2.1%

Service learning coordinator 14.9% 4.1%

Service learning requirement 16.2% 3.5%

All of the above 24.0% 5.2%

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Student Service-Learning and Community Service Survey, 1999.

Share of schools with or without the support where most of the students receive service learning

Strong Support Doesn’t Ensure Implementation

What Else is Needed?What Else is Needed?

The Big QuestionsThe Big Questions

Individual Level

Why do some teachers/ youth workers use service-learning and some not?

What are the implications for how we reach out to people?

Organizational Level

Why are some schools more successful implementing service-learning than others?

How do we support whole-school adoption?

Big Question #1Big Question #1

Individual Level

Why do some teachers/ youth workers use service-learning and some not?

How Are They Different??How Are They Different??

How Are They Different??How Are They Different??

Age

Teaching Experience

Teaching Commitment

Gender

Beliefs about Teaching and Learning

Staff Development Involvement

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Are There More Differences?Are There More Differences?

Classroom Practices

Work in cooperative groups

Use the internet

Work on a project that required data collection

Go into the community to learn

Students make assessment of their own work

Are the classrooms of those that do service-learning different from non-users even when they aren’t using service-learning?

Yes! There are Significant DifferencesYes! There are Significant Differences

Classroom Practices (1999) tWork in cooperative groups 2.53**

Use the internet 3.73***

Work on a project that required data collection 4.45***

Go into the community to learn 4.89***

Students make assessment of their own work 1.94*

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“What is most important to teach people is not behaviors or activities but cognitive.”

“What drives what we do and say is our assumptions and beliefs about something.”

Bob Garmston

“What is most important to teach people is not behaviors or activities but cognitive.”

“What drives what we do and say is our assumptions and beliefs about something.”

Bob Garmston

The Importance of AssumptionsThe Importance of Assumptions

“Regardless of what new method or latest technique is attempted, the mind/brain will always choose to reduce such practices to fit entrenched assumptions and beliefs.”

Renate Nummela Caine and Geoffrey Caine

Pioneers Versus SettlersPioneers Versus Settlers

What are the Implications?What are the Implications?

If service-learning adoption is dependent on people’s deep pedagogical beliefs, what does this mean for professional development?

Behaviors Can be the EasiestBehaviors Can be the Easiest

Hospital Example

Using a Procedure Checklist Did we give the patient her

antibiotics? Did we introduce ourselves

to one another?

Benefits Can reduce infections and

deaths by one-third Greater efficiency and

teamwork

How do you reach people at deeper levels?

Levels of InterventionLevels of Intervention

BehaviorsBehaviorsWhat?What?

CapabilitiesCapabilitiesHow?How?

BeliefsBeliefsWhy?Why?

ValuesValuesMeaning?Meaning?

IdentityIdentityWho?Who?

Behavior Change & CommunicationBehavior Change & Communication

Liver

Heart

Kidney

Sweetbreads

Service-Learning QuestionsService-Learning Questions

Behavior: What are the most important elements of teaching a service-learning lesson?

Capabilities: What strategies did you employ to foster youth voice?

Beliefs: Why do you think service-learning is an effective teaching strategy?

Values: Why is service important for youth?

Identity: How does service-learning relate to your personal sense of mission as a teacher?

Big Question #2Big Question #2

Organizational Level

Why are some schools more successful implementing service-learning than others?

How do we support whole-school adoption?

The Role of Organizational CultureThe Role of Organizational Culture

Question Answer Willow Oak

Teachers respect other teachers who take the lead in staff

improvement efforts.

Strongly Agree or Agree

100% 61%

Teachers in this school trust each other.

Strongly Agree or Agree

93% 52%

How many teachers in this school feel responsible to help each other do their best?

Most or Nearly All

75% 35%

How many teachers in this school help maintain discipline in the entire school, not just their classrooms?

Most or Nearly All

82% 33%

ReflectionReflection

Differences: How might it be different to work in these two schools?

Learning Impact: How different might it be to implement service-learning at the two sites?

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Cultures Impact ImplementationCultures Impact Implementation

Question Answer Willow Oak

The implementation of service-learning has created divisions

and conflict among our staff.

Disagree or strongly disagree

100% 72%

A small group of people at this school control service-learning and use it for their own purposes.

Disagree or strongly disagree

90% 56%

Those who provide leadership around service-learning are motivated primarily by the good of children.

Agree or Strongly Agree

100% 67%

I have a sense of personal ownership for the school-wide success of service-learning

Agree or Strongly Agree

83% 57%

What is the Most Difficult Part?What is the Most Difficult Part?

The Plumbing(The “Hard” Part)

Structures Systems Procedures Rules Controls Plans

The Poetry(The “Soft” Part)

People Attitudes Energy Buy-in Attitude towards change Fears Trust

“Individuals are almost indestructible, but organizations are very fragile.”

– Farson,1996

“When I opened my first shop, I was looking for employees, but people showed up instead.”

Anita Roddick,

Founder of the Body Shop

Four Types of CulturesFour Types of Cultures

Isolation

Balkanization

Contrived Collegiality

Community

What Do These Movies Have in Common?What Do These Movies Have in Common?

High V. Low Performance TeamsHigh V. Low Performance Teams

Why Do We Care? Why Do We Care?

The Teamwork Dividend

WHEN: 1993 for Nine Months

WHO: 23 New England heart surgeons

WHAT: Observe each other regularly in the operating room and share their knowledge, insights, and approaches.

RESULT: What happened to the mortality rate? Sources: New York Times

National Staff Development Council

A Relationship-Rich PedagogyA Relationship-Rich Pedagogy

Teacher-Student Student-Student Student-Community Teacher-Community Cross-Age Work Intergenerational

The Power of Social TrustThe Power of Social Trust

Faculty-Faculty Trust

Faculty-Principal Trust

Teacher Service-Learning Use

r = .16* r = .07

Service-Learning Institutionalization r = .45*** r = 21**

•p<.05 **p<.01 *** p<.001

•N=216

Healthy And Innovative WorkplacesHealthy And Innovative Workplaces

A place where I can pursue my passions.

A place where I am respected and valued.

A place where I get better at what I do.

A place where I can have an impact.

A place where I am part of a larger, healthy

organization.

SS

Service-Learning inMiddle Schools

Civics-BasedService-Learning

Service as a Strategy for Drop-Out Prevention

Service-LearningAnd Resilience

Service as a StrategyTo Close the Achievement Gap

Service-LearningIn Small Schools