Practical Wisdom for Conducting Research on Service Learning : Pursuing Quality and Purpose

For scholars seeking to undertake consequential research in service-learning and community engagement (SLCE) at a time when there is widening interest in and increasing acceptance of research in this field as a primary area of scholarship, this book provides accounts by preeminent scholars about the trajectories of their research, their methodologies, lessons learned along the way, as well as their views about the future direction of the field.

The contributors to this volume represent a range of disciplines and fields including education, history, organizational leadership, political science, philanthropic studies, psychology, and public health, as well as both qualitative and quantitative traditions, and offer models of scholarly learning that contribute to a knowledge base that can guide practice and further the broader public purposes of the academy.

They articulate how they view their research on SLCE as having broader purposes that matter to them personally as well as professionally and illustrate how the “why” and “to what end” of their research can evolve as a program of research develops and matures across time. They identify key choices they made in terms of inquiry and methodology, describe both successes and challenges in establishing and navigating a SLCE research agenda across their careers, and share lessons learned from their research journey to advance the field both domestically and abroad.

Emerging from these narratives is a theme of practical wisdom that arises through the learning of researchers, students and communities as they engage with complex social contexts.

JulieA. Hatcher is Associate Professor Emeritus of Philanthropic Studies in the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy atIndiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). From2012-2018, she was executive director of the Center for Service andLearning and associate professor.  Julie serves as co-editor of theIUPUI Series on Service Learning Research (Stylus, 2011, 2013, 2016). Herresearch focuses on the role of higher education in democracy and civilsociety, civic learning outcomes in higher education, philanthropic studies,and civic-minded professionals. She serves on the national advisory boardfor the Carnegie Foundation’s Community Engagement elective classification.Julie is the 2017 International Association forResearch on Service-Learning and Community Engagement DistinguishedCareer Award recipient, and the 2008 Dissertation Award recipient.Julie earned her PhD in philanthropic studies with a minor in higher educationat Indiana University.

Robert G.Bringle is Chancellor’s Professor Emeritus of Psychology and PhilanthropicStudies and Senior Scholar in the Center for Service and Learning at IndianaUniversity Purdue University Indianapolis. From 2012-2015, he was theKulynych/Cline Visiting Distinguished Professor of Psychology at AppalachianState University. He was the Executive Director of the Indiana UniversityPurdue University Indianapolis Center for Service and Learning from 1994-2012.Dr. Bringle was awarded the Thomas Ehrlich Faculty Award for Service Learning,the IUPUI Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the Legacy ofService Award from Indiana Campus Compact. In 2004, he was recognized at the4th Annual International Service-Learning Research Conference for hisoutstanding contributions to the service-learning research field. TheUniversity of the Free State, South Africa, awarded him an honorary doctoratefor his scholarly work on civic engagement and service learning.

ThomasW. Hahn is the Director of Research and Program Evaluation at the Center forService and Learning and Institute for Engaged Learning at Indiana UniversityPurdue University Indianapolis. He is responsible for assessment, evaluation,and research in the areas of student civic learning and success. Tom has over20 years of experience in assessment and program improvement in highereducation. He oversees the annual IUPUI Research Academy on CommunityEngagement and Engaged Learning and chairs the campus subcommittee for thestudent Experiential and Applied Learning Record. He received his undergraduateand graduate degrees from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.