Hearts on Our Sleeves: Emotions Experienced by Service-Learning Faculty

Abstract

Compared to more traditional pedagogical approaches, service-learning has been shown to offer unique experiences for students and faculty. With the growth of service-learning within higher education, it has become increasingly important to understand service-learning faculty, namely faculty emotions, which can impact students in many ways. Utilizing ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and focus groups, the study discussed in this article assessed the emotions of 17 service-learning faculty with varying levels of experience over the course of one semester. Results revealed that service-learning faculty experience a number of emotional highs and lows related to class logistics, community partners, and student engagement. Additionally, more experienced service-learning faculty handled their emotions differently than newer faculty. The authors also highlight implications and opportunities for service-learning faculty and administrators, based on the study results