Revisiting Pedagogical Variations in Service-Learning and Student Outcomes

Abstract

This article presents results from a quasi‐experimental replication study that extended Mabry’s 1998 correlational study by introducing a counterfactual (using psychometrically defensible measures) and controlling for academic motivation and relationships among students, faculty, and staff. The study offered evidence of the effectiveness of frequency of contact, reflection, and service duration in influencing civic and academic outcomes. Though the study’s quasi-experimental approach posed modest limitations, the measured effects were similar to those identified in Mabry’s study, thus improving confidence around findings related to the impacts of service-learning pedagogical variations and their implications for instructional design.