Teaching Matters: Essays by UMF Faculty

Essays by faculty at the University of Maine at Farmington.https://scholarworks.umf.maine.edu/publications/1086/thumbnail.jp

Involvement of higher education special education faculty in service-learning course development and implementation

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perspectives of higher education faculty with expertise in service-learning (SL) course development and implementation. Using semi-structured interviews, 13 special education faculty members were interviewed. Transcripts and course documents were analyzed to investigate motivators, challenges, and recommendations to SL course development, implementation, and sustainability. The overall perceptions of SL implementation in the field of special education were compared to the Council for Exceptional Children's (CEC) Special Education Professional Ethical Principles (2010) to determine alignment with the field. Faculty motivation for SL implementation revolved around student learning, community advancement, and personal connections. Challenges and recommendations pertained to students, faculty, community, and common elements to SL. CEC principles closely aligned with SL implementation in higher education courses related to special education