Qualitative Assessment of Service Learning in a General Chemistry II Course

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of service learning in a general chemistry course. Service learning is an educational approach that connects community service with academic course content and objectives. Service learning approaches have been carried out in chemistry at the college level. This study combined qualitative methods (data from interviews and student artifacts) with a control design. The control group consisted of students enrolled in the General Chemistry II lecture, and the experimental group consisted of students additionally enrolled in the 1-hour Honors General Chemistry II Seminar. In the seminar, students discussed, designed and carried out service-learning research projects that were not part of the regular General Chemistry II coursework. Qualitative data was collected from both groups and compared. Findings indicate that the students in the Honors Seminar developed more specific knowledge and appreciation of the community, a fluid concept of leadership, and greater awareness of self and others.