Developing Critical Consciousness: The Gains and Missed Opportunities for Latinx College Students in a Sport-Based Critical Service-Learning Course

Abstract

Critical service- learning is a form of engaged pedagogy that supports development of students’ critical consciousness. However, critical service- learning continues to prioritize the development of white students, often times at the expense of marginalized communities and minoritized college students. This study seeks to disrupt this approach by examining the attributes of Latinx critical consciousness present in 30 reflective writing entries written by six Latinx college students enrolled in a sport- based critical service- learning course for a semester. Findings demonstrate how the course aligned with students’ Latinx critical consciousness and how Latinx critical consciousness went beyond the focus of the course. Study findings have implications for service- learning practitioners and scholars who want to further consider how curriculum and practices in critical service- learning courses can center racially minoritized students’ critical consciousness. Critical service- learning (CSL) is a form of engaged pedagogy connecting academic courses with community ser vice experiences while having students examine and understand their social identities and positionalities, interrogate the systems that perpetuate inequality, and take actions toward addressing these inequalities Rosenberger, Toward this goal, CSL instructors work to develop students’ critical consciousness as a learning outcome (Boyle- Baise, 2007) by having students “[c]ombine action and reflection in the class room and community to examine both the historical precedents of the social problems addressed in their service placements and the impact of their personal action/inaction in maintaining and transforming those problems” Research on CSL has shown that students do deepen their understanding of structural and engage in actions for service-