Service-Learning and the Development of Interpersonal Skills in Pre-Professional Undergraduate Students

Students who participate in service-learning courses are given the opportunity to apply the knowledge they develop in the classroom to real-world settings while meeting community needs. This study explores how service-learning pedagogy contributes to interpersonal professional skill development in pre-health undergraduate students attending a small, liberal arts college in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Students were enrolled in a required course within the health and exercise science department and were pursuing health-related careers. They partnered with local organizations where they engaged marginalized community members in physically active games and programs to promote health. Students then participated in reflective assignments that were qualitatively analyzed. In total, 103 essays and 10 focus groups were coded and interpreted. Three themes emerged as pre-health professional skills developed through the course: communication, perspective taking, and motivating others. Students indicated that service-learning experiences helped them improve in these areas or brought awareness to their struggles with these skills. This study describes how service-learning pedagogy can be used to expand the interpersonal skills of undergraduate students necessary to promote health in all related professions.