Date of Award
2-28-2025
Publication Type
Doctoral Thesis
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Department
Education
Supervisor
Geri Salinitri
Rights
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Abstract
The student makeup of public education continues to change, proving the need for pre-service teachers to be trained in adaptive and responsive ways that allow them to feel prepared to support increasing diverse and complex student needs. Pre-service teachers enrolled in a course centred around understanding vulnerability and marginalization completed a community-based service-learning experience in community organizations that offer various forms of support to children and youth experiencing vulnerabilities and risk factors. The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological study was to understand the impact of one community-based service-learning experience on pre-service teachers' self-efficacy in teaching diverse and vulnerable students. The lived experiences of pre-service teachers, new teachers, and community agency staff members were explored over four years through student reflections, an online survey, and semi-structured interviews. Based on the data collected over the course of the study, five key themes emerged: value of the course experience; relationship between community placements, specialized knowledge, and a beneficial partnership; relationship between teacher attitude, preparedness, and classroom perceptions; supporting student background and experience; and gap in preparedness to teach diverse learners. The themes present an understanding of how pre-service teachers, new teachers, and community agency staff members perceive the benefit of the integration of community-based service-learning experiences in teacher education programs.
Recommended Citation
Pizzuto Serra, Gelsea, "Beyond Traditional School Settings: The Perceived Impact of Community Service-Learning Experiences on the Efficacy of Pre-Service Teachers in Diverse Settings" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 9693.
https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd/9693
