Service learning in an Indigenous not-for-profit organization

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding of how service learning pedagogy assists in student and organizational learning.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use case study reflection and ethnography approaches.

Findings

The key to the success of the internship was time spent on relationship building between the parties, clear documentation of roles and responsibilities, the selection and matching process and open communication between all parties. Using Mezirow’s (1991) transformational learning approach, and Kolb’s (1984) learning framework, it demonstrates an example of perspective transformation where the “unfamiliar” helps participants to question the “familiar”; through embedding learning in relation to culture, values, ownership and identity. Service learning relies on collaborative pedagogy where reflection and relationships with community and educators provide a platform to test students’ values and moral reasoning and build community cultural understanding.

Research limitations/implications

The paper includes a single case study and autoethnographic research methodology only.

Practical implications

Community-learning activities supplement the course content and embeds learning, broadening the students’ experiences, providing them with an understanding of context, and dealing with complexity to question their own cultural values. In practical terms it provides students with different career opportunities such as in the not-for-profit sector or in advocacy work. Service learning pedagogy enhances graduate capabilities, across many areas including problem solving, values development and community engagement and thinking of the other.

Originality/value

The paper reports on and analyses the learning of a service learning internship between a business school and an Indigenous organization. The paper uses a reflection methodology and is written by the University internship co-ordinator (teacher) and an international student intern, whilst drawing on reflections of the Indigenous leader of the not-for-profit organization.

Citation

Young, S. and Karme, T. (2015), "Service learning in an Indigenous not-for-profit organization", Education + Training, Vol. 57 No. 7, pp. 774-790. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-04-2014-0041