Perceptions of service-learning among teachers in training

Abstract

Service-learning is considered an active participatory methodology whose objective is to enrich learning jointly with the community, promoting civic values, participation, and civic responsibility. This article aims to analyze the perceptions that emerge regarding service learning in 19 students belonging to the careers of Kindergarten Education and Basic Education Pedagogy of a university located in the north of Chile. The field of action of the executed project is located in the children institutionalized in one of the residences of the former National Service for Minors (SENAME, CHILE) for 6 months and within the framework of the teaching practice. An exploratory study is carried out, and a self-report questionnaire is provided. Regarding the competences, capabilities, and skills developed, the ethical professional conducts that emerge from the experience are perceived with high value. Alongside, the results highlight the extraordinary value given by students to the formation of civic-social competencies and the ethical principles of the profession for which they are preparing and attributed to the university's social commitment.