In the current study, we applied a mixed-methods approach to examining civic-mindedness of undergraduate students in a service-learning course. A quantitative self-report measure of civic-mindedness was administered pre- and post-course. During the second half of the course, a subset of students participated in focus groups, responding to questions directly aligned with the quantitative measure. Quantitative and qualitative data were integrated via a mixed method convergent parallel design. Quantitatively, civic-mindedness increased pre-post. Qualitative findings both supported and contradicted quantitative results. Mixed-methods analyses provided a more complete understanding of the relationship between service-learning and civic-mindedness than quantitative or qualitative analysis alone. Future research for student affairs and assessment professionals are discussed.
This study examined the effects of a small-scale, very short-term (8–10 h) service-learning experience on college undergraduates. Repeated measures analysis of variance indicated that students participating in this experience reported maintenance of their sense of social responsibility, an increased sense of the meaningfulness of college, and an increased likelihood of choosing a service-related occupation, when compared to non-participating matched counterparts. These findings provide support for the notion that minimally resource-intensive service-learning programs can provide students with some of the benefits of service-learning that have been identified in longer, more intensive experiences.
Berzelius failed to make use of Faraday's electrochemical laws in his laborious determination of equivalent weights.