The Impact of Community Service in the Classroom Setting: A Research Study

Community service has been linked to different psychological benefits. The field of positive psychology is growing and the purpose of the present study was to expand this research by examining other psychological benefits to those who participate in community service. We examined this relationship when community service is a requirement for the class. We compared Community Service Learning (CSL) participants with non-CSL participants of the same course. Participants completed questionnaires that assessed flourishing, self-esteem, serenity, gratitude, and their views about community service at the beginning (before completing community service) and at the end the semester. Contrary to our hypothesis, there was no major difference between CSL and non-CSL participants at the end of the semester. Although effects were not significant, means were in the predicted direction for some comparisons (flourishing and views on community service). Psychological benefits did not increase for CSL participants possibly because the community service was limited in time. Findings are discussed in relation to selfdetermination theory. COMMUNITY SERVICE IN THE CLASSROOM 3 The Impact of Community Service in the Classroom Setting: A Research Study Community service is embedded into the beliefs and actions of many people. Gandhi, famous for leading India’s revolution for independence, once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others” (Robbins, 2014, p. 1). This quote suggests that serving others includes some type of benefit on the part of the helper. There are many different ways a person can grow--through classroom learning, personal experiences, and opportunities to explore new places and ideas. Through these different experiences, people can expand their knowledge and these experiences can impact a variety of psychological processes. A common way people grow in knowledge outside of the classroom is through community service. Community service has not only been shown to improve one’s own self-esteem and produce other personal psychological benefits (Berger & Milen, 2002; Billig, 2000; Weinstein & Ryan, 2010), but it can also improve one’s classroom education when it is integrated into classroom learning (Astin, Vogelgesang, Ikeda, & Yee, 2000; Conrad & Hedin, 1982). Community service improves students’ civil engagement and motivation to learn more. For example, students who participated in community service were more likely to vote and become involved in issues that surrounded them and their community (Hart, Donnelly, Youniss, & Atkins, 2007). By helping others in need through community service, a person can grow both personally and intellectually, resulting in a better world for those who are helping and for those who are being helped. Although engaging in community service has been linked to psychological benefits, the field of positive psychology is expanding. The purpose of the present study was to expand our knowledge regarding the psychological benefits for those engaging in community service in a classroom setting and explore possible differences in learning. COMMUNITY SERVICE IN THE CLASSROOM 4 Psychological and Educational Benefits of Becoming Involved in Community Service Individuals may participate in community service to look good in front of other people or to fulfill a requirement. But there are a lot people who participate in community service because it makes them happy and is a stress relief for them. Many have reported feeling as though they were contributing back to society (Berger & Milen, 2002). Additionally, people will engage in community service when they feel guilty for doing something they were not supposed to. People believed that doing a good act, like community service, would make up for their guilt, thus giving them a sense of calmness and help them feel better about themselves (Weinstein & Ryan, 2010). There are many different reasons why people choose to participate in community service. Some feel compelled to give back because others do it, others want to put it on a resume or they feel like they have to give back to the community that has helped them. A common reason why people participate in community service is because they feel good doing it, and research supports this. Self-esteem is one of the benefits a person can get when participating in community service (Billig, 2000). People obtain more confidence in themselves and what they can accomplish. People find that with higher self-esteem, they feel more successful and ready to take on anything they put their mind to. Students who participated in community service reported being more active within their community and wanted to become more involved in the issues their neighborhoods were facing (Gilster, 2010). Youniss, McLellan and Su (1999) found that students who engaged in community service became less active in deviant behavior. They also found that students also changed their behaviors to help those around them and it resulted in a better community. COMMUNITY SERVICE IN THE CLASSROOM 5 Other findings suggest that students who participated in community service during their transition from high school to college had a higher sense of self-esteem, were more confident going to college, felt more reassured about their identity and who they were, and were motivated to challenge themselves further in college (Marks & Jones 2004). This progression does not end when people enter college. Seniors about to graduate college also benefited from community service believing they were more engaged with peers and strangers about issues they felt passionate about. They believed that their engagement with community service contributed to their confidence in talking to others and being more open to those around them (Marks & Jones 2004). When completing community service, people feel good about themselves and that they are making a difference in the lives of those who they are helping. But few realize that in participating in community service, people are actually helping themselves. For example, incarcerated individuals who participated in community service for a long period of time experienced a positive change in their behavior and reduced their likelihood of being incarcerated again (Andersen, 2014). Similarly, young adults struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues who participated in community service felt more positive emotions and wanted to take steps to deal with their addictions and improve their mental health (Henderson, Chaim, & Brownlie, 2017). In participating in community service, people were able to improve their attitudes and mental state, thus giving them more opportunities to improve their lives overall. In addition to improving overall well-being, there are have been a variety of different studies exploring how integrating community service into the classroom can be beneficial for the students and how much they learn (Conrad & Hedin 1982; Simon & Cleary, 2006). For example, COMMUNITY SERVICE IN THE CLASSROOM 6 teachers and administrators in one community were interested in seeing how community service would impact classroom learning and whether it would improve grades, behavior, or both (Simon & Cleary, 2006). Students received first-hand exposure to community service within their own community and the results showed improvements in their grades and classroom behavior. Researchers found that students were more engaged in the classroom and they wanted to share what they learned from their community service experience (Simon & Cleary, 2006). Other findings suggest that students who participated in community service were more attentive to their classmates and had more respect for each other. These students had improved grades and reported that they were happier (Conrad & Hedin, 1982). Additionally, high school students involved in community service reported better problem solving skills and used those skills not only in the classroom, but also in their community service (Conrad & Hedin, 1982). College students who participated in community service as part of coursework also reported having higher GPAs and standardized test scores compared to those who did not participate in community service. These college students also reported an increased interest in doing community service after seeing the success they had while completing the service (Astin et al., 2000). Students who participate in community service become more engaged in the classroom and are willing to share their experiences, resulting in better grades and happier students (Biling, 2000). Students engaging in community service can also learn real-world skills. College seniors who participated in community service stated that they felt more prepared for the working world because they could stand up and fight for what they believed in. When these college students began work in a helping setting, like a hospital, those who were receiving help were able to get better care from the workers who had community service experience and became more COMMUNITY SERVICE IN THE CLASSROOM 7 comfortable with those working with them. The more comfortable the patients became, the better people were able to take care of them (Astin et al., 2000). Many people see community service as an activity to help those in need. However, there are a great number of psychological benefits for the helper, thus allowing them to feel good and complete community service to the best of their ability. Community Service and Well-Being: Theoretical Approaches There are several theoretical approaches that can help explain the psychological and physical benefits to those who engage in volunteering and community service. Selfdetermination theory suggests when volunteering for the pure joy of it, people get more out of it compared to when people are told to do it or do it out of shame or guilt. This may be explained by differences of autonomous motivation, which is doing an acti