Date of Award

8-27-2008

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Education (MAE)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Susan O'Conner

Second Advisor

Carol Knicker

Abstract

Service learning is "an education experience that provides students with the opportunity to participate in community-based activities and integrated classroom experiences" (Frey, 1999, p.337). Service learning is an approach that can be used to teach social skills in the "real world setting" to students with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities (EBD) (Seitsinger, 2005). This research examines the question, "how effective is the use of service learning in teaching social skills to students with EBD?" I piloted service learning projects in two of my social skills classes for students with EBD in a suburban middle school. Following the projects, I conducted in-depth interviews with four of the students who participated in the service learning project. Themes that emerged from the interviews were: (1) beliefs about social skills, (2) developing teamwork, (3) perceptions of service learning, (4) helping the community, and (5) remembering the service learning project. The project showed that service learning makes a long-term, positive impact on students with EBD.

Identifier

SC 11.MAE.2008.Jenkausk.A

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