Weaving Theoretical Frameworks and Methods Together to Advance Research on Student Civic Outcomes

Set in the broader context of a renewed call for higher education institutions to develop students’ civic capacities, the edited volume Research on Student Civic Outcomes in Service Learning: Conceptual Frameworks and Methods focuses on the impact of service-learning courses on student civic outcomes. Calls to cultivate student civic outcomes in higher education can be found in many places. The editors cite several of these in the introductory chapter, including national organizations (e.g., The Democracy Commitment, Community-Campus Partnerships for Health, Campus Compact), networks (e.g., Talloires Network, Europe Engage), academic institutions (e.g., Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis), and foundations (e.g., Carnegie Foundation, Kettering Foundation) working to support civic renewal in higher education. The editors point in particular to A Crucible Moment: College Learning & Democracy’s Future (National Task Force, 2012) to articulate the “consistent call for a renewed commitment of colleges and universities to create campus cultures that support and challenge student understanding of and commitment to civic participation” (p. 3). Service-learning has emerged as a leading pedagogy for cultivating student civic outcomes. This book focuses on research related to the potential for curricular service-learning to generate student civic outcomes and does so by reviewing previous studies, theoretical frameworks, and a variety of methods of inquiry