A review of the situation of service-learning in higher education in Spain

As the prevalence of service-learning (S-L) within higher education institutions grows across the globe, it makes sense to explore, describe and discuss the recent situation in Spain. As a relatively new pedagogy, S-L has gained prominence in Spanish higher education since its emergence in the early 2000s, and it is increasingly used. This article analyses S-L in higher education in Spain with the purpose of understanding the expression of this promising teaching strategy. The paper is based on documentary analysis of key documents from the last official conference of the S-L that took place in Bilbao (2013). Data was analyzed using thematic analysis and grounded theory, with Atlas.Ti. The process of data analysis was based on a thematic framework of three categories: [1] S-L University Qualifications, [2] S-L Institutionalization status, and [3] S-L Possibilities and Positive effects. This analysis can deepen understanding of the S-L pedagogy, improve practice and create a framework for future researchThis research was supported by Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, in the framework of the Project FP-L2/1.13 “Service-Learning Virtualization. Digital Resources and Virtual Learning Communities on the Web 2.0” [Virtualización del Aprendizaje-Servicio. Recursos Digitales y Comunidades Virtuales de Aprendizaje en la Web 2.0]. This study was developed in the framework of the Research “Service-Learning experiences in teacher training. A Case Study