Throughout the 90s and early 2000s, service—learning research was intensely focused on the student outcomes. That body of research has effectively brought service—learning from the fringes into the mainstream of institutionalized pedagogies. In the past decade service—learning research has experienced an infusion of exploration in three distinct ways: first, large—scale quantitative methodologies; second, a proliferation of research that has explored how different sub—groups of students experience the pedagogy differently, thusly resulting in variation among outcomes; and third, a focus on the experiences and outcomes associated for communities and community partners engaged in service—learning.
In an effort to support these movements, this volume of the Advances in Service—Learning Research series, Service—Learning to Advance Access & Success: Bridging Institutional and Community Capacity, focuses on how service—learning can advance access and success. Not simply access and success of students, but the ways that service—learning can advance access and success for all through bridging institutional and community capacity building. The chapters in this volume serve as a testament to the ways in which service—learning research continue to be advanced by thoughtful scholar—practitioners.
The 12 chapters included in this volume are organized into three sections. The first section focuses on how institutional and community partnerships can be leveraged to build community capacity. The second section focuses on how institutions might build their own capacity to effect change for the good of society. The third and final section focuses on six studies exploring the relationship service—learning pedagogy has with access and success for students. Of the six studies, three are situated within the context of teacher—preparation programs.