Background/Purpose Service learning (SL) is an emerging component of University classes. SL is used to promote academic learning and civic responsibility through a ‘hands-on' experience in a community setting. SL has been shown to improve student learning and help prepare students for their future profession but no research has examined the effect on the student's resilience, which refers to an individual's ability to overcome adversity. Changes in resilience are important as they may help individuals feel more competent overcoming challenges, and thus better prepared to begin work. Purpose is to determine if SL experiences influences the resilience of undergraduate students.
Method Participants were recruited from two Kinesiology classes – one that included 15 hours of SL (n=92) and one that did not (n=31) – for a total sample of 123 (M age=21.9 yrs). Participants completed the Connor Davidson Resilience scale (CDRISC) pre and post class. Subscales of the CDRISC included (a) competence, (b) affect, (c) acceptance of change, (d) control, and (e) spiritual influences.
Analysis/Results Results from an ANOVA revealed that the group which completed the SL experienced significantly higher resilience after the class (F=6.329, p<.05). Significant differences were also found between each of the subscales apart from spiritual influences.
Conclusions Participating in SL experiences within an academic setting may increase students' resilience, thus increasing their ability to adapt to overcome adversity. Increased resilience is an important outcome of SL as individuals feel more competent, positive affect, able to deal with change, and in control.