Beginning to introduce Service-Learning at the University of Granada (Spain)
Jose L. Arco (UNIVERSITY OF GRANADA), Francisco D. Fernández (UNIVERSITY OF GRANADA), Patricia J. Morales (UNIVERSITY OF GRANADA), Michael M. Morris (University of New Mexico)
Abstract
According to the report “University Systems Ranking: Citizens and Society in the Age of Knowledge” (Lisbon Council Policy Brief, 2008), Spain has the least effective tertiary education system. In order to introduce academic changes that could eventually modernise Spanish Public University System and do better, we did a pilot study with a sample of 25 professors from 11 different departments, who were interviewed following a Service-Learning Questionnaire. The final sample was obtained by an initial targeted sampling process, followed by a snowball sampling process. As a part of a personal interview, the questionnaire was administrated in about 45 minutes average. This instrument was built basically from Mayring’s study (2001), adding adapted items from 6 other surveys and questionnaires taken from several universities. The result is the “University of Granada Service-Learning Questionnaire” with a total of 30 items, spread on 7 different areas of information with an alpha Cronbach of 0.89. All data gathered from demographic, academic, professional and Service-Learning practice were analyzed with the SPSS-15.0. The main results point toward economic, vocational and institutional barriers to extend Service-Learning within the institution. Some of the professors are already aware of the potential implications of introducing Service-Learning at their institutions, although they do not call it that way, but they are part of those “early adopters” who have to fight, with very little resources, most of the time against social, institutional and political practices and culture. Several recommendations to move ahead are provided. This research and the questionnaire we have built, could also be interesting for those non-Anglo-Saxon professionals interested in measuring this set of educational practices at their higher education institutions.
