Reflection and group cohesion drive service-learning gains : a pre-post study of credit-bearing courses in Hong Kong

Abstract

Service-learning is widely used to promote students’ civic and social development, yet most evidence and many design assumptions, derived from Western, face-to-face implementations. This study extends global service-learning research by testing a structured, credit-bearing model in a Chinese cultural setting during pandemic-era online delivery, and by identifying program features that most strongly predict student gains. Using a one group pre-post research design, undergraduates completed matched surveys before and after participating in credit-bearing service-learning subjects at a Hong Kong university. Measures assessed civic engagement (attitudes and behaviors), social responsibility, service leadership, intrinsic motivation, perceived group cohesion, and opportunities for reflection. Repeated measures MANOVA indicated significant improvements across all outcomes (medium-to-large effects), including particularly strong gains in service leadership—a culturally resonant civic construct for Chinese societies. Regression analyses showed that two factors consistently predicted post-course outcomes: group cohesion and reflection opportunities. In contrast, pre-program intrinsic motivation did not predict gains; instead, intrinsic motivation increased through participation and was associated with stronger outcomes when measured after the experience. These findings provide important implications for service-learning globally. Student development is less dependent on who enters highly motivated and more dependent on how courses are designed, specifically whether programs intentionally build cohesive teams and embed structured reflection, even in online or disrupted conditions. This study also offers empirical evidence supporting the effectiveness of structured, credit-bearing service-learning programs in Chinese higher education.