To serve and to learn - students’ reflections of the service learning experience in serving the migrant children in Shanghai

Abstract

This paper examines the learning experiences of a service-learning subject entitled “Promotion of Children and Adolescent Development” from the perspective of the students. Based on the reflective journals of 20 students, several perceived benefits of the subject were identified, including enhancement of intrapersonal and interpersonal competence, reflections on attitudes towards life and learning, application of learned knowledge into practice, facilitation of team work, development of passion to help the underprivileged children and adolescents, cultivation of civic responsibility, nurturing of awareness to social problems and issues, and reflections on the roles, responsibilities and contributions as professionals in future. These findings illustrate the importance of an effective university service-learning subject that attempts to promote the self-development of the students as well as cultivate their citizenship.