The Future of Education

Service Learning and Geography: from Experience to Curriculum Rethinking

Massimiliano Naldini, Istituto Nazionale Documentazione Innovazione Ricerca Educativa (INDIRE) (Italy)

Lorenza Orlandini, Istituto Nazionale Documentazione Innovazione Ricerca Educativa (INDIRE) (Italy)

Patrizia Lotti, Istituto Nazionale Documentazione Innovazione Ricerca Educativa (INDIRE) (Italy)

Abstract

Service Learning (SL) is an educational approach characterized by the relationship between the school, the community, and the territory [1, 2]. As one of thing, Service learning “is a suitable strategy for vital geographic learning in relation to society and civic participation” [3]. By connecting classroom learning with real-world issues, schools can create a meaningful and impactful learning experience for their students [4]. Starting from the experiences identified over the years INDIRE [5] has developed and administered a questionnaire to schools adopting the SL methodology. This article aims to frame the research and presents initial findings on how SL has contributed to the rethinking of the geography curriculum and helps to strengthen interdisciplinary teaching and students' soft skills [6]. Within the framework of place-based education [7], SL enables the territory as content and learning environment. Because of these characteristics, this research focuses on the added value that this approach can offer to the teaching of the geography curriculum.

Keywords: Service Learning; Geography; Teaching; Curriculum; Innovation; Soft Skills

References:

1] Furco, A. (1996). Service-Learning: A Balanced Approach to Experiential Education.

[2] Tapia, M.N. (2006). Educazione e solidarietà. La pedagogia dell’apprendimento-servizio, Città Nuova Editrice.

[3] Schulze, U. & Kanwischer, D. (2018), Spatial Citizenship and Service Learning – Breaking the Mould of Geography Teacher Education. GI_Forum 2018, 6(2), 131-142.

[4] Fiorin, I. (2015). Oltre l'aula. La proposta pedagogica del service Learning. Mondadori.

[5] Naldini, M. & Orlandini L. (2023). Costruire comunità professionali per il protagonismo degli studenti e delle studentesse: il contributo del Service Learning. IUL Research, 4(8), pp. 163-167.

[6] Orlandini L., Lotti P. (2023). Costruire comunità professionali per il protagonismo degli studenti e delle studentesse: il contributo del Service Learning, Franco Angeli, in press.

[7] Sobel, D. (2013). Place-Based Education. Connecting Classrooms and Communities, 2nd ed., The Orion Society.

Back to the list

The Future of Education

Media Partners: