Service-Learning in Early Childhood Education

Dear Colleagues,

We invite you to submit manuscripts for this edited volume focusing on service learning and early childhood education. We will consider writings from varied perspectives that examine scholarship relating to the origins of service learning, as well research on service learning in early childhood education. The collection will contain two sections. The works in the first section will examine the origins of service-learning communities such as settlement houses in the 18^th and 19^th centuries, and historically underrepresented areas of service learning such as the “unrecognized roots of service-learning embedded in African American social thought and action” (Stevens, 2003, p. 25). Contributions to the second section will present empirical research on service learning in early childhood education with young children from birth through 8 years old, including teacher education programs that involve preservice teachers in service-learning experiences.

One way to define service learning is as an experiential educational approach that unites meaningful community service with academic learning, personal growth, and civic responsibility (Serve American Act, 2009). Previous research has affirmed the benefits of service learning in early childhood and teacher education programs. For example, it allows students to apply academic, social, and personal skills to improve or supplement their instruction; make decisions that have real, not hypothetical, results; grow as individuals and cooperative groups; gain respect for peers; increase civic participation; and gain a deeper understanding of themselves, their community, and society (Bringle et al., 2004; Kaye, 2004; Lake and Jones, 2012).

Service-learning courses have been found to promote retention by increasing interaction with the faculty (Astin and Sax, 1998; Eyler, Giles, and Braxton, 1997) and also enhance students’ academic integration and commitment to the institution (Gray et al., 1998; Reed, Rosenberg, Staham, and Rosing, 2015). When students are integrated into the campus community, they are more likely to be retained as a result of being involved in educationally effective activities. Another point of interest to the editors is that in the recent Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education, it is suggested that only 3% of Historically Black College or University offer service learning in their coursework (https://carnegieclassifications.iu.edu/index.php) Although extensive research has been performed on service learning in middle and high school, there is minimal research within early childhood, especially service learning with Pre-Service Teachers, elementary students, and chil­dren in the early childhood grades. Therefore, we believe that it is also critical to show that in early childhood service learning is a powerful tool to use with children.

This volume is developed with the following objectives in mind:

•  To foster dialogue among members of the education and teacher-education communities that inform service learning and its presence in classrooms, schools, communities, and higher education settings.
• To present current scholarship that examines understandings of service learning and teaching and research applications in teacher education.
• To provide a historic or current interpretation of service learning among various underrepresented communities.
• To inform about cultural variances in service-learning interpretations and strategies for examining these differences.
• To consider relationships between existing teacher education efforts and service learning.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 400–600 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editors, Vickie E. Lake ([email protected]) and Christian Winterbottom ([email protected]), as well as to Education Sciences Editorial Office ([email protected]). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Vickie E. Lake
Dr. Christian Winterbottom
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• service learning
• early childhood education
• settlement house
• African American social thought and action
• teacher education
• preservice teachers