SERVICE-LEARNING AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY FOR PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS

The purpose of this paper is to explain how service-learning can be used as an innovative instructional strategy for pre-service teachers. The paper includes the following topics: 1) a description of service-learning and how it can be used in universities, 2) a qualitative study based on pre-service teachers experiences with a service-learning project, 3) an explanation of how universities can use service-learning to promote the skills of solving problems, making decisions, being responsible, and engaging in critical and creative thinking. Service-learning is a growing instructional strategy that many teachers, students, principals, and others might find useful in the educational setting.