International Community Service-Learning Experiences in a Canadian Teacher Education Program: Implications for Praxis in Pre-Service Teacher Preparation

Clinton L. Beckford – University of Windsor, Canada
Chrispina Lekule – St Augustine University of Tanzania
Corresponding Author: clinton@uwindsor.ca

Abstract: Service learning as an experiential instructional teaching strategy, has increased in stature and popularity over the last two decades or so. It has become a required component in some pre-service teacher education programs. International community engagement experiences are a growing element of service-learning as institutions attempt to enrich beginning teachers’ experiences and develop more rounded professionals capable of operating in an increasingly globalized educational system built around equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization. Often, we engage in service-learning activities, but we are not always sure if the intended effects are being realized (Bell, Horn & Roxas, 2007). How do participants experience International Community Service Learning (ICSL) and how can this information be mobilized in teacher education? This article reports on an investigation into the experiences of pre-service teacher candidates in an international community service-learning project. The study uses qualitative techniques to interrogate the phenomenological experiences of participants told through their stories and narratives. It focuses on what teacher candidates learn and how this experience influences their growth as young professionals, and shapes their perception of their role as teachers.