Higher Education Teachers’ Perspectives on Inputs, Processes, and Outputs of Teaching Service-Learning Courses

There are numerous forms of applied coursework in higher education, one of them being Service-Learning—a teaching approach that promotes social responsibility of students. In this study, we investigate the perspectives of teachers on Service-Learning, since there is extensive research about students’ perspectives, but those of teachers are relatively invisible. Based on qualitative interviews with n = 41 teachers from Austria, Lithuania, Italy, Portugal, and Romania, the study focuses on the inputs, processes of approaching community partners, and perceived outputs of this teaching approach. The findings show that some teachers perceive their faculties as non-supportive, while others receive institutional support in contractual issues or matching services. Teachers report complex processes of either self-signaling community partners or applying diverse promotion strategies to find partners. Most outputs of Service-Learning were reported for students. This chapter shows the importance of strengthening the role of teachers in Service-Learning as a contribution to social responsibility in teaching.