The impact of Service-Learning on Pre-Service Physical Education Teachers

Service Learning (SL), a pedagogical approach that integrates academic learning with practical service to the community, is an important strategy for developing a range of essential skills, from social and personal to professional. The field of Physical Education is particularly suited to the application of SL, given its myriad social benefits, such as fostering personal and social responsibility, promoting inclusion and cultivating conflict resolution skills. In this sense, the present research aims to identify the state of the art and extend the search for quality interventions to the year 2023, checking whether SL research has improved in the last 7 years. Therefore, the primary objective of this systematic review is to evaluate and synthesise the results of SL interventions implemented at university level for pre-service physical education teachers. The expert guidelines outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses were followed to conduct this systematic review. The findings of the review highlight the positive impact of SL on pre-service physical education teachers. However, the existing body of research also highlights the need to improve the quality of research by raising standards of validity and reliability to strengthen the robustness of the evidence base.