INTEGRATING SERVICE-LEARNING PEDAGOGY IN ETHICS EDUCATION FOR HRD STUDENTS: A QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY

This dissertation explores the role of Service-Learning (S-L) as an instructional strategy for fostering ethical reasoning among Human Resource Development learners. Using a qualitative case study of a master’s-level Business Ethics course, I analyzed student reflections and course artifacts (Case A) alongside instructors’ survey responses (Case B) via iterative two-level coding (themes and nested subcodes). Findings converge on a consistent pathway: Authentic task → Collaboration/Engagement → Reflection → Ethical Reasoning → Workplace Transfer. This pathway is moderated by an equity lens and bounded by logistics and represented by the Service-Learning Pathway Model. For students (RQ1–RQ3), S-L deepened ethical reasoning and awareness, prompted explicit application of course frameworks to partner tasks, increased moral sensitivity, and decision quality as real-world dilemmas mirrored class content. Students perceived S-L effective because reflection and authentic engagement made ethics concrete and more easily digested. Instructors judged S-L most effective when authenticity and structured reflection operated together; “partnership practice” (clear scopes, regular check-ins, partner-facing deliverables) enabled smoother implementation and tangible community impact. The chief barriers were operational rather than conceptual: time/scheduling and workload pressures, uneven institutional support and professional development, and ongoing concerns regarding equitable access. Overall, results align with experiential and transformational learning traditions and map onto AHRD principles (integrity, welfare, respect, competence, professional responsibility, and personal responsibility). Practical implications include scaffolded course design (milestones, rubrics, reflection cycles), program supports (liaisons, templates), and equity-centered accommodations.