An Overview of Personal Development of Post-Graduate Students in Service-Learning Project

Abstract

Service-learning is a teaching strategy and a form of experiential education that trains students both in and outside the four walls of the classroom. It attempts to introduce students through their respective course content opportunities to understand the wider world by applying knowledge in a community. The service-learning program was introduced inthe School of Education, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) for quite some time. Students who enrolled themselves in this program benefited in many ways. This study aims to explore the personal experience of the participating postgraduate students by revealing the efficacy of service-learning; its exposure, personal identity; spiritual growth, and how it encouraged the moral development of students. Participants were selected from the School of Education, UTM, and were interviewed. The result was recorded, transcribed, and analysed using thematic analysis. Research findings disclosedthat service-learning has an impact on four areas of personal development of postgraduate students.