2017-2018 Faculty Research Grants

Twyla Smith (Social Work)

The Role of Service Learning in Improving Interpersonal Reactivity in Human Service Students

According to the Duke University Service Learning (2017), “Service learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities” (Para. 1). Service learning enriches the learning experience through socialization and interaction with others who are different from oneself. Social workers provide service throughout the world and empathy (or interpersonal reactivity) is integral to understanding and relating to our diverse clients. The research question to be explored in the study is: does service learning increase the level of interpersonal reactivity in human service students?  Preliminary research shows that service learning does correlate to increased empathy. Our research seeks to determine if service learning affects elements of interpersonal reactivity differently when social work and community/international development (CIDS) students are completing service activities in an international trip.  The mixed methods research will be conducted using the Davis Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) as well as reflective writing assignments and journaling. Pre and post test scores on the IRI will be compared using a paired samples t-test to determine whether service learning contributes to changes in empathy. The qualitative data from the writing assignments and journaling will be analyzed using the four themes from the IRI subscales, first developing a code book to identify initial themes, then conducting more rigorous thematic coding across all domains in the code book. The qualitative data will be used to supplement the data from the quantitative analysis.