Effectiveness of Electronic Service-Learning (e-SL) in Primary School Children in China during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Xiang Li (), Daniel T. L. Shek, Betty P. W. Mok, Esther Y. W. Shek and Yun Peng Bai
Additional contact information
Xiang Li: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Daniel T. L. Shek: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Betty P. W. Mok: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Esther Y. W. Shek: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Yun Peng Bai: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Applied Research in Quality of Life, 2024, vol. 19, issue 6, No 5, 3108 pages

Abstract: Abstract In recent years, Service-Learning (SL) has become a popular pedagogy in higher education, especially in Asian societies such as Hong Kong. However, although prior studies have generally showed positive effects of SL for service providers (university students in particular), there is limited evidence of the benefits of SL for the service recipients. Additionally, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some SL programs have shifted from a traditional in-person mode to an online mode, thereby creating the need to evaluate e-Service Learning (e-SL) projects. In this study, we evaluated changes among 422 primary school students as service recipients (50.6% male; 49.4% female; Mage = 11.53) joining an e-SL program conducted in mainland China by 85 undergraduate students from a public university in Hong Kong. Using a single-group pretest and posttest design with data collected before and after the e-SL program, which focused on leadership and personal development outcomes, we found that the service recipients showed significant improvements in positive youth development (PYD) attributes, leadership qualities, psychological well-being, and academic performance. We also found gender differences in most of the developmental outcomes, with male participants showing more positive improvements than female participants. These pioneering findings underscore the effectiveness of e-SL program in terms of promoting the holistic development of service recipients. This study also reveals gender differences in the benefits derived from e-SL programs.

Keywords: Electronic Service-Learning program (e-SL); Service recipients; Developmental outcomes; Effectiveness; Chinese children (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11482-023-10244-2 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:ariqol:v:19:y:2024:i:6:d:10.1007_s11482-023-10244-2

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/journal/11482

DOI: 10.1007/s11482-023-10244-2

Access Statistics for this article

Applied Research in Quality of Life is currently edited by Daniel Shek

More articles in Applied Research in Quality of Life from Springer, International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().