Effects of service learning on university faculty: social impact and emotional well-being of their teaching practices based on critical incidents
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v71.116340Keywords:
Service Learning, Well-Being, Physical Educaction, Qualitative Research, Critical IncidentsAbstract
Introduction: Service-Learning (S-L) involves a transformative experience not only for learners but also for those who teach. However, its impact on the teaching staff remains largely underexplored.
Objective: This study analyzes how Service-Learning influences the perceived social impact and emotional well-being of university instructors, based on the analysis of critical incidents experienced during their teaching practice.
Methodology: Grounded in a qualitative approach and an interpretive paradigm, the research was conducted within the Physical Education program of a private university in Chile. Six in-depth interviews were carried out, yielding over 720 minutes of reflective narratives. A systematic analysis using NVivo 15 software enabled the construction of five central categories and 17 emerging subcategories from a total of 4,219 narrative units.
Results: The findings reveal that Service-Learning directly affects faculty well-being, promoting emotional management in vulnerable contexts, strengthening empathic bonds, and fostering a critical redefinition of the pedagogical role. In addition, a clear social impact is identified, expressed in meaningful transformations within the communities involved.
Discussion: More than a methodology, Service-Learning functions as an emotional, ethical, and social space that transforms teachers’ subjectivity. The critical incidents highlight well-being as an affective experience, while also making visible the social impact of teaching through significant relationships with students and communities.
Conclusions: Service-Learning makes visible both the impact and emotional dimension of educational work, challenging instrumental approaches and promoting more humane, committed, and socially transformative practices.
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