Service-learning in the Spanish university system: A study based on deans’ perception

Abstract

The third mission of the University consists of returning to society part of what it receives. This way of understanding the relationship between society and university involves the use of new teaching/learning methodologies, in which teachers cease to be mere transmitters of knowledge, and students acquire an active and critical role in response to the social needs. Service-Learning is a methodological strategy that combines the theoretical training in a field of knowledge and the implementation of the knowledge acquired through provision of a service to the community. This methodology is appropriate to make that third mission of the university institution possible. The objective of this work is to understand the willingness of the Spanish faculties or university schools to promote and create opportunities that lead to the implementation of service-learning projects in their centers. Among the conclusions of the study, the institutional perception should be pointed out. According to it, the use of this methodology turns the university into a more open institution, which interacts with the community and the environment, expanding its training field beyond the technical and scientific knowledge, in order to provide a service of social transformation