Service-Learning Australia

Reflection is a central component of the Investigation Phase, where students consider their own talents and the talents of their family members.  They then start to identify the treasures in their community and discuss the reasons they would classify them as “treasures”.

Examining Community.
In their examination of community, students should be encouraged to think about such questions as:

• Whose community is this?
• How do I relate to this community?  How do other groups within it relate to this community?
• What do I really care about in this community?
• What are my responsibilities to this community?
• How seriously do I take those responsibilities?
• What are the responsibilities of others to this community?
• How can I help the community to work together?  Who or what can help me in this?

Examining attitudes and beliefs.
A critical component of pre-service reflection involves students' examining their current attitudes and beliefs about the issue and the group they are serving – for example, the aged, people with disabilities, the environment etc.  Students often bring to projects pre-existing ideas based on brief experiences, secondhand knowledge, or societal stereotypes, and this needs to be recognised and examined.   D'Arcy (1989, p. 3) cites a core principal learned from science educators in the United Kingdom: "If a pupil's own picture of how the world works is ignored, her ability to make sense of someone else's picture, the teacher's or the textbook writer's, (or in our case, the service experience) is seriously impeded.”

Dimensions of reflection.
Include at least these three dimensions of reflection:

• Reflection on the need itself.
• Reflection on other contexts of the need (social, political, economic, vocational etc.)
• Reflection on related philosophical issues (questions of meaning, justice, responsibility, fairness, identify, hope etc).

For more information on reflective discussions and exercises, contact the Philosophy in Schools Association in your state.