Dissonance during International Service-Learning: â€œYou canâ€™t go back to the way you were beforeâ€

Diane Ceo-DiFrancesco; Leah Dunn; Maggie Truitt

Dissonance during International Service-Learning: â€œYou canâ€™t go back to the way you were beforeâ€

Authors

Diane Ceo-DiFrancesco Xavier University
Leah Dunn Xavier University
Maggie Truitt Xavier University

Keywords:

international service learning immersion, transformative learning, occupational therapy

Abstract

This study investigated pre-occupational therapy studentsâ€™ descriptions of dissonance during a two-week service-learning immersion program in Guatemala. Thirty-one students participated in student-led group reflections during two program iterations. Qualitative analysis of transcripts yielded three themes: context, experience, and outcome. The interconnectedness of all three themes illustrates the interdependence of intense international service-learning experiences, critical reflection, and transformation. Findings suggest the impact of international service-learning experiences on student development.

Author Biographies

Diane Ceo-DiFrancesco, Xavier University

Diane Ceo-DiFrancesco, PhD, is a professor of Spanish and Faculty Director of the Eigel Center for Community-Engaged Learning at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has designed and implemented immersion experiences for students and faculty in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Peru, Mexico, Spain, and Costa Rica.

Leah Dunn, Xavier University

Leah S. Dunn, EdD, OTR/L, is an associate professor in the Department ofÂ Occupational Therapy at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. She hasÂ participated in international service learning experiences with her studentsÂ for five years and continues to assist with the planning and evaluation ofÂ those experiences.

Maggie Truitt, Xavier University

Maggie Truitt is an undergraduate research assistant at Xavier University inÂ Cincinnati, OH majoring in Mathematics and Spanish.

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Published

03/14/2022

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 1 (2022)

Section

Research and Theory

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