Personal and political transformation: Two case studies of a university based International Service-Learning internship

Abstract

This article presents the results of two related studies that were interested in exploring the impact of International Service-Learning (ISL) experiences on university student interns in terms of personal and political transformation. We report on the findings related to the question: “How do university students envision social change, and experience personal and political transformation following a long-term international service learning internship?” We begin by providing a background context for the studies, followed by a review of the theoretical framework, transformational learning theory, within which the studies were situated. This is followed by an overview of the research methods used to carry out this study, the findings and our analysis of the data. These were mixed methods studies using three data sources: survey questionnaires, interviews, and student blogs. Our studies demonstrate that while there is clear evidence of envisioning, personal and political transformation amongst the students who participated in this ISL internships, their experiences and the degrees of transformation varied. Our research points to the need for structured activities related to critical reflection to be built into all stages of ISL program planning, from pre-departure throughout and after the internship.