Applying Sociocultural Psychology to the Service-Learning Experience : Service-Learning as a Pedagogical Tool for Developing Critical Thinking in College Students

Applying Sociocultural Psychology to the Service-Learning Experience : Service-Learning as a Pedagogical Tool for Developing Critical Thinking in College Students

A traditional approach to teaching often does not impart to learners how to be actively involved in learning or how to critically think about their learning. Alternative approaches to teaching need to look at important constructivistic assumptions from the sociocultural perspective in psychology. Involving students in a social activity, such as service-learning, can help them to construct knowledge rather than simply be a receiver of information. Integrating service-learning into the learning of developmental and applied psychology courses are used to demonstrate how the process of 'thinking through content' is enhanced for students participating in service-learning.