1. Service Learning and Self-Efficacy in Exercise Science: Outcomes of a Community Fitness Training Program Involving Undergraduate Exercise Science Students
- Author
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Cleveland, Kris M. and Peterson, Scott A.
- Abstract
There is increasing awareness of the importance of civic engagement in higher education. Service-learning activities in undergraduate programs, in particular, have been linked to positive academic outcomes and gains in various forms of self-efficacy. Exercise Science students at our university complete two service-learning courses as part of the curriculum, each of which involves implementing a structured 12-week individualized fitness training program with a community member client. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of these service-learning experiences on Exercise Science students' self-efficacy for fitness assessment and exercise prescription. Students completed a seven-item self-efficacy questionnaire administered at both the beginning and end of each servicelearning course and reflected on their experience using an end-of-course survey. Our results showed significant improvements in self-efficacy from pretest to posttest for each of the two service-learning experiences, with the second experience producing additional gains in self-efficacy over and above the first. Students also reported improved confidence in their fitness assessment and exercise prescription skills in the end-of-course survey. Community members involved in the fitness training program reported a positive experience with students' knowledge of fitness assessment and exercise prescription as well as their own progression to independence in a home exercise program. Our findings highlight the benefits of including a structured service-learning experience in the Exercise Science curriculum.
- Published
- 2022
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