THE ROLE OF GUIDANCE WHEN VOLUNTEERING INTERNATIONALLY: A COMPARISON OF STUDENT INTERNATIONAL SERVICE-LEARNING AND VOLUNTARY SERVICE EXPERIENCES
Open Access
Author:
Pandya, Nishant
Area of Honors:
Geography
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Lorraine Dowler, Thesis Supervisor Roger Michael Downs, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
service-learning student volunteering international volunteering guidance non-governmental organization NGO
Abstract:
Globalization has sparked the growth of the international volunteering field, which has increased the number of college-aged students volunteering in foreign countries. While the international service-learning and voluntary service fields have experienced significant growth, a notable gap in research comparing these two primary forms of international volunteering exists. Specifically, there is limited research that studies how guidance affects the volunteer experience of students who participate in international service-learning and voluntary service trips. Providing volunteers guidance throughout the volunteer experience has been found to benefit both the volunteer and the volunteer host organization. Therefore, this research studies the student volunteering experience by drawing on survey data and comparing the experiences of students who participated in international voluntary service and international service-learning trips. The survey separates volunteering into three components: before volunteering, during volunteering, and post volunteering. The survey asks a series of questions to gauge the level and extent of guidance and preparation the student received before, during, and after his or her volunteer experience. Survey responses are used to study how the guidance received by students in either international service-learning or voluntary service trips affected the student volunteer experience. Ultimately, this study serves as a comparison between student international service-learning and international voluntary service experiences with respect to the role guidance plays throughout the trip.