Research on service-learning in chinese academic literature: a systematic review

Abstract

Service-learning is a teaching methodology that has gained prominence in many countries in recent years. However, in China, its development is relatively recent. Therefore, the aim of this study is to carry out a systematic review of the academic literature on Service-Learning in the journals included in the main Chinese databases, in order to build an overview of the main characteristics of the evolution and current situation. The final sample consists of 532 articles published between 2001 and 2023. The following variables were analyzed: extrinsic to the scientific process, methodological, scope of research and variables related to the Service-Learning methodology itself. The research findings reveal an irregular increase in the literature on this methodology in the period studied, there is a lack of representativeness in terms of authors, academic journals and institutions. In addition, most of the studies focus only on theoretical research, at the higher education stage, and there is a significant concentration in fields related to Social Work and Medicine. The conclusions identify several emerging challenges: intensifying applied research at the microscopic level oriented by specific problems and promoting the use of this methodology at different educational stages, beyond higher education.