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This study utilized the service-learning model, developed by Delve, Mintz, and Stewart (1990), to examine, describe, and assess depth of engagement in service at two points in time. William Perry’s scheme of intellectual and ethical development was used to examine possible cognitive development. Given the data collected and the nature of this inquiry being a qualitative study, the researcher measured a general trend of progress, regression, or no movement.
Results reveal a pathway of deepening engagement in service. Direct service experience that involves an emotional or psychological (affective) connection with a community member or members receiving services prompted an assessment of the participants’ place in society. In responding to these emotions, students participated in service more frequently and with deeper engagement. Exposure to and immersion in direct service experiences along with subsequent reflection prior to involvement in a service-learning program was the mediating factor for the preparation of the participants in this study to initiate the interest necessary to develop cognitive skills. This study found that interpersonal, affective development was the precursor for the participants’ readiness for cognitive development in a service-learning program. This study is a step in the direction of determining if there is, in fact, any cognitive development in students involved with service-learning. The book concludes with a developmental scheme of engagement, student development interactions, recommendations for faculty for optimal development in service-learning, and recommendations for future practice.