Authorship: Pauline Logue, Ann Foley and Denis Mulcahy.

Contact: Pauline Logue, GMIT Letterfrack, Co. Galway, Ireland.

pauline.logue@gmit.ie

00 353 087 6409818

Institutions: Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Galway, & QDS Cope

Foundation, Cork, Ireland.
Title: Cross-Institutional Interchanges: Student-Teacher Perspectives on an
Irish Service Learning Partnership.

An educational partnership was established between the Galway-Mayo

Institute of Technology (GMIT) and QDS, Cope Foundation, Cork, in 2013,
since both organisations specialise in wood technology. GMIT Letterfrack is a
provider of initial teacher education (ITE) and QDS COPE Foundation provides
training in wood technology manufacture, for adults with intellectual and
physical challenges. In 2014-2015 student teachers from GMIT Letterfrack
availed of a service learning (SL) opportunity with COPE. This paper explores
the outcomes. Its aims are to: 1) review the literature on Service Learning
(SL) and Community-based Learning (CBL), and to 2) critically assess the
benefits and challenges arising out of this GMIT-COPE SL partnership. The
literature explores SL and CBL, and clarifies the distinctions between
transactional and transformational models of educational engagement with
the wider community. Small-scale qualitative primary research based on
student teacher critical reflections confirms benefits for student teachers,
including, increased knowledge and awareness of adult special needs
education and greater confidence in working with adult learners with
intellectual and physical challenges. Student teachers indicated that specific
input on teaching and learning strategies for adult special need learners
would enhance their training experience. The research also uncovered the
need for greater mutuality in this educational exchange; it is recommended
that a follow-on study will explore QDS COPE Foundation service user
perspectives.
KEYWORDS: service learning,
education; educational partnership.

community-based

learning;

teacher