What matter in a quality service-learning course: A study on faculty members’ perception

The present paper attempts to explore what consists of key elements in the design and delivery of service-learning in higher education in Hong Kong, East Asia. Ten individual interviews with academics from four higher education institutions in Hong Kong were conducted in a pilot study. Each interview lasted around 1.5 h and interview questions focused on what types of service-learning the faculty delivered, what were perceived as good practice and experience in teaching the course, and what were the barriers and challenges they encountered. The findings echo the research into the importance of five key elements: link to curriculum, partnership, service placement quality, reflection, facilitator, or tutor’s support. The study also provided empirical evidence on the three elements that had rarely been reported in the previous quantitative studies: uncertainty avoidance, student training, and assessment. In addition, two novel elements were identified: community of practice, role model. Copyright © 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.