Involving student teachers in the recovery of our elders' memories: a service-learning project in higher education

Abstract

The high rate of rurality and population ageing are two of the principal characteristics that make Galicia a region with certain peculiarities that require actions to promote an active role for its senior citizens. Through a service-learning project embedded within a broader framework of arts-based research, student teachers designed an artistic workshop that they implemented in a rural community centre. This workshop allowed the creation of visual narratives that were especially appropriate to recover elders’ memories. By means of a case study, the impact of the service-learning project developed during the training of the students was analysed. The results enable us to ascertain students’ perceptions related to the benefits and impact of the project in their training. Students have a positive opinion regarding the opportunity of experiencing a service-learning project that allowed them to create a documentary film where they portrayed the life histories of the elderly people. For the City Council (the partner in this project), as well as for the participants in the workshops, it was also an enriching experience that can be transferred to other contexts. The positive effects of the project reflect student teachers’ commitment to society and opportunities for experiential learning in teacher training courses