Service-Learning in the Context of Pre-Professional Training in Health Sciences: Perceived Professional Usefulness of the Service Dimension
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background Service-Learning (SL) integrates academic learning with the provision of a real service that addresses community needs. In health sciences education, SL is particularly relevant because it can strengthen the connection between theoretical training and pre-professional practice. Objective To analyse the perceived professional usefulness of Service-Learning among health sciences students, focusing on the “Service” dimension of a validated SL assessment instrument in the context of pre-professional training. Methods Quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted as the first wave of a multi-wave protocol approved by an ethics committee (CEISH-PI-017). A simple random sample of 343 health sciences students in Quito (Ecuador) completed a validated questionnaire assessing SL across three dimensions (service, competence, and participation). The present analysis focused on perceived usefulness for professional life, measured on a five-point Likert scale (1 = not useful at all; 5 = very useful) and operationalised through 13 subcomponents within the “professional life” block. Results High ratings (4–5) predominated across all subcomponents (range: 78.6%–88.7%). The highest proportions of high usefulness were observed for “Knowing the professional field of your studies” (88.7%) and “Acting more consciously” (88.4%). “Understanding social needs” (85.8%) and “Applying professional competencies” (85.5%) showed highly favourable distributions and a moderate-to-high ordinal association (Spearman’s ρ = 0.639). No statistically significant differences were found by service modality (direct vs indirect; Wilcoxon W = 12231, p = 0.2989; Cliff’s δ = 0.066). Differences by sex (Wilcoxon W = 12388; p = 0.3504) and semester group (Kruskal–Wallis χ²(2) = 1.903; p = 0.386) were also non-significant. Conclusions Service-Learning was perceived as highly useful for professional life across multiple dimensions, highlighting theory–practice integration and ethical-reflective learning in pre-professional health sciences training.
Source: Research Square
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7204249751