As the world we live in has become more digitalized, challenges are occurring left and right, especially in the education field. In gaining quality teachers, there is a need to train future educators to have the ability to adapt to the ever-changing technology and global changes. However, pre-service teachers often seem unprepared and unable to adapt to changes. Hence, implementing service-learning in the teacher training program is vital as it provides the opportunity to engage and experience 21st-century real classroom lessons. Service-learning has also been proven to be an effective approach in training pre-service teachers. This paper aims to investigate the perceptions of pre-service teachers toward service-learning in terms of authentic learning experiences. It highlights how the implementation of service-learning approach in learning to teach writing in a second language context facilitates pre-service teachers in terms of authentic experience. A qualitative method was conducted to investigate the authentic learning experiences among 54 pre-service teachers in a public university in Malaysia. Data were collected through open-ended questions. Based on this study, the findings showed that the pre-service teachers could experience the real-life environment of teaching and learning and applying educational theories learned. They were also able to obtain hands-on experience in interacting with the students and marking their sample essays. It is hoped that future teachers and educational organizations can benefit from understanding the benefits of service-learning in teacher training programs. Future researchers could investigate the challenges of service-learning in teacher training programs.
Introduction to TechTrends Special Issue: Authentic Learning Experiences via Distance Learning
