The Influence of Self-Efficacy and Self-Regulated Motivation on Civic Learning in Service Learning Courses

Service learning can help students to engage in the community while applying lessons learned in their coursework. Using self-determination theory, we evaluated the relationship among self-efficacy, self-regulated motivation, and civic learning in service learning courses. Participants included 242 college students (122 females, 120 males) across 28 service learning courses at a large, research-intensive university in the American Midwest. A conceptual framework was developed and tested using structural equation modeling. Results indicate that self-efficacy for community service has a positive impact on civic learning directly and indirectly through self-regulated motivation. The direct effects in the model were stronger than the indirect effects.