Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning
Fall 1995, pp. 43-53
Validation of a Scale to Measure
Development of Social Responsibility
Cynthia Olney
James Madison University
Steve Grande
University of Maryland
A service-learning model by Delve, Mintz, and Stewart (1990) describes developmentalprocesses
experienced by students engaged in community volunteer work, from sporadic involvement to
internalization ofsocial responsibility. The Scale ofService Learning Involvement was developed
to validate the model as well as to assess student outcomes. Reliability, concurrent validity, and
contrasting group validity indicated strongpsychometric qualities. Applications pertaining to the
potential use of this instrument are discussed.
Service-learning programs provide opportunities for students to engage in meaningful and
reciprocal service to the community while participating in various forms ofreflection including
classroom learning. Although passage of the
National and Community Service Trust Act of
1993 recently brought service-learning into the
national spotlight, the service-learning movement has been gaining momentum since the mid1980's. Hundreds of colleges and universities
have developed offices, programs and services
designed to integrate students' community experiences with academic learning (Gitlin, 1994).
Over 100 different definitions have been recorded for service-learning, often with a common theme that service-learning is a "program
type and philosophy ofeducation" (Giles, Honnet,
& Migliore, 1991, p. 7). As an educational
philosophy, service-learning emphasizes experience for the common good rather than for personal advancement (Giles et al., 1991). Servicelearning differs from volunteering in that (1)
students engage in active reflection on their community experience, and (2) community learning
is connected to academic learning. In addition, it
is often assumed that volunteering and servicelearning enhance students' development of social responsibility, which includes a sense of the
obligations of citizenship, awareness of social
injustice and its complex causes, and dedication
to working toward social equity. There has been
very little research investigating the relationship
between student development theory and service
involvement; for instance, adequate data does not
exist to confirm a relationship between service
and the development of social responsibility (Giles
& Eyler, 1994).
However, a model created by Delve, Mintz,
and Stewart (1990) provides a valuable conceptual framework for assessing the developmental
effects of service-learning. The model describes
the developmental process that students experience as they engage in service-learning activities
and clearly outlines the relationship between service and social responsibility. To date, the model
has received little empirical validation, due in
part to lack of an appropriate measurement tool.
This article reports the psychometric qualities of
the Scale of Service Learning Involvement (SSLI;
see Appendix),' which was designed to track the
effects of community involvement and service
learning on college students' development of
social responsibility.
Service-Learning Model
Delve et al's (1990) service-learning model
describes the development of students' social
responsibility via volunteer experiences. Drawing on the intellectual and moral development
theories of Perry, Kohlberg, and Gilligan, the
service-learning model consists of five phases of
social responsibility development. The first is the
exploration phase, in which students are eager to
help or get involved in public service activities,
but have no focused commitment to a campus
43
