Challenges and Complexities of Service-Learning in Physical Education and Sport Sciences: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

This qualitative study, from a critical perspective, aims to explore how faculty members perceive, value, and experience Service-Learning in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences. A focus group with 10 university professors and 10 individual interviews, totaling 1370 minutes, were conducted. Using the qualitative software Nvivo Release 15, 10 interconnected categories were identified, revealing challenges and complexities in implementing the methodology. Although Service-Learning has significant potential to promote social engagement and the holistic development of future educators, it faces substantial difficulties. University professors, with an average of 6 or more years applying the methodology in Spain and Chile, encounter obstacles in integrating it into an educational environment that is not always adapted, which is reflected in low student participation and the gap between pedagogical expectations and the educational reality of universities.