How students’ motivation and learning experience affect their service- learning outcomes: A structural equation modeling analysis

Why this paper matters

Tests links among motivation, learning experience, and service-learning outcomes.

Evidence reviewed

Design: Structural equation modeling; more than 2,000 students in 132 courses
Full-text status: Indexed PDF/full text reviewed

Principal finding

Motivation and learning experience were associated with cognitive learning and other outcomes.

EntrSL interpretation

This paper informs the design or evaluation of service-learning and experiential-learning work. Its findings should be interpreted within the reported design and context, not treated as universal or necessarily causal evidence.

Limitations and boundary conditions

Observational SEM does not establish causal direction; Hong Kong context.

Scoring rationale

• EntrSL relevance: 5/5. Directness to service-learning, experiential learning, higher education, entrepreneurship, reflection, reciprocity, or institutional practice.
• Evidence quality: 4/5. Based on design transparency, sample or review breadth, analytical fit, and inferential limits.
• Journal standing is separate. OpenAlex two-year mean citedness and h-index are descriptive source metrics and do not increase this paper’s evidence score.

Citation

Kenneth W. K. Lo; Grace Ngai; Stephen C. F. Chan; Kam-por Kwan (2022). “How students’ motivation and learning experience affect their service- learning outcomes: A structural equation modeling analysis.” Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.825902