Differential formative effects of service-learning in early psychology training: ethical, socioemotional and...

Service-learning is widely recognized as an active pedagogy in higher education, yet evidence on its differential effects across distinct formative dimensions, particularly in the early stages of professional training, remains limited. This study examined second-year psychology students' perceptions of service-learning experiences implemented in schools and social organizations at a regional university in southern Chile. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, a 57-item Likert-type survey covering 10 formative dimensions was combined with four open-ended questions analyzed through inductive thematic analysis (N = 55). Quantitatively, ethical and professional responsibility and context and feasibility obtained the highest mean scores (both M = 4.50 on a 1-5 scale), followed by critical reflection (M = 4.25), whereas conceptual learning (M = 4.16) and psychosocial intervention (M = 3.79) received comparatively more moderate ratings. Thematic analysis identified five interconnected themes: theory-practice articulation, teamwork and socioemotional skills, ethical sensitization and empathy, contextual understanding of psychosocial problems, and initial approximation to the professional role, alongside recurring expressions of technical insecurity and recognition of training limits. The integration of both data sources suggests that service-learning is a particularly powerful device for fostering ethical dispositions, socioemotional competences, critical reflection and community engagement in early training, while its contribution to disciplinary knowledge and technical intervention competences is more moderate and dependent on specific pedagogical conditions. These findings have direct implications for the curricular design of service-learning in psychology programs, especially regarding the balance between ethical-relational outcomes and the consolidation of more advanced technical competences. Given the single-group post-intervention design and reliance on self-report measures, these findings reflect students' perceived learning and self-evaluations, highlighting key curricular considerations for service-learning in psychology education.