Service-learning and university social responsibility: perception of university students from Peru

This research study aims to explore university student perception of service-learning projects in Peru. Servicelearning allows closing the university-society gap by bringing scientific-technological knowledge closer to the needs and problems present in society. An instrument is applied in a non-probabilistic convenience sample of 238 students who are participating in service-learning projects. An exploratory factor analysis is performed and statistically significant differences are examined according to the participants’ socio-demographic characteristics. The results show significant differences according to age, origin, and occupation. These findings can be used as inputs for designing socially responsible institutional strategies. In conclusion, universities should implement service-learning projects within the university social responsibility framework to improve the sustainability, relevance, and comprehensiveness of educational processes, which provide answers to the demands of increasingly complex, ambiguous, dynamic, and uncertain scenarios.