Enhancing Positive Psychological Qualities of College Students through Service Learning: A Case Study of the Internship Program for Master’s Degree Students in Social Work at XX University

Cultivating positive psychological qualities in college students is one of the goals of mental health education for college students in China, and how to integrate mental health education with subject teaching is a new issue in higher education. This study takes XX University’s social work internship course as an example, and explores effective ways to organically combine students’ professional identity, professional competence, and psychological quality enhancement through the use of service learning project. Employing a meticulously crafted quasi-experimental design, this study conducts a comprehensive comparison between two distinct internship modes: service learning and agency internships. The primary objective centers on assessing their differential impact on college students’ positive psychological qualities. The unequivocal findings unveil that engagement in service learning engenders a remarkable enhancement in the positive psychological qualities of college students upon completion of the internship period. Conversely, no discernible disparity is observed in the positive psychological qualities of college students who partook in agency internships before and after the internship. This striking discrepancy accentuates the vastly superior efficacy of service learning in augmenting the positive psychological qualities of college students when juxtaposed with agency internships. These consequential findings underscore the profound significance of various elements, encompassing the service scene, the beneficiaries of service, grassroots workers, and the students’ subjective experiences, in fostering positive psychological qualities among college students. Additionally, they illuminate the pivotal role played by educators in providing guidance and encouragement, as well as the influential impact of peers and emotional support. Collectively, these factors culminate in the resounding success of the service learning model, facilitating transformative psychological growth and development among college students.