Abstract:
Being a multi-tracked individual regarding self-realization has grown in importance in the global world. At this sense, involving community services, civic engagement and volunteerism might form the nature of the humanistic requirements. Civil society initiation might be considered among the significant missions of TED University. Therefore, the relationship between community service involvement and empathy levels regarding service-learning involvement among TED University Students is aimed to be investigated in the current study. Data were collected from 250 participants, and majority were female students (74 %). Random sampling was used among the undergraduate university students who enrolled in TEDU in 2016-2017 academic year. Most of the participants were studying in Faculty of Education (36.8 %), and Faculty of Engineering (27.2 %). Basic Empathy Scale (Topçu, Erdur-Baker, and ÇapaAydın, 2010), and The Short Version of Service-Learning Involvement Scale (Küçükoğlu & Ozan, 2015) are used to collect data. Results of the study showed both moderate correlations between the realization score of SSLI and total empathy score, and between the exploration score of SSLI and total empathy score. Consisted with the previous studies, TED University students who have participated in community services, started to integrate service work to their lives more, and become more eager to attend community service involvement. Yet, internaliztion scores found to be the lowest component among the three components of service-learning, where the others are exploration and realization. In terms of activities in TEDU, book, stationery, clothes, and shoe donations take an important place within the community service activities conducted by vairous student socities. Last but not least, Community Service course in Faculty of Education seems to contribute deeply in order to enhance empathy skills while giving oppourtunity for behavioral tasks to encourage youth participation to civic engagement.