Enhancing pre-service teachers’ psychological well-being through service-learning in physical education

Psychological well-being is crucial for pre-service teachers, influencing academic performance, personal growth, and professional preparedness. University students face complex academic, social, and emotional demands that can affect both personal and professional development. Service-Learning (SL), integrating community collaboration with academic learning and structured reflection, has been shown to enhance aspects of well-being such as self-esteem, happiness, and social engagement. However, few studies have examined all six dimensions of psychological well-being (self-esteem, happiness, self-control and control over events, balance, social participation, and sociability) particularly in Physical Education contexts. This study investigated whether a targeted SL program could enhance pre-service teachers’ well-being across these dimensions. 33 undergraduate students enrolled in an Early Childhood Education program participated in body expression sessions for children with special needs at a Special Education Center. A pre-experimental, pretest–posttest design was employed, and psychological well-being was measured using the Spanish EMMBEP scale. Pretest and posttest scores were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank and paired t-tests. Results indicated significant improvements in overall well-being, notably in self-esteem, happiness, and self-control and control over events, while balance, social participation, and sociability showed positive but non-significant trends. These findings suggest that SL may foster emotional regulation, self-perception, social skills, and practical self-management, supporting both personal and professional development. Given the sample and context, results should be interpreted cautiously. Nevertheless, the study highlights the potential of structured reflection, active participation, and authentic community engagement in promoting holistic well-being, resilience, and socio-emotional competence among future educators, emphasizing SL as a promising approach for teacher education.