Abstract:

The challenge of contemporary higher education is not only the amount and method of obtaining information in the modern, changing world, but also the preparation of students for this world and the necessary competence acquisition for full functioning in their future jobs. Service-learning, which is slowly establishing itself at Slovak universities, also gains significant position in this demand. In the preparation of future psychologists for practice, we have started to apply alternative forms of trainings in addition to traditional face-to-face practice at psychological institutions, such as online counseling training (which was established during the Covid-19 pandemic), but also service-learning activities that psychology students implement together with the community during their competence training. Service-learning as an innovative pedagogical strategy thus helps to fulfill the university's third mission, which is the connection and cooperation with communities as well as a form of trainings for university students. Though it is still perceived as an alternative form, but its popularity among students has been increasing from year to year.
The study aim was to point at possibilities of psychology student´s professional competence development being acquired via alternative training forms, and to compare them with the competence development during student´s traditional face-to-face training. The research sample consisted of 39 psychology students (Mage= 25.3; SDage= 2.5; 8% of men) who completed their psychological training as a compulsory class during their university studies in the academic years 2021/22 and 2022/23. Of 39 respondents, 31 students completed a traditional training, 9 students completed online counseling (via SenSkype project), and 5 students completed training via service-learning activity (some of them have completed all three different types of psychological training). The professional competence development was estimated by Communication and Interaction Effect Style Questionnaire by Mlcak (2005) and Key competencies by V-skills for employability online tool (Brozmanová et. al, 2014).
A statistical analysis of the self-perceived competence level acquired through traditional face-to-face training and alternative training forms (online and service learning) estimated no statistically significant differences. Both of the alternative training forms seem to develop professional competences of psychology students. The qualitative analysis of the students´ reflections during and after finishing all trainings showed that the students emphasized the significant benefits of alternative training forms, such as close cooperation with the community, responsibility for service-learning projects, experiencing the online counseling process itself and having an impact on the clients/community. The study discusses methodological limits, and possible future empirical verifications and practical applications. It can be concluded the alternative competence training forms seem to be as suitable and developmental as traditional face-to-face training practice for psychology students.

Keywords:

service-learning, online counseling, professional competence development, training practice.