This mixed-methods case study proposes and validates the Service-Learning Model (SLM), a theoretically grounded framework tailored for pre-service teacher education within rural contexts. Drawing from extensive literature on pre-service teacher training, collective teacher efficacy (CTE), and service-learning pedagogies, the SLM integrates two central constructs: Schweitzer companions, emphasizing community connection, and Collective Teacher Efficacy, highlighting educator collaboration. Qualitative thematic analyses and quantitative efficacy measures indicate that authentic teaching experiences, collaborative reflections, and interdisciplinary interactions fostered significant pedagogical adaptability, despite initial reductions in perceived collective efficacy. Notably, consistent valuation of Assessment as Feedback underscores reflective practice’s role in educational growth. Ultimately, the SLM framework emphasizes structured service-learning’s potential to enhance adaptive teaching competencies, reinforce collective efficacy, and bridge theoretical knowledge with practical application.
