Day 16

Field trip strategy

• Introduced in 1827 by George Shillibeer for a Quaker school at Abney Park in Stoke Newington, London, United Kingdom.
•  A field trip is a visit to a place outside the regular classroom designed to achieve certain objectives, which cannot be achieved as well by using other means. 
• Example are a visit to museums, zoos, places of business, farms, nearby colleges, theaters, historical monuments or buildings, forests, wetlands, nature parks or flower  garden out side the classroom or round of school itself.

Some features of field trip

1.      Facilitating the learning of abstract concepts.

2.      Motivating students through increased interest and curiosity.

3.       Improving long term retention of concepts. 

4.      Teaching scientific method by example.

5.       Increasing student-student and student-teacher social interaction.

6.      Developing social consciousness an increased appreciation for the phenomenon studied.

Purpose of Field Trip

1. It enhances the curriculum. 
2. Renewal (saves from boredom and can refresh a class). 
3. Give students experiential learning experiences. 
4. Concrete skills such as note taking. 
5. Involvement in a real world experience makes learning more meaningful and memorable. 
6. Field trips help the students appreciate the relevance and importance of what they learn in the classroom.

Three kinds of Field Trips:

1. Instructional trips: is a visit by a class or group of classes to a location outside the regular classroom.
2. School contests or festivals: is to provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate knowledge and skills developed through subject area instruction.(Students  involve in that contest).
3. Motivational trips: It provides a motivational incentive for the school, club, group, or class and is related to improving the school climate. (students going for picnic after contributing to the school as a motivational trip)

Advantages

1.  Hands-on, real world experiences. 
2. Quality of education, positive attitudes to learning and motivation towards the subject. 
3. Improvement of the socialization between students, which would impinge on the classroom, and development of rapport between teachers and students. 
4.   Enabling teachers to utilize other learning strategies such as cooperative learning. 
5. Students learn better as there is change in the teaching method.

Disadvantages

1. Time considerations - preparation, fitting into the school timetable.
2. Lack of support from school administrations for field trips.
3.   Poor student behavior and attitudes (Or loss over students). 
4. Inadequacy of resources and choice of venue.
5. Medical Risks.

Role of teacher

1.    Planner (Pre and Post planning).

2.     Preparing Students before the Trip.

3.    Provide guidance.

4.    Act as the evaluator at the end of the trip.