Remember those school field trips we used to take? If so, you probably remember how amazing they were.
Field trips became a once-in-a-lifetime experience, as you got to socialize with your classmates, explore a different area of the city, and learn more about a specific subject. In fact, field trips can lead to better academic performance. In a study with 400 adults, researchers found that 59% of children who had taken school trips performed better in school.
Additionally, field trips also allow students to discover their interests outside the classroom.
A field trip provides students with life skills and real-world experiences. This helps students develop an understanding of the world around them. As a result, students can learn about subjects and topics outside the current curriculum, which broadens their scope of knowledge.
For example, your teacher has planned a visit to a movie theater, where you watched a documentary about a pressing social issue. You may have become more motivated to advocate for rectifying the issue. However, you never would have known about the social issue if it wasn’t for the field trip.
Therefore, field trips can inspire students to learn more about the world around them.
Students will discover new interests and may decide to research more about the subject. These new interests can come from a small portion of the trip. For example, one antique from an exhibit at the museum could inspire you to learn more about that time period.
Field trips help students realize that learning exists outside of classroom walls and homework assignments.
Field trips allow students to experience learning through visual aids and exploration. By exploring new places, students can gain knowledge and become inspired to share their interests with others.
When students realize this, they may take more initiative to discover new places and research topics that fascinate them. This will allow them to broaden their interests and become more aware of the current state of our world.
Field trips serve larger purposes than entertainment, nostalgia, and memories – they help students develop as human beings.
As a society, we continue to prioritize learning within classroom walls through credentials and qualifications. But sometimes, we forget the importance of learning through our own interests or broadening our horizons. We often learn and research issues through schoolwork, but not for the sake of our own curiosity.
When we encourage children to explore their interests in a non-academic setting, they become more willing to explore the world around them. This will push them to pursue their own unique hobbies, leading to healthier childhood development.
All in all, field trips teach children the importance of being life-long learners, which is an important skill in an ever-changing world.
Photo by Andie Kolbeck on Unsplash
