High school field trips are growing more and more common, as opposed to traditional classroom learning. Since the pandemic, student engagement has plummeted, with 50 percent of students reporting that they are less motivated, according to a recent study conducted by the EdWeek Research Center. In addition, that same study found that teachers reported students are 87 percent less motivated in their studies since the pandemic. Student engagement and morale are both at an all time low in a post-COVID-19 world. Innovative and interactive teaching methods such as field trips, diverse class agendas, and movement integration into classes can vastly improve both.
Allowing students to move around has been proven to aid students in not only tying lessons to joyful memories, but also create deeper bonds with their peers. A study by the University of Alabama found that students who attend field trips are far more likely to be empathetic, have better critical thinking skills and more. Additionally, field trips have also been proven to improve students’ academic performance. This can be seen in test scores and more.
Irregular styles of teaching also benefit students who aren’t auditory or visual learners. Innovative and interactive teaching methods can aid students whose brains need more interpersonal interaction, spatial activity, which lectures lack. In addition, the majority of people have multiple methods of work that are best for them. If teachers cycled through different teaching methods, it would make sure that all students would understand lessons deeper.
Field trips aren’t the only way to change up a teaching agenda. Kahoot!, a Norwegian game based learning platform, allows teachers to integrate an interactive element into their class schedules. Kahoot! is an online game in which students can either play individually or in groups. They answer trivia questions and get certain amounts of points based on how fast they answer the question. This game can be adapted for any course, from English to Computer Science, and there are tons of possibilities for which this game can be used.
History classes can create activities based on historical events. Students learning about certain historical events such as the Industrial Revolution and the Black Plague can engage in related activities, such as reenactments, and debates. These activities clearly have a connection to success in the class, and by adding more interactive activities, this academic success will spread through Berkeley High School.
Interactive activities won’t necessarily help all students excel academically. Everyone has different learning styles; some students actually enjoy learning through lectures. It’s impossible for everyone to benefit from a new teaching system, but by diversifying the amount of learning styles used, teachers have a much higher chance of truly getting across to other students.