The great recession has forced schools to make drastic cuts to stay afloat, but one activity teachers and administrators should hesitate to eliminate is the field trip.
Their cost may be a source of contention during annual budget reviews, especially during difficult economic conditions, but field trips enhance a student’s well-being and educational experience. It’s been said that education without excitement leads to boredom, and when students don’t have fun while learning, sometimes they don’t retain what they’ve been taught. To teach children effectively, teachers can take their students outside the school to a place that makes the lesson come to life.
Studies show that both students and teachers benefit from field trips. Students can see, hear and touch what they’ve read about in a book when a class visits an exhibit or museum. Their real-world experience supplements what they’ve been taught in a classroom and, when it’s time to test what they’ve studied, students will have a personal experience to draw upon.
Field trips engage students more than any lecture can, and first-hand encounters enhance their ability to retain information. The bottom line is, students who take field trips are more motivated to learn.