Students who go on field trips become more empathetic and tolerant. A study conducted by the University of Arkansas found that students who participate in an excursion to an art museum show greater empathy, tolerance and critical thinking skills. However, we know that there are times when teachers like you sigh at the idea of organizing an opportunity like this. The main focus is more on policy, paperwork and potential cost than on educational benefits.
We understand that a lot of time and effort is spent choosing the right program, organizing nights for parents, getting approval from your school, managing all your students at the airport, and making sure that the trip itself goes smoothly. However, believe us when we tell you that it's 100% worth all the time and effort that goes into a school group tour. Global citizenship is rapidly becoming a hot topic and society expects schools to prepare their students for the future, particularly with regard to teaching problem-solving, social skills and preparing students for jobs of millennials who they did not currently exist or did not exist 10 years ago. This is a great question for teachers with limited resources and time.
With this in mind, teachers are looking for dynamic ways to introduce this into their curriculum, however, the tried and tested school trip continues to prove to be an effective way to incorporate soft skills, such as strong communication, problem solving, and critical thinking into teaching. More than all that, field trips are a learning tool to improve the curriculum by allowing students to better understand and retain concepts. They also promote levels of commitment, build trust, teamwork and create connections. It's wonderful to talk and read about new and exciting things, but nothing can beat learning in real life.
When you go on an excursion, whether in nature, in a museum or in a historic site, living the experience as they tell you the stories about its history or how it works gives it much more depth. You'll discover that children in particular who have real-life experiences will have memories embedded in their minds. Their ability to understand concepts related to the history of something, or why a certain species behaves or looks a certain way, is much more effective when they can see it in front of their eyes and touch it.
