Field Trips and Follow-Up Activities: Fourth Graders in a Public Garden

In this study the relationship among cognitive learning, field trips, and follow-up activities was examined. One hundred eleven fourth-grade students participated in a pretest-posttest control group design. Three groups participated in and received the same standardized field trip. Two treatment groups then received a follow-up activity relevant to the field trip, whereas a placebo group received an informative but not relevant follow-up activity. Statistical analyses were conducted comparing posttest scores for two groups and score changes for all three groups. Significant differences were detected between some posttest scores and between all pretest and posttest scores. Changes suggested that the related follow-up activity reinforced some of the concepts presented during the field trip.