Field Studies Benefit Students and Teachers

For students, field studies create opportunities for first-hand experiences that encourage critical thinking, long-term retention, transfer potential, positive attitudes towards science, appreciation for nature, and increased scientific curiosity. Cognitive development and motivation are also enhanced when students are active participants in the planning of the field study and in the activity itself. These benefits are applicable to both secondary and elementary students. Teachers also benefit from field studies. The excursions add new dimensions to education through “teachable moments” that seldom occur in the classroom. The important factors for a teacher are pretrip orientation and site visit prior to the trip. Scheduling of trips, support from administration, hours of organization that are required, and cooperation of other teachers can be a deterrent to conducting any study. The benefits, however, do outweigh the impediments. It is important to have specific field-study sites, especially in protected...