Student field trips have been exciting events in schools across the globe since they started! Students wait with anticipation, teachers plan for months, parents are anxious for the safety of their children and hope that their child will return safe and enriched.
The advantages of educational field trips and their impact on children are several. They foster independent thinking, decision making, adjustment, coexistence, teamwork, tolerance, patience, a spirit of coexistence and more, all of which are invaluable life lessons, for life.
One of the key transformations it can bring about is enhancing social skills in students, which are among the most important attributes to survive in today’s world. Students, particularly in the age groups of 10-16 often lack social skills, particularly those from schools in smaller towns and non-privileged localities. It’s a great opportunity for students in terms of real-life learning and social skill development activities during field trips.
While many students are good in their academics, they often feel uncomfortable when it comes to communicating, getting their point across politely but clearly, listening to others’ point of view, analysing and trying to work out a compromise or win-win, so important for future professionals and leaders.
Student Field trips or excursions are an ideal platform to help students evolve as individuals considering they are not controlled and predictable environments like schools. These educational field trips encourage students to become proactive, independent and expose them to various facets that demand communication, thinking and judgement. To begin with, they will become better team players as they need to work closely with one another to solve issues on the trip, like food, seating, accommodation sharing, adjusting etc.
The role of teachers in facilitating social skills in students’ through field trips is significant. They can and usually develop a range of social skill development activities students are required to perform as tasks, such as writing about a historical site, or presenting about a factory visit or explaining about a process on site/ in class. This requires extensive interaction with other students and then preparation to write/ present it to their peer group. Most schools also have other activities such as receiving contributions for the school newsletters, debates or related activities.
Students are also required to take part in group activities that improve social interactions on educational field trips. This includes interacting with teachers who could give them tasks such as leading a peer group, gathering opinions from others, collecting feedback etc. All these encourage students out of their shell, make them explore and push their various facets, identify their weaknesses and work on them over time and become well-rounded individuals.
Student school trips encourage students to become knowledge seekers, accumulate information on a variety of topics, share and discuss it with their peers, ask questions, seek clarifications and understand various concepts related to politics, economy, sports, policy, science etc. These activities can particularly help students from small towns as most of these students are not confident of public speaking, people interaction or effective communication. These events will go a long way in eliminating that hesitation.
They will also learn the art of negotiation, gentle persuasion, convincing, respect for the individual, patience and an attitude to succeed. This foundation will help them in their personality development significantly helping them with their dissertation, internships, interviews, promotions, and several other activities they are expected to participate in and deliver as they reach higher classes and professional careers.