Field trips are steadily declining due to limited funding, time constraints, safety concerns, and other logistical issues. Many schools are resorting to a virtual field trip (VFT), especially when education is disrupted due to public health concerns, natural disasters, or other unforeseen significant events. Virtual reality as a common form of VFT…

Worksheets are often used during field trips and utilize a learning cycle with three stages (exploration, concept introduction and concept application) to engage learners in the learning activities of observation and exploration. However, traditional paper worksheets do not provide multimedia and interactive presentations with physical objects,…

This study investigates the impact of instructional methods based on a one-day informal science field experience comparing a teacher-centered methodology versus a student-centered (inquiry-based) methodology. The 5E learning cycle was selected as the framework for implementing the inquiry-based learning for the treatment groups as it provides the…

Mill City Museum and Wilder Research collaborated to facilitate focus groups with local elementary school educators to learn about their experiences with virtual in-school programs, what motivates them to consider and schedule a program, and what barriers prevent or deter them from pursuing these types of programming options. This report presents…

It has been speculated that most people have plant blindness, meaning plants go unnoticed by the majority of the population. This study sought to combine the knowledge of multiple disciplines to determine evidence of plant blindness through children's drawings. To do this, third-grade students were introduced to native prairie and wetland plants…

General Studies (Sachunterricht) lesson, which includes social and science themes because of its interdisciplinary form, takes place in the curriculum of each class level at primary schools in Germany. The aim of this descriptive case study is to examine how the teaching process of third-grade General Studies lesson is run in terms of learning…

The major purpose of this study was to explore the learning outcomes on marine education for 3rd graders in Taipei. A quasi-experimental design with a single group was used in this study. Students in the experimental group (N=56) were given eight weeks of marine education activities and a one-day field trip at Tamsui River & Estuary Park in…

The aim of study is to compare the contributions of virtual and real museum tours in terms of perceived presence and knowledge retention. The sample of study which was 28 third graders enrolled in a public primary school in an informal instructional process. There were two groups (virtual group and real group); one visited virtual museum (n=14),…

Most students have never had the opportunity to interact with amphibians. Field trips students list as most memorable are usually their outdoor experiences and interactions with living creatures. Apart from being memorable, field trips need to be meaningful and provide students with authentic learning experiences. Field trips allow students to…

Using cross-grade peer mentoring as an integral component to field trip experiences can help educators realize the learning potential of nature-based experiences. When young students are paired with older students, Socratic peer dialogue deepens interest, investment, and ultimately ownership of new learning. Using peer-supported inquiry…

Going on a field trip to the church, pupils can experience lived religion. But how do they feel during such a church visit? In this paper, we analyse statements of 516 German third graders (about 8 years old) made after they had visited their local church on a field trip. Using affective schema theory, we develop a conceptual model of emotions in…

Annual fieldtrip visits offer an excellent opportunity to engage teachers and students in learning opportunities that may not otherwise be available in their classrooms. Here we describe a collaborative project designed to support teacher engagement before, during, and after a classroom fieldtrip to a children's museum. We found that providing a…

Background: Children living in urban areas often have limited opportunities to experience informal science environments. As a result, some do not have a deep understanding of the environment, natural resources, ecosystems, and the ways human activities affect nature. Purpose: This article examines how experiential science education supported urban…

Residential environmental education centers are important providers of science curriculum, offering students learning experiences outside the traditional classroom. One major criticism of these centers and other nonformal science centers is that they often do not include student outcomes in the evaluation of their programs. The purpose of this…

In the United States, visits to informal learning environments [ILEs] such as zoos, have historically been considered to be important educational experiences that promote increased student achievement in content-area subjects. Recently, however, funds are more likely to be diverted away from field trip experiences, depriving less-privileged…