Field trips provide real-world learning opportunities in biology education as they promote knowledge about nature among other things. As biodiversity is declining knowledge of species is important for understanding and appreciating the natural world and its implications. Many field guides are digitally available, but differences from traditional…

This article addresses a familiar topic, teaching shortages across the United States. To situate our study, we explore the impact that Grow Your Own (GYO) programs are making across K-12 schools and within communities in the Middle Atlantic region of the United States. Then, we share the perceptions of teacher candidates who participated in a GYO…

This qualitative study focuses on preschool practitioners' teaching about death. The theoretical framework draws on ideas about dialogic teaching and the concepts that are of importance for understanding what biological death entails. The study was conducted within a qualitative, participant centered paradigm. The data consist of video recordings…

This paper introduces four local field studies designed and conducted by two Advanced Placement Human Geography (APHG) teachers. All of these activities were designed for ninth-graders taking APHG courses. Both teachers implement multiple instances of field study in different units of the APHG curriculum throughout the academic year (e.g., two…

Informal learning supports formal education by facilitating students' learning and helping them to expand their knowledge outside the classroom. This paper explores the impact of informal learning environments on learning outcomes. This study aims to answer the question 'How does the use of informal learning environments within the scope of formal…

Nearly 80% of the total American population lives within the urban sprawl, where rapid urbanization has contributed to an immense reduction of green space. Loss of woods, fields, and other green areas, in conjunction with adolescent preference for indoor and screen-based activities, has led to decreased time spent outdoors. However, studies show…

Virtual and immersive virtual reality, VR and iVR, provide flexible and engaging learning opportunities, such as virtual field trips (VFTs). Despite its growing popularity for education, understanding how iVR compared to non-immersive media influences learning is still challenged by mixed empirical results and a lack of longitudinal research. This…

Introduction: Some outdoor activities may have been self-constrained due to the fear of students getting lost. It is a limitation for the school staff and a constraint for students. However, few studies have been developed regarding the possibilities of geolocation as a solution. Aim: The study aims to explore this brand-new issue that could…

For a business law class at any level or format, a field trip to a court is critical to bridge the gap between theory and practice. This article encourages legal studies instructors to utilize field trips to a court as an experiential learning opportunity for business law and legal studies courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels for…

Field trips, field courses, and other forms of field-based pedagogy have a long and storied history in geography and are frequently described as essential components of geographic education at the college, secondary, and primary levels. A recent and expanding literature on best practices for field-based geographical education provides instructors…

Field teaching is an essential component of botany and ecology; however, field classes were among the most likely to be cancelled during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual alternatives that could be used to meet learning outcomes for botany (e.g. plant identification, surveying skills development) were largely unavailable at this…

Middle Grades teacher candidates participated in a "field trip" in an Integrated Reading course to model best practices in culturally responsive teaching. The college students visited their downtown city including a regional art museum and memorial sculpture garden commemorating local Black history to experience and contemplate…

Amid the shift to virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, educators across disciplines were faced with developing new strategies for active learning. This article discusses findings from a case study of using Google Earth for virtual field trips and projects in an undergraduate Geography of North America course, assessing the process of…

This study aims to determine the opinions of prospective biology teachers about outdoor learning environments by drawing on the cases of museum visit and scientific field trip. In line with this aim, phenomenology research design was utilized. Criterion sampling, which is one of the purposeful sampling methods used in qualitative research studies,…

This paper explores students' perceived value of industry site visits during an engineering study abroad program. In this multi-method study, we collected data from students' (n = 54) reflective activities following each of two site visits and from the end of program evaluation administered by the Student Abroad Office (SAO). Using Kember et al.'s…