FIELD STUDIES
Done within the school campus, the school vicinity, in a local museum, and many other places
which last for several hours.
During field studies, learning takes place in a reality-based context rather than mediated by videos
or books. It gives the learners a taste of the outside world which allows them to clearly see what
happens in their community. The optimum benefit of field studies for teachers is that it allows the
learners to target a wide range of learning competencies. It also allows teachers to employ
authentic tasks that are reflective of the curriculum.
Compared to field trips, field studies highlight more student involvement because the learners are
directly involved in the planning, implementation, and assessment of the activity. Field trips usually
happen in a long-distance trip such as going to national museums or any other related places.
What is good about field studies is that it could take place in nearby areas such as rivers,
government offices, supermarkets, and even inside the school campus.
Field studies are beneficial to both teachers and students. For students, it creates learning
opportunities that promote critical thinking, long-term retention, positive attitudes toward subjects,
appreciation, and increased curiosity. Moreover, cognitive development and student motivation are
also enhanced because they become active participants in planning up to the activity itself. All
these are applicable to both elementary and secondary learners. Teachers also benefit from field
studies. The series of excursions add new educational perspectives through “teachable moments”
that rarely happen in the classroom (Manner, 2018).
Why use field studies?
It provides experiential learning. Field studies offer an opportunity to witness objects and events
not accessible at school. Direct contact and observation encourage more concrete learning
experience than merely showing videos or images.
It targets specific skills and knowledge. Being able to experience things provides learners an
opportunity to practice skills and appreciate values that cannot surface elsewhere.
It strengthens schema. The experiences in the field stimulate higher understanding and
appreciation of previously learned concepts by means of validation.
It motivates values development. Exposure to a phenomenon stimulates appreciation and concern
for the visited event or place.
