Abstract
Research shows that students are likely to experience novelty (unfamiliarity) at field trip locations, resulting in extended, unproductive disorientation and inhibition of learning. Carefully-planned preparatory units, delivered prior to the field trip experience, have been shown to mitigate the negative effects of novelty. Anonymous online surveys and written responses to critical thinking questions were used to assess the effect of full (comprehensive) pre-field trip preparatory units on measures potentially influenced by novelty during a 25-day college study abroad program. Survey responses indicate that full preparatory units did not significantly affect student perception of readiness or location familiarity. While few statistically-significant differences were detected, data suggests that full preparatory units probably enhanced student satisfaction with the field trip experience and fostered better performance on critical thinking assessments. These findings support the conclusion that full preparatory units were, on the whole, more beneficial to learning during study abroad field trips than were minimal preparatory units. Findings also suggest that college students may not suffer the negative effects of novelty as intensely as younger students and that the physical size and complexity of the field trip location may reduce student confidence in navigating the location and slow student completion of on-location tasks.
Highlights
The positive impacts of field trips on student learning have been well documented (e.g., Falk & Dierking, 1997; Garner & Gallo, 2005; Hurley, 2006; reviewed by Behrendt & Franklin, 2014)
For 11th grade students in Nigeria, Hamilton-Ekeke (2007) found that students receiving ecology-based content during a field trip performed significantly better on post instruction tests than students receiving the same content in traditional lecture format
Perceptions of field trip readiness and location familiarity are of particular interest as they are likely to be influenced by site novelty and the degree to which that novelty may interfere with learning
Summary
The positive impacts of field trips on student learning have been well documented (e.g., Falk & Dierking, 1997; Garner & Gallo, 2005; Hurley, 2006; reviewed by Behrendt & Franklin, 2014). In an attempt to document what students learn during a field trip, Greene, Kisida, and Bowen (2014) surveyed 10 912 students and 489 teachers from 129 high schools following a guided tour of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in northwest Arkansas. They found that students retained 79%–88% of content, cultural message, and context of artwork up to three weeks post-trip, with students from rural and low-income schools benefiting most. For a field study abroad program in Costa Rica, Houser, Brannstrom, Quiring, and Lemmons (2011) found that while participants and non-participants
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