Report: Teaching Methodologies for a Botanical Garden Field Trip

This report explores effective teaching methodologies for field trips to botanical gardens, emphasizing the shift from traditional instructor-centric approaches to learner-centered strategies. It highlights the benefits of active learning, such as enhanced critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and discusses the use of inquiry-based activities to assess student research and argumentative abilities. The report advocates for the integration of technology and multimedia learning to support student-centered pedagogy and create opportunities for independent learning. It also addresses the challenges and advantages of field trips, including the importance of pre-visit orientation and follow-up classes to consolidate learning. The report concludes that learner-centered teaching methodology is the most appropriate approach for botanical garden visits, fostering student engagement and promoting a deeper understanding of natural sciences.

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TEACHING METHODOLOGY FOR A FIELD TRIP
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Teaching Methodologies for A Visit to Botanical Garden
Education scholars have always debated upon different teaching methodologies in higher
education. The traditional instructor-centric lecture model continues to be used within inflexible
classroom settings continues to be used, however, it seems to be a mismatch for the learners of
21st-century. While there is adequate literature on active learning pedagogies, there is a lack of
studies on how those active learning pedagogies can be implemented within the modern
classrooms1. The impact of classroom design and teaching methodologies leave a direct impact
on student engagement and his motivation to learn.
The belief systems among the teachers’ guide their decisions on the actions they take and
the teaching methodology they use in the classroom. Their perceptions and judgments are based
on their educational beliefs2. In developed countries, technology is used for imparting quality
education, and it remains a standard component in modern-day classrooms and curriculums.
Computers, projectors, televisions, videos, and smartboards are the most common instructional
materials used in the classrooms today. The teaching opportunities and methodologies are
evolving and changing with technology. Research finds that a vast majority of teachers employ
fewer method and techniques in life study lessons that require field trips, observation methods,
and idea development techniques3.Active learning promotes enhanced thinking and writing skills
among students. Active learning strategies are more beneficial to students as it helps the student
to develop their critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities. Thus, they are able to apply
their knowledge to real-world situations when they leave college4. Learner-centered method of
1 Wheat, Celeste A., Yan Sun, Jessica C. Wedgworth, and Martha M.1 Hocutt. 2018. “Active University Teaching and
Engaged Student Learning: A Mixed Methods Approach,” 28.
2 Palak, Deniz, and Richard T. Walls. 2009. “Teachers’ Beliefs and Technology Practices,”417.
3 Bektaş, Mustafa. 2013. “An Examination of the Elementary School Teachers’ Preferred Teaching Methods and
Instructional Technologies”,552.
4 Wheat, Yan Sun, Wedgworth and Hocutt. “Active University Teaching,” 33.

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teaching can help promote active learning strategies among students.
Visit to Botanical Garden
The natural environment of a botanical garden has often attracted educationalists, and the
gardens are often viewed as significant educational settings. When students come in close
contact with nature, they get prepared for a better understanding of the natural sciences. Field
trips like a visit to the botanical garden are out-of-school learning experiences that allow
construction of knowledge based on personal experiences. There are challenges for both teachers
and learners as they need to cooperate and collaborate for the process of learning.
A field trip to a botanical garden can make the lesson on science and nature come alive
for students. Students can explore the botanical garden and engage in interactive programs to
learn about the life stages of different species and the growth process of plants. The field trip can
be made both fun and educational with a variety of programs that feature plant science and
nature-based topics that are appropriate for the students and their grade levels. The method of
field trip and observation, observation is one of the indispensable methods for life study lessons5.
The larger classroom size and the need for lots of correspondence often deter the teachers from
using the method.
Learner-centered method of teaching would be followed for the field trip to the botanical
garden. Discussion methods and inquiry-based approach are part of learner-centered methods.
The teacher has to design the content suitably so that it develops the learning skills, promotes
critical thinking and problem-solving skills among the students6 . The students get aware of their
learning responsibility and feel motivated to be more independent when learning. Learner-
5 Bektaş, “An Examination of the Elementary School Teachers,”558.
6 Yap, Neoand Neo, “The Impact of the Role of Teacher”,1852.

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centered teaching encourages self-assessment or peer assessment to help students to develop
their learning skills further rather than just get graded. The learner-centered teaching is not an
educational theory or philosophy, but an approach to teaching that is based on existing theories.
However, the approach is finding increasing use in higher education7. Instructional strategies that
encourage the students to build on their existing knowledge and skills develop motivation and
confidence in them. There is evidence that learner-centered method promotes active learning that
allows the students to develop educational alliances with their peers that foster mutual respect,
effective communication, cooperation and shared responsibility for learning8.
The students would be given different topics to pick from and asked to complete the
project. Some of the topics can be the study of biotic relations, ecosystem, plant biodiversity, and
lifecycle of different species. In learner-centered teaching, the teacher encourages students to
become active learners and thus becomes a facilitator. As the decision making gets shared
between the teachers and the students, the students feel more involved and responsible. Once the
students have finalized their project, the teacher would discuss the project with each group and
identify the knowledge about the subject. A research problem would be given to each group that
would be investigated in the field trip to the Botanical Garden. Students would work on their
project and finish the tasks. They would collect the data according to the planning and record the
observations and make field notes. Further analysis and discussion of the results would be
carried out in the follow-up lessons. Any unanswered questions would be researched upon and
discussed to find the solution.
The challenges likely to be faced
7 Megwalu, Anamika. 2014. “Practicing Learner-Centered Teaching.” 252.
8 Wheat, Yan Sun, Wedgworth, and Hocutt. “Active University Teaching,” 36.

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As field trips are an extension of the formal classrooms, the experiences need to be well
planned and carefully implemented once the students are back into the classroom. The teacher
must support the project with a pre-visit orientation and follow-up classes. In order to shift to
student-centered pedagogy, technology integration is seen as a way out and lead to a positive
effect on teaching practices9. Teachers need to be given training on how to use technology to
support student-centered pedagogy. The students need to be proactive when they identify the
material required to collect the data for the project given and identify the methods of collecting
the data. The students are likely to face difficulties when collecting the data to work on the
project. There are challenges when there is a shift from curriculum-based teaching or teacher-
centered methods towards learner-centered teaching. The students are the focus here as they
carry the right to plan and arrange for what they need to learn. When the students are given a
higher control over their learning process, it empowers them and keeps them motivated and
engaged to learn10. When teaching in real situations, teachers follow practically and apply rules
of teaching based on their opinion, experience, and attitude of acceptance. The belief system of
the teacher plays a critical role in opting for a specific teaching process11. Teachers may carry
knowledge about effective teaching skills but may not feel motivated enough to apply the theory
into practice. The teachers need to understand the significance of student-centered learning and
fill in any gaps between their belief systems and the practices demands.
Advantages of the field trip
The field trips are an extension of the formal science classes and act as a motivational
element to consolidate previous learning in the classroom. The students get new opportunities to
9 Palak and Walls.“Teachers’ Beliefs and Technology Practices”437.
10 Yap, Neo,and Neo “The Impact of the Role of Teacher”,1851.
11 Akhter, Nasreen, and Muhammad Akhtar. 2014. “Gaps between Beliefs and Practices of Teachers at School
Level.” 2.

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learn, observe rea- life specimens and develop new skills as they stretch their senses12.
Within a learner-based environment, the students are likely to show great interest during their
field trip to the botanical garden. They are likely to participate actively when collecting and
analyzing the data. The students would remain committed and motivated to complete the
project. For them, the learning experience would be a kind of adventure as they would
investigate the botanical garden on their own. The application of inquiry-based activity will help
to assess the research and argumentative skills of the students. The students would learn how to
identify the problem, collect data, organize and process the data and solve the problem with
further research, analysis, and discussion. Botanical Gardens offer exciting new learning
opportunities for the students as they engage in practical and multi-sensory activities with
plants13. Educational activities within the garden can be very enriching as the students get
engaged with authentic natural phenomena. One can expect higher student learning outcomes
and engagement because of the active learning, and there would be active faculty-to-student
interaction, cooperative student peer relationships and different learning styles of students
accommodated14. Teachers can employ multimedia learning that aids in forming learner-centered
teaching and create a platform for independent learning. The involvement of multimedia learning
modules can further improve students’ learning outcome15. Active learning strategies raise
opportunities for interaction between the teachers and students as well as among the students.
They tend to motivate students and keep them actively involved. The students tend to think
critically and are encouraged by the teachers to explore and express their ideas freely. Another
advantage in learner-centered teaching methodology is that the role of the teacher changes from
12 Gonçalo Nuno and Carreira Pereira.2017. “Inquiry-based field trip to a botanical garden.”1.
13 Gonçalo and Pereira. “Inquiry-based field trip,”2.
14 Wheat, Yan Sun, Wedgworth, and Hocutt. “Active University Teaching,” 33.
15 Yap, Neo, and Neo,” The Impact of the Role of Teacher”1853.

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an authoritarian to a facilitator and that motivates the students to become active learners16.
Conclusion
The learner-centered teaching methodology is the appropriate method of teaching during
a visit to the botanical garden. As no two learners are the same, the teachers need to create a
highly flexible and active learning environment for the students. Classroom discussions,
interactions, and applications are critical to student learning and growth. A field trip to the
botanical garden based on active learning can help improve students’ learning engagement and
instructors’ teaching practices. As learner-centered teaching methodology is student-centric, it
keeps them self-motivated and shifts them from passive to active learning. The teachers need to
make extra efforts to put those learner-centered teaching methodologies into practice for
successful active participation by the students.
Bibliography
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Instructional Technologies in Terms of Various Variables in Life Study Lesson." International
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Celeste A. Wheat, Yan Sun, Jessica C. Wedgworth andMartha M. Hocutt.. "Active University Teaching
and Engaged Student Learning: A Mixed Methods Approach." Journal of the Scholarship of
Teaching & Learning 28–50, 2018.
Megwalu, Anamika.. "Practicing Learner-Centered Teaching.” ." Reference Librarian 252–55, 2014.
16 Yap, Neo, and Neo,” The Impact of the Role of Teacher”1858.

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Palak, Deniz, and Richard T. Wall.. "Teachers’ Beliefs and Technology Practices: A Mixed-Methods
Approach." Journal of Research on Technology in Education 417–441, 2009 .
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