field trip method in teaching

Center for Teaching

Teaching outside the classroom.

Teaching and learning experiences that take place outside of the confines of the classroom walls have a range of benefits for both students and instructors. When students are asked to put into practice “in the real world” what they have theorized about from behind a desk, the result is a student-centric learning experience that enhances learning and fosters personal and social development (Larsen, Walsh, Almond, & Myers, 2017). Further, students that engage in learning experiences outside of the classroom report having higher levels of motivation, recall the course material more vividly, and have improved academic performance in the class (Takeuchi et al., 2016; Ryan and Deci, 2017). Moreover, field experiences early in a student’s career can be formative and can inspire students to continue in a field (e.g., Hutson, Cooper, & Talbert, 2011).

Learning experiences outside the classroom are forms of experiential learning (Dewey, 1897). These experiences are rooted in the simple principle that “experience is the best teacher.” Under this framework, learning outside of the classroom is an active process, wherein students encounter authentic problems, construct novel hypotheses, test for real solutions, and interact with others to make sense of the world around them. When we do this, we encounter the world as a whole and are forced to engage multiple modalities, no matter which pair of disciplinary “lenses” we intended to wear. Because experiential learning is inherently interdisciplinary, scientists and humanists alike would do well to consider the ways in which other disciplines might enrich their own disciplinary approach to their field.

There are many ways to make learning extend outside the classroom:

• Field Trips

Study Abroad

General strategies for successful field trip and field-based learning experiences, technology outside (and inside) the classroom, assessment of field experiences.

• Additional Resources for Research on Experiential Learning

Field Trips and Field-Based Learning

Field trips may be defined as “any journey taken under the auspices of the school for educational purposes” (Sorrentino & Bell, 1970, p. 223). Along with the engagement of concepts that is required by these experiences, the student bonding that occurs on field trips enhances the learning experience and creates a learning community as students continue onward in a discipline. Teaching in the field also gives instructors the opportunity to get to know their students in greater depth in terms of how the students see the world differently than the instructor. This insight into student world-views can help the instructor to better communicate the concepts of the course.

Field trips can take a variety of forms that meet a diverse set of needs and can enhance deep, active learning. The intended educational outcomes of field trips focus on the following five areas (Behrendt & Franklin, 2014; Larsen et al., 2017; Tal & Morag, 2009):

• Developing social and personal skills
• Developing observation and perception skills
• Adding relevance and meaning to learning
• Providing first-hand real-world experiences
• Enhancing intrinsic motivation and interest in the subject

Field trips are a common component of many K-12 classrooms, with a wealth of reviews in the primary literature summarizing their benefits and best practices (e.g., Behrendt & Franklin, 2014; DeWitt & Storksdieck, 2008; Wilson, 2011). In the college classroom, field trips (or field-based learning ) can be an effective tool that satisfies many of the above goals. For some disciplines (e.g., geology, ecology) it is relatively easy to imagine what a field-based learning experience can look like, whereas for other disciplines (e.g., philosophy, English), it may not be immediately obvious. To help instructors begin to imagine the possibilities that could exist in their courses, Fedesco, Cavin and Henares (in press) recently used a database of 721 field trips from 2015-2018 at a small, private, liberal arts college in the Southwest to create a typology of field study experiences in higher education. The authors identified the following types of field-based learning experiences:

• Collecting primary data/visiting primary sources – Students and instructors gather data in a novel setting, with open-ended and unpredictable learning outcomes for students depending on the results of that data. Being immersed within the subject material allows for deep learning for students, as they experience the authenticity of data collection and the process of interpreting that data. Instructors should be flexible and prepared to navigate difficult and/or unproductive outcomes – such as if the data don’t reveal anything significant (or present a result that is counter to the instructor’s initial predictions). However, these experiences have the highest potential for learning for students, as they are in a sense creating new knowledge.
• Guided discovery of a site – The class visits a site that is familiar to the instructor but new to the students and the instructor plans an activity that leads the students to uncover an intended outcome. Students should use the skills and concepts they learned in an earlier portion of the course and apply them in a novel setting to help guide learning. Instructors should consider how their materials and questions will help students develop higher-order skills, such as investigating, questioning, and developing critical thinking skills. Because they are time-consuming and require a significant investment from the instructor, they are best used to teach conceptually difficult or especially important course material. For more information on preparing and facilitating guided discovery problems in your classroom, see the guide on the National Association of Geoscience Teachers website .
• Backstage access – The class is granted access to a site or a place that the general public does not have access to, thus giving a unique experience to the students that allows for insights and experiences that are difficult to come by normally. For an on-campus example, a class might visit a University research lab or center that is available only to students registered in a course (such as the Breazeale Nuclear Reactor at Penn State ). For off-campus examples, students might visit a net-zero residence, tour behind the scenes of a government building, or meet with employees of a local company. These experiences may require an initial contact with a community partner or a prior-established relationship; however, the learning outcomes for students are enormous, and some companies may be willing to work with classes as the experience offers a networking opportunity for both students and potential employers.
• Show and tell – The class is given access to a third-party expert or a site where they might hear from the expert, such as in the collections of a museum with a curator. Like backstage access, this represents an opportunity for students to have an experience that is not available to the general public and can thus result in deep learning and foster meaningful connections for students. This also helps the instructor cover subject material with which they may not be intimately knowledgeable. However, instructors should have a role in planning with the third-party expert to ensure active engagement from their students; otherwise, you run the risk of students sitting or standing for long periods of time for an uninspiring lecture.
• Place-based immersion – The class spends a significant amount of time in a place, investigating either a specific subject or an entire breadth of subjects tied to that place. Places have both natural and cultural histories, which therefore lend themselves to examination by all disciplines. Field experiences and research are at the core of many of the natural and social sciences. In the humanities, field experiences might be working in archives, collecting oral histories, performing one’s art for a public audience, but it could also include visiting important historical sites and place-based experiences including using places for inspiration.
• Community engagement – Professors and students engage in a partnership with a local organization or institution over the span of the course or travel to a site to do time-bound projects, often with a significant investment from the students. These projects, typically designed by both faculty and community partners, allow for students to learn in highly effective ways while helping a community address its needs. In all of these experiences, student growth can be extensive, whether it is through improved critical thinking and problem-solving skills, greater personal efficacy and leadership development, or enhanced social responsibility and career opportunities. For more information on the benefits and methods of these pedagogies, as well as step-by-step guides to successful service learning courses, please visit the CFT’s Service Learning and Community Engagement teaching guide and the Community Engaged Teaching Step by Step teaching guide .
• Retreats – The class gets away to a remote site for as little as a day or as much as a week to bond, to focus on the subject or a special project, and/or to write. The retreat can be combined with the benefits of place-based immersion, although there need not be a reason for the class visiting a specific site. The main objective of a retreat is to garner the benefits of students spending focused time in close proximity together and away from the hustle and bustle of normal college life. Some outdoor learning experiences, due to their length, are by definition retreats: for example, geologic field trips; wilderness literature backpacking trips; and study abroad experiences.
• Special Events – The class travels to a conference or a special event (e.g., a speaker on campus, a film, a performance, etc.) that is pertinent to the course content or objectives. The instructor has little control over what is said during the event and thus should feel comfortable giving up the reins for this experience. A degree of flexibility for the instructor and maturity on the students’ parts will help these events fit within the framework of the class schedule. Instructors should be prepared to give a pre-event lesson and a post-event lesson to help ensure students meet the intended learning outcomes.

Benefits for Students Who Participate in These Experiences Include:

• knowledge transfer and knowledge recall (Nadelson & Jordan, 2012)
• increased relevance, improved perspective-taking, and increased autonomy (Lai, 1999)
• increased interest in the subject and influence on one’s college major and future career (Hutson et al., 2011)
• improvement in concept knowledge (Elkins & Elkins, 2007)
• improvements in understanding course content, performance on course assignments, and interest in the subject (Goh & Ritchie, 2011).
• increased relatedness with instructors and peers, competence, autonomy, and intrinsic motivation in the course (Fedesco et al., in press)

Key Factors That Promote Successful Experiences Include:

• See the section below titled “General Strategies for Successful Field Trip and Field-based Learning Experiences”

Additional Resources:

• National Association for Geoscience Teachers (NAGT) guides for Teaching in the Field and Safety in the Field
• Special Issue of Journal of Geoscience Education on Teaching in the Field
• Searchable collection of references and resources on field-based learning from the Synthesis of Research on Learning in the Geosciences by the Science Education Resource Center
• “ Field Notes ” by David W. Mogk, Dept. of Earth Sciences, Montana State University: Research based methods for successful field trips, including specific examples for a geoscience course
• The Out-of-Classroom Experience by Dave Douglass:  A comprehensive article on things to consider when “dreaming-up, organizing, planning and leading field trips and other learning activities that will take place outside of the traditional classroom setting”
• Vanderbilt Release form for student field trips

There are several models for study-abroad programs. In some, participants enroll in foreign universities as visiting, non-matriculated students. In other programs, the sending institution retains more control over the curriculum, duration, faculty selection, and experience. Increasingly, schools are internationalizing their curriculum by offering short-term, faculty-led, study abroad programs. Vanderbilt’s Global Education Office administers many programs available for students to study abroad.

Benefits for Students Who Participate in These Programs Include:

• increase in student willingness to take courses outside of their major
• increased confidence to travel abroad in longer-term programs
• increased interest in interdisciplinary studies
• increased skills of inter-cultural communication
• greater international or comparative understandings of social issues
• a more sophisticated understanding of global social change
• greater understanding of inequalities and differences in the world system

Key Factors That Promote Successful Programs Include:

• academic rigor
• use of mixed teaching methods
• facilitated reflection synthesizing experiences with academic content

According to Lori Gardinier and Dawn Colquitt-Anderson, “There is no formula for the percentage of time that should be spent in formal class time, seeing cultural/historical sites and events, doing field work, or engaging in peer-to-peer cultural exchange. Regardless of the mix, students should arrive at the destination with a grounding in both the academic and cultural context through a combination of pre-departure lectures, guided research, online discussions, readings, and cultural events relevant to the trip.” (26)

In study abroad situations, faculty leaders assume a number of roles that extend beyond the classroom, and setting appropriate boundaries becomes critical. It can be helpful to set specific parameters for how, when, and where you will relate to students during the program.

It is important to identify risks and liability. Directors must be prepared for expected emergencies involving lost or stolen property, illnesses, and so on, as well as unexpected emergencies involving natural and manmade disasters.

• The Institute of International Education Founded in 1919, the Institute of International Education (IIE) is a private nonprofit leader in the international exchange of people and ideas. In collaboration with governments, foundations and other sponsors, IIE creates programs of study and training for students, educators and professionals from all sectors. These programs include the flagship Fulbright Program and Gilman Scholarships administered for the U.S. Department of State. IIE also conducts policy research, provides resources on international exchange opportunities and offers support to scholars in danger.
• The National Association of International Educators (NAFSA) NAFSA and its members believe that international education and exchange—connecting students, scholars, educators, and citizens across borders—is fundamental to establishing mutual understanding among nations, preparing the next generation with vital cross-cultural and global skills, and creating the conditions for a more peaceful world.
• Journal of Studies in International Education The Journal of Studies in International Education (JSI) is a forum for higher education administrators, educators, researchers and policy makers interested in research, reviews, and case studies on all facets of the internationalization of higher education. Each issue brings together the concepts, strategies, and approaches of internationalization, the internationalization of the curriculum, and issues surrounding international students and cross-border delivery of education.

Tips and Techniques:

These tips were provided by VU faculty experienced in taking students on field trips.

• Set up the field trip as a research project that includes data collection.
• Conduct a theoretical examination of the issue in class long before going into the field. Students should have a sense of what the field trip is going to be about before they go.
• At least two weeks before heading into the field, develop the rudiments of basic hypotheses. At this point the instructor should give details about the field site so that students know what to expect.
• In the field, focus on the things that you’ve agreed to focus on and let the other stuff be icing on the cake.
• Take a backpack full of extra warm/dry clothes and snacks to pass out to students as the need arises.
• If for a large class, prepare TAs well to manage smaller groups of the class.
• Prepare students for practicalities including appropriate attire, expectations for physical exertion, anticipated rest stops, supplies and materials they should bring.

Additionally, Fedesco et al. (in press) has identified five specific tips to help educators have a successful field-based learning experience:

• Begin the trip with a full value contract (FVC). The FVC is a document written for the group, by the group, and establishes agreed upon expectations on what is appropriate or inappropriate behavior on the trip. This document, which can be updated as needed, can be referred to throughout the trip, and provides a sense of safety and community for the class.
• Logistics play an important role in the success of a field trip. If students are lacking in basic human needs (e.g., uncomfortable temperatures, hungry/thirsty, standing in direct sunlight, exhaustion), they will be less likely to learn. Check the weather forecast and have students plan accordingly. Make sure you have plenty of food to eat throughout the day, and be mindful of food allergies and preferences to ensure a smooth experience.
• Carefully consider the sequence of events during a field trip. Outdoor education expert Jay Roberts (2016) recommends that mornings are better for intellectual topics, afternoons are better for hands-on activities, and evenings are best for reflection and interpersonal discussions.
• Balanced programming should be taken into consideration when planning field trips. Instructors should avoid over- or under-programming trips, which could lead to either information saturation or boredom. Instructors should continuously take the pulse of the experience so if necessary, they can implement their contingency plan by either cutting back on some activities or incorporating more experiences or assignments into the trip.
• Instructors about to embark on a field trip should be prepared to engage in risk management behavior. Before leaving for a trip, instructors should be familiar with and have contact information for emergency resources in the field location, campus security, administration, transportation, and mental health and sexual assault counselors.

Advances in technology make it relatively easy for students to bring digital technology with them when they leave the classroom, or for instructors to bring the outdoor learning environment into the classroom. In the field, students can use mobile devices—including ones they already own—to engage in learning activities. In the classroom, instructors can use drone footage, mobile apps, and programs like Google Earth to bring outdoor environments inside, thus bringing far-away or inaccessible outdoor phenomena to all students. Below are some examples to help you start thinking about how you might use technology outside (and inside!) your classroom.

Location-Specific Content

With the right apps, students can access content that is tied to a particular location and only available when students visit that location.

• Spanish instructors at the University of New Mexico use an iPhone app from the Augmented Reality and Interactive Storytelling (ARIS) project to send students on a fictional murder mystery through the Los Griegos neighborhood in Albuquerque that develops and tests their language skills. Students receive location-specific clues to the mystery by typing their location into the app.
• The Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature iPhone app provides text, audio, and video content about Iowa City authors based on the user’s GPS-determined location. Instructors at the University of Iowa plan to have students use this app to learn more about Iowa City authors and their connections to particular local environments.
• CFT director Derek Bruff incorporated QR codes in an end-of-semester “crypto hunt” in his first-year seminar on cryptography. Students cracked codes and ciphers that led them to particular locations on campus featuring QR codes, two-dimensional bar codes that students scanned with their smart phones to receive additional clues in the hunt.
• Instructors can also have students create location-specific content. For example, students at the University of Northern Colorado created a scavenger hunt designed to teach other students about local water rights using the ARIS platform.

Data Collection and Sharing

Mobile devices have a variety of mechanisms for collecting and sharing data. Students can use these devices to generate location-specific content whether on a field trip or on their own.

• Shaul Kelner, associate professor of sociology and Jewish studies at Vanderbilt, taught a course titled “Tourism, Culture, and Place” in the spring 2011 semester. Students in the course visited different tourist sites around Nashville, captured photos of these locations using their cell phones while on-site, and then blogged about their visits and their photos later.
• Margaret Rubega, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Connecticut, requires students in her ornithology course to use the social media service Twitter to “tweet” about the birds they see as they go about their lives–what birds they see, where they see them, and any connections to course content that occur to the students. They tag their tweets with the hashtag #BirdClass to make it easy for all involved to find and read each other’s tweets.
• Lawrence University students in an introduction to environmental science course collect geotagged water quality data during field trips using GPS devices and tablet PCs. Students pool their data, then analyze it using geospatial visualization software while still in the field. Many such specialized data collection and analysis tools are developing mobile apps that run on iPhones and other smart phones.

If you’re interested in using technology in the field in your courses, please contact the CFT’s educational technologist Rhett McDaniel for help getting started.

• Rubrics developed by the Associate of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) including some on civic knowledge and engagement, teamwork, problem solving, integrative and applied learning.
• Reflection papers
• Lab reports
• Suggestions for assessment of field courses by the National Association of Geoscience Teachers

Additional Resource for Research on Experiential Learning

• National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE)

Behrendt, M., & Franklin, T. (2014). A review of research on school field trips and their value in education. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education , 9 , 235-245. http://doi.org/10.12973/ijese.2014.213a

Dewey, J. (1897). My pedagogic creed . New York: E. L. Kellogg & Co.

DeWitt, J. & Storksdieck, M. (2008) A short review of school field trips: Key findings from the past and implications for the future.  Visitor Studies, 11 , 181-197, http://doi.org/ 10.1080/10645570802355562

Elkins, J. T., & Elkins, N. M. (2007). Teaching geology in the field: Significant geoscience concept gains in entirely field-based introductory geology courses. Journal of Geoscience Education , 55 , 126-132. http://doi.org/10.5408/1089-9995-55.2.126

Fedesco, H. N., Cavin, D., & Henares, R. (in press). Field-based learning in higher education: Exploring the benefits and possibilities. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.

Gardinier, L. & Colquitt‐Anderson, D. (2010). Learning abroad. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2010, 23-29, http://doi.org/ 10.1002/tl.417

Goh, E. & Ritchie, B. (2011) Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to understand student attitudes and constraints toward attending field trips. Journal of Teaching in Travel & Tourism, 11 , 179-194. http://doi.org/10.1080/15313220.2011.575024

Hutson, T., Cooper, S., & Talbert, T. (2011). Describing connections between science content and future careers: Implementing Texas curriculum for rural at-risk high school students using purposefully-designed field trips. Rural Educator , 33 , 37-47.

Lai, K. C. (1999). Freedom to learn: A study of the experiences of secondary school teachers and students in a geography field trip. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education , 8 , 239-255. http://doi.org/10.1080/10382049908667614

Acknowledgements

1  This guide was originally written in 2010 by Lily Claiborne and John Morrell (Graduate Teaching Fellows) and Joe Bandy and Derek Bruff (CFT Assistant Directors). It was updated in 2020 by Gregory Smith (Graduate Teaching Fellow) and Heather Fedesco (CFT Assistant Director) to include primary literature research in higher education that has come out since the original iteration.

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Yes, Field Trips Are Worth the Effort

Culturally enriching trips can boost grades and decrease absences and behavioral infractions, new research reveals. 

As a teacher, Elena Aguilar often looked for opportunities to get her students out of the classroom and into different neighborhoods or natural environments. “We did the usual museum trips and science center stuff, but I loved the trips which pushed them into unfamiliar territory,” writes Aguilar , an instructional coach and author. Nudging kids out of their comfort zones, she says, “taught them about others as well as themselves. It helped them see the expansiveness of our world and perhaps inspired them to think about what might be available to them out there.”

Aguilar’s thinking made an impact: 15 years after traveling with her third-grade class to Yosemite National Park, a student contacted Aguilar on Facebook to thank her for the life-changing excursion. “You changed our lives with that trip,” the student wrote. “It's what made me want to be a teacher, to be able to give that same gift to other kids.”

As schools grapple with pandemic-related concerns about balancing in-seat instructional time with non-essentials like trips, new research published in The Journal of Human Resources argues that field trips, and the vital educational experiences that they provide—whether it’s a visit to a local museum or a big commitment like Aguilar’s national park trip—deliver a host of positive social and academic outcomes and are worth the effort.

“The pandemic should not keep schools from providing these essential cultural experiences forever,” asserts Jay P. Greene , one of the study’s co-authors and a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, in an opinion piece for the Daily News . “If schools make culturally-enriching field trips an integral part of the education experience, all students—especially those whose parents have a harder time accessing these experiences on their own—would benefit.”

In the study, researchers assigned more than 1,000 fourth- and fifth-grade students in Atlanta to two groups. One group participated in three to six “culturally-enriching” field trips—visits to an art museum, a live theater performance, and a symphony concert—while students in the control group stayed put in class. The outcome? Kids in the field trip group “scored higher on end-of-grade exams, received higher course grades, were absent less often, and had fewer behavioral infractions,” compared to students in the control group, according to a ScienceDaily brief . Benefits lasted two to three years, Greene writes, and were “most visible when students were in middle school.”

“We are able to demonstrate that a relatively simple intervention—and we consider it pretty low-touch; three field trips in a year, maybe six field trips in two years—can actually have some substantial impacts,” says lead study author Heidi Holmes Erickson in an interview with The 74 . “They’re not just limited to social benefits. It shows that smaller interventions can actually have some significant effects on academics as well.”

Field trips aren’t a threat to in-class instruction, Erickson notes, they’re a tool to help bolster engagement and expand students’ horizons. “It's possible to expose students to a broader world and have a culturally enriching curriculum without sacrificing academic outcomes, and it may actually improve academic outcomes,” Erickson says. Far from harming test scores, the researchers found that culturally rich excursions reinforce academics and “students who participated in these field trips were doing better in class.”

Meanwhile, class trips don't need to be elaborate productions to make an impact: small excursions outside the classroom—"low-touch," as the researchers call them—can pack a punch. Here’s how three educators recommend dialing it back with low-stakes options that are both engaging and stimulating for students, but might not require days to prepare and plan:

Make Them Bite-Sized : Instead of allocating an entire day to a field trip, educational consultant Laurel Schwartz takes her classes on micro field trips , or “short outings that can be completed in a single class period.” These real-world encounters, she says, are especially beneficial for English learners and world language students. A micro field trip to a nearby park or around school grounds, for example, can be a great opportunity to “enhance a unit on nature and wildlife while reinforcing vocabulary for senses, colors, and the concepts of quantity and size,” Schwartz writes. “Afterwards, students might write descriptive stories set in the place you visited using vocabulary collected and defined together by the class.”

Try Teacher-Less Trips : To encourage exploration and learning outside of the classroom, former social studies teacher Arch Grieve removes himself from the equation with teacher-less field trips rooted in students’ local communities. Grieve only suggests options that are directly tied to a unit being discussed in class—like attending a talk at a local university or visiting a museum or cultural festival—and offers extra credit to incentivize students. “These trips allow for a greater appreciation of my subject matter than is possible in the school setting, and perhaps best of all, there's little to no planning involved.”

Explore Virtual Options : It may not be as fun as visiting in person, but the Internet makes it possible to visit museums like The National Gallery of London and The Vatican Museums without leaving the school building. Middle school English teacher Laura Bradley likes to search the Museums for Digital Learning website by topic, keyword, and grade level, to find lessons and activities that meet her unique curricular needs. The site grants access to digitized museum collections, 3D models, audio files, documents, images, and videos. 

Teaching Methods: Field trips

She's been called a ‘true rockstar teacher' – in the past 10 years, geoscientist Suzy Urbaniak has planned and led 45 Australian and international field trips, helping students understand how their learning applies in the real world.

This term Urbaniak received the 2016 Prime Minister's Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools. Here, in a Q&A with Teacher editor Jo Earp, she shares advice for organising inspiring field trips.

Jo Earp: Suzy, congratulations on the teaching award! Your previous career was as a geologist?

Suzy Urbaniak: Yeah. I've always had a fascination with rocks and obviously science. I'm curious about why things happen and how things come together. … When I started I was out in the field and I thought ‘well, I really didn't learn this at school, what did I go to school for?' The skills of science weren't actually taught and I was very frustrated by that.

So, when I went into teaching I made sure that it was all about the skills of science – science is doing not sitting at a desk reading a text book or completing worksheets.

JE: Now, you're at Kent Street Senior High School, in Perth, Western Australia. I understand you've clocked up almost 50 field trips, in this country and internationally. What are the benefits of field trips – for both students and teachers?

SU: You can see it happening before your eyes – you can see things in 3D, you can see how all the sciences interlock and create the spectacle before you. So, while you're out in the field [as a teacher] you're explaining all this to them [the students].

For instance, a redox reaction which demonstrates the formation of sulphur from sulphur dioxide and hydrogen sulphide gas, you can actually see the sulphur being precipitated in a geothermal area and the redox situation explained. Then it's connected to physics through energy and to geology through the volcanism … and there's plants growing near it; so you then take in a holistic approach. Students, and teachers, can actually then get the benefit because they can see it transpiring before their eyes.

[Suzy Urbaniak. Image: Prime Minister's Prizes for Science/WildBear].

To me I always say to the kids ‘go back to when you were in Kindergarten and you used the senses, like smell, touch, taste' … to be curious about stuff and work out what it was. Those basic observations and measurements are rudimentary to good science, so I strip it back to that level. What you see, what you touch, what you hear, what you smell and what you taste – and in geology students do taste because they can then discriminate between what halite is and various other minerals.

It's just important to do real science. I say to my kids ‘love your data and let the data tell the story, don't have any preconceived ideas because that's not science.'

JE: A great bit of advice there. Now, if we can get to into nitty gritty of planning the field trips then – first, choosing where to go and why.

SU: The field trips are related to the curriculum but really anywhere you go you can find something that's related to the curriculum. I make my field trips an assessable task obviously, with any sort of medium that the students want to present their findings in. Definitely, I do have ideas of where to go … and through the field trips I have no trouble getting through the course, no trouble at all.

I don't prepare them much before the trip, but after the trip we use all the visuals and the life experiences, the field experiences, to guide and connect the so-called ‘dot points' of the curriculum together and they have a real life example to support their observations.

… Whether it's a student or a parent, they all say to me at the end of the field trip ‘I'll never look at a beach the same way again' or ‘I'll never look at a rock the same way again' because of the information that can be presented from actually seeing it and understanding everything in it.

A little olivine crystal in the Bunbury Basalt, for instance, or whether it's in the lava fields of Hawaii – taking it down to the nitty gritty in theoretical chemistry is the magnesium, iron and oxygen atom, which they do in Year 9 in looking at ionic compounds.

[Magma in a lava field in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Image: ©Shutterstock/Pung].

JE: You mention there Hawaii, which sounds like a great trip to me! Obviously you can't get out and about to every destination before you go but is it important for teachers to scout out the trip?

SU: Oh yeah, I do dry runs. If I'm going into a new area I do a dry run and that's still the case. When I started out on these field trips I would go and do a dry run and just familiarise myself with the area and identify things. Now I'm a lot more spontaneous, definitely spontaneous – we'll be just driving along the road and if I see something that should be addressed I will stop. We call these spontys!

And, similarly, I used to have a workbook that I worked out of and I don't do that anymore; it's more free range, more student-centred, open learning. There are stops and at those stops the students need to actually work as field scientists. They don't answer questions, they listen to what I have to say, they'll draw perhaps what I'm saying, they use technology, take photos, use Skitch to annotate the images on the spot there and then, they put it all together into a document of some description.

It's got to the point where this year's Year 12 [in some of their field trip reports] they then correlated the stops to the dot points in the Australian Curriculum. So, the science understanding, the science inquiry strand as well as human endeavour – they were linking back what they had to know into the sites that we visited.

JE: You need to make sure you've got all the health and safety and risk planning elements in there. It can be daunting for new teachers – have you got any advice?

SU: I call it ‘the bible' that has to be done and triple-checked. Plus, because I go near water I have to do my Surf Life Saving every year, renew that, then obviously there's first aid as well. So, yeah, particularly for new teachers, they should look at the area as well as make sure that all the legal aspects are taken into consideration.

Over here in Western Australia, anywhere we visit there has to be at least a public liability of $20 million, including caravan parks where we have to stay overnight. We have to get permission from the rangers in national parks, and make them aware that we're going into the national parks.

So, there's a lot of groundwork that needs to be done. But having said that, I often think ‘all this paperwork …' but when I'm out there in the field doing what I do best it's all worth it. And once you do one or two the others are easier, it's just a flow-on effect after that.

JE: What kinds of things would you normally cover in follow-up lessons?

SU: It doesn't all happen at once, it happens as we progress through the topic in class and then we reflect back on what we saw in the field and use that as an example.

JE: Would you suggest then that it's best to have field trips at the start of the year, because sometimes people do it as an end of unit don't they?

SU: I try and get them done as quickly as possible, for my upper school definitely. My Year 12 field trip is in Week 4 and Year 11 is the end of Term 1, but that's also based on when I've got availability. My Shark Bay field trip is six days, on the road in four-wheel drives, so that's the first opportunity to do it and definitely the best way to do it.

Whereas, the Year 7s we take them at the end of the year and that's because of their maturity as well as getting to know their classmates. Their field trip is more of a reflection of what we've learned and here it is out in the field, but then for Year 8s, 9s and 10s we seem to take them mid-year.

JE: You mentioned there that your field trips tend to be six day ones in the four-wheel drives, which sounds great. Does it have to be that sort of grand journey, can it be something quite close to school or a like you were saying a spontaneous one?

SU: Yeah, that's like a day excursion – I call those excursions, whereas my field trips are a minimum of two or three nights.

JE: And generally you'd be moving quite a distance away from the school?

SU: We go up to about 2500 kilometre round trip. That's why I get through the course, because we have numerous stops and we cover numerous concepts … and the concepts are all interlocked and integrated. But there are the one day field excursions and that can be done. For people that haven't had that bush experience I think it's probably the best way to start.

JE: Finally then, could take us through a couple of your favourite trips and some of the activities that you've done?

SU: Well, the internationals are just in a whole new league of their own. I've been to Hawaii, New Zealand, Norway and Iceland. In Hawaii and Iceland you're looking at crusts being formed out of the bowels of the Earth, you're looking at magma coming out to the surface of the Earth and that's just amazing, absolutely amazing.

Then you come here, back home in WA (Western Australia) and you go to Shark Bay for the stromatolites and you can see photosynthesis occurring in front of your eyes.

[Stromatolites in Shark Bay, Western Australia. Image: ©Shutterstock/Rob Bayer].

We've got the various mine sites that I take the kids to – so, you can see how their parents are actually forging a living and how science applies in real life and into careers. That's a big bonus as well of these field trips – the purposeful, meaningful learning is going to these mine sites and whether it's geology or mining engineering or metallurgy or environmental, their learning then leads down into these particular pathways. So, that's really an important aspect.

I go to Fitzgerald River National Park – a biodiversity hotspot of the world. There are plants there, the Gondwana species, the soil is so poor that they live in nothing. We look at the interrelationships between the Kundip quartzites and the Hakea victorialis and that's why it's only occurring there.

Then you stop on a sponty and you bash these komatiites – these rocks don't form now because the Earth is too cold. You've got these beautiful olivine, spinifex textures. These are the surprise ones that you stop along the way …

Even though the route might be the same from year to year, there's always something different. Even the Pinnacles, I've been there 14 or 15 times but again you just see something different and you do something different with the students. What I am finding is that the students, younger and younger are understanding more higher order concepts.

JE: Well, you certainly talk about science and the field trips with such passion, and I'm sure that you pass that onto the students. Congratulations again on the Prime Minister's Prize for Excellence in Science and thank you so much for sharing your expertise with Teacher .

Consider the science field trips you've organised in the past. How do you ensure that you're covering the curriculum while engaging students in 'real science' at the same time?

What health and safety precautions or risk assessments do you consider when planning a field trip? Have you got an emergency plan in place?

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How to plan a school field trip

Steps to planning a school field trip

• Commit to early planning
• Decide on your destination
• Get buy-in from administrators
• Contact the site
• Arrange transportation
• Plan food options
• Recruit chaperones
• Prepare students for the trip
• Get permissions from parents

Students love field trips — especially since they break up the normal school routine — but they’re often stressful for the educators who have to plan them. Pulling off a successful school field trip requires an enormous amount of preparation and organization, but it all translates into a rewarding educational experience for participants that has a long-lasting, positive impact.

According to a study cited by the National Education Association , students who took part in school field trips had better grades and graduation rates from both high school and college. They also eventually earned a higher income than their counterparts who hadn’t participated in such trips as students.

The hands-on, experiential learning students get from school field trips delivers a lot of other benefits — like increased knowledge retention, a more developed sense of independence, access to other cultures that broaden students’ horizons, and the chance to bond with other students and create life-long memories.

And the planning part? It doesn’t have to be daunting if you start early. Plus, we’re making it a little easier by giving you nine tips for organizing a successful school field trip and 23 field trip ideas.

9 steps to planning a successful school field trip

1. commit to early planning.

The earlier you begin planning, the less stressed you’ll be if and when obstacles arise. There are a lot of details to iron out, such as

• Researching and selecting a destination
• Getting feedback from administrators, parents, and students on the destination
• Planning the educational portion of the trip
• Getting parental permissions
• Arranging transportation
• Figuring out a meal plan
• Recruiting chaperones

Giving yourself a long lead time will help you tackle any unexpected snafus along the way.

2. Decide on your destination

Do some initial research and brainstorm potential school field trip destinations based on your learning objectives and curriculum goals. Consider location, cost of entry and parking, the ages and number of participants, the duration (e.g., a day-long excursion or an overnight trip), and any other key details that factor into the selection of an appropriate field trip destination.

Once you come up with a couple of good options, get feedback from colleagues, administrators, parents, and, if appropriate, the students themselves.

3. Get buy-in from administrators

Once you’ve decided on the ideal location for your field trip, be sure to get clearance from the appropriate administrators before you discuss trip details with students. You don’t want to get their hopes up if the administration rejects your carefully laid out plans!

Share the costs, the benefits of the trip for students, the days and times for the trip, and any other relevant details to help get the administration on board.

4. Contact the site

Once you have a “yes” from the powers that be, get in touch with the site and confirm that your preferred days and times are available. Make reservations if necessary, find out about group rate discounts and cancellation policies, pay any required deposits, and verify the site is accessible to those with disabilities. You can also share the number of children that will be in attendance and the special needs your students have, if any.

If it’s possible, conduct a site visit before the trip to get the lay of the land, locate the restrooms, note where students will be eating lunch, and any other relevant information it would be helpful to know before the field trip.

5. Arrange transportation

Now that you know where you’re going and when, it’s time to plan how you’re going to get there. You’ll likely travel by school bus, but if your group is smaller, you might get there in staff vehicles or even via public transportation. If you’re using school buses, you’ll need to reserve them in advance to be sure they’re available the day of your excursion, and you’ll have to fill out the required forms.

6. Plan food options

Of course, a day-long outing is going to require some serious planning, because no one wants a bunch of hungry kids on their hands!

There are a few options for food. Students can bring their own lunches, which can make things easier for everyone. Or you can make plans to eat at an onsite restaurant or cafeteria if one is available (which you may be able to reserve in advance).

Then there’s the option of eating at a restaurant, which might be the least palatable choice, given that kids might get unruly, you or they will have to handle money, and ordering could take a long time.

7. Recruit chaperones

Depending on the age of your students and the activities you’ve planned, it’s best to have a ratio of at least one adult to every 10 kids. If the students are younger, you may want more adults present.

You’ll need to recruit and confirm chaperones at least two to three weeks in advance, and be sure you have a list of alternates in case a chaperone has to drop out for any reason. Be clear with your chaperones that this is an educational trip and clearly share what you need them to do.

8. Prepare students (and parents) for the trip

Once all of your plans are in place and everyone’s excited, it will be time to share trip details with students and parents, and let them know what’s expected of them.

Hold an informational meeting for parents to discuss trip details, chaperone information, and rules and expectations regarding students.

Share trip rules with students and be clear about appropriate behavior. Let them know what the day’s itinerary looks like, what to bring, what to wear, and what not to bring (for example, anything of value that could get lost or stolen).

9. Get permissions from parents or guardians and automate the process where possible

Gathering permission slips from parents for school field trips is essential. Jotform can help simplify the process. If you want some tips to make this easier, check out our guide on how to collect online permission slips from parents .

We’ve also made it easy to automate your field trip planning with all the forms, tables, and templates you need for a successful school field trip:

• Field trip interest form
• Field trip permission form
• Field trip approval request form
• Field trip signup sheet
• Field trip permission slip template

And last, it probably goes without saying that you should be prepared in case you run into any emergencies. Bring along an emergency or first aid kit, and keep a list of parent contact information on hand.

Now that you have your planning to-dos sorted, how about some field trip ideas?

23 field trip destination ideas

Here are a few destinations that would make ideal learning experiences for students, depending on your curriculum goals and objectives:

• Botanical gardens
• Nature centers, bird sanctuaries, and wildlife refuges
• State and national parks and other natural attractions
• County and city parks
• Farms, orchards, greenhouses, and nurseries
• Community gardens
• Historic sites
• Planetariums
• Art galleries
• Cultural centers
• Radio and television stations
• Newspaper or local publication offices
• Police and/or fire stations
• Animal shelters
• Behind-the-scenes theater tours
• State Capitol Building and/or county buildings
• Local businesses
• Colleges and universities

If an onsite field trip isn’t feasible, you can plan a virtual school field trip as an alternative. Many of the organizations above can provide this service via video, guest speakers, demonstrations, or other presentations. Our handy virtual field trip registration form can get you started.

Try Jotform

Because Jotform loves educators, we have special pricing plans just for you. Get started today and receive a 50 percent educational discount for any paid plan . We have three plans to suit your needs:

• Bronze costs just $34 per month and includes 25 forms and 1,000 monthly submissions.
• Silver is $39 per month with 50 forms and 2,500 monthly submissions.
• Gold costs $99 per month and includes 100 forms and 10,000 monthly submissions.

We also offer a 30 percent discount on Jotform Enterprise for educational institutions. This powerful multiuser plan allows you to create beautiful, customized forms and protect response data securely online.

Hopefully, these nine steps, plus Jotform’s many resources for educators, will help you plan a stress-free school field trip that has a long-lasting, positive impact on everyone involved.

Photo by Norma Mortenson

Thank you for helping improve the Jotform Blog. 🎉

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