Educators Management Liability: Effect of Field Trips on Education

Due to shrinking budgets and less time spent in the classroom, many popular field trip destinations are reporting declines in student attendance. According to researchers from the University of Arkansas, there are many reasons why field trips are becoming less popular, with budgetary pressure playing a huge role.

These researchers found that even when schools do opt for an excursion, the locations they choose are markedly different from what they were years ago; focusing on ‘fun’ trips as a reward for good grades rather than learning opportunities. It’s theorized that students who enjoy a cultural outing rather than a recreational outing will demonstrate gains in critical thinking, historical empathy, tolerance, and appreciations of the arts.

Many educators feel that field trips to sites such as zoos, nature centers, community agencies, and science museums could yield many educational benefits, including:

• Hands-on learning
• Variety
• Exposure to new things
• Service to others
• Better grades and understanding

Field trips show students how the knowledge they learn in school is actually applied in real world scenarios, and gives some the opportunity to visit places they might not ever have visited on their own or with their families.

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