Purposeful Field Trip: Impact on Experiential Learning Opportunities and Critical Thinking Skills

Abstract

While Bloom's taxonomy is a well-established learning hierarchy*higher-order thinking skills (HOTS)*defined as the three upper levels*are seldom attained due to traditional teaching practices and time constraints of units or subjects. Therefore*adopting innovative pedagogy models like experiential learning provides opportunities for the demonstration and development of HOTS. The study's objective shows that field trips are crucial components of experiential learning*and when designed with a purpose*promote higher-order thinking skills. This study used a descriptive design*specifically videos*to collect qualitative data for small sample sizes followed by a structured questionnaire consisting of closed questions. All videos were transcribed*and thematic analyses were used. The quantitative data were analysed descriptively*and data were presented using frequency distribution. It was found that this field trip assessment design enabled the skills demonstration spanning Bloom's learning spectrum. Furthermore*HOTS were used more frequently than basic thinking skills. A quantitative survey on student perceptions revealed that pre-trip activities are equally important as during-trip activities. Findings from this exploratory study provide insights for future education-related research in the field of HOTS*transferable skills*and values.