THE IMPACT OF HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES ON STUDENT LEARNING IN SCIENCE EDUCATION

May 26, 2024 Educator's Corner

Johnny P. Buasen

Hands-on activities are extremely important in science education because they allow students to directly engage with scientific concepts and facts. Here, we would look into the impact of hands-on activities on student learning in science education, emphasizing the benefits they provide in terms of conceptual knowledge, critical thinking abilities, and long-term retention. According to research, hands-on activities help students gain a better conceptual understanding by allowing them to manipulate things, make observations, and connect theory and practice.

For example, doing experiments in a chemistry lab allows students to investigate chemical reactions directly, resulting in a more in-depth understanding of abstract concepts like stoichiometry and kinetics. Hands-on activities give students actual experiences that serve as the foundation for developing scientific knowledge (Abd-El-Khalick et al., 2001). Hands-on activities also help students build critical thinking abilities by motivating them to ask questions,
make predictions, and analyze data (Klahr & Dunbar, 2005).

Inquiry-based investigations teach students how to create hypotheses, plan experiments, and evaluate evidence, cultivating a scientific mentality marked by curiosity and skepticism. By engaging in hands-on activities, it enables students to become active participants in the learning process rather than passive users of knowledge (Linn et al., 2010). Furthermore, evidence suggests that hands-on activities help students retain scientific knowledge over time (Dochy et al., 2003). Hands-on activities produce enduring memories that are more difficult to forget by engaging students in experiential learning and involving many senses (Brown et al., 2014).

For example, dissections in biology class allow students to see anatomical structures directly, resulting in a better lasting comprehension of biological ideas. Hands-on activities give students meaningful experiences that link classroom learning to real-world contexts, increasing the relevance and applicability of scientific information (Rocard et al., 2007). As a result, hands-on activities serve an important role in science education by improving conceptual understanding, encouraging critical thinking abilities, and increasing long-term retention of scientific knowledge.

Educators can promote a greater understanding for the process of inquiry and discovery by allowing students to actively engage with scientific phenomena. As educators seek new ways to teach science, hands-on activities remain a cornerstone of effective pedagogy, helping students to become lifelong learners and educated citizens in an increasingly complicated world.