QCH524 Teaching of Secondary History through Field Trips

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Course code & title: QCH524 Teaching of Secondary History through Fieldtrips

Course description:

This course seeks to expose student-teachers to an interesting and challenging strategy in history teaching by taking student-teachers out of the classroom. The course focuses on how field trips can be used to make history ‘come alive’ for students, and how inquiry-based fieldtrips can deepen students’ understandings of history and the past. As part of the course, student-teachers will plan, organise and conduct field trips to selected sites in Singapore. They will not only discover valuable nuggets of information about these sites, but will also learn how to design activities that will enhance students’ awareness of their culture and heritage.

Assessment:

Student teachers will use the Cooperative Learning strategy of Group Investigation for the assignment. This assignment consists of three parts:

Part 1 ‑ 20%

A multi-media presentation which includes rationale for choice of site, pre‑trip planning and activities and post fieldtrip de-brief and activities.

Part 2 ‑ 30%

Conduct of Fieldtrip

This phase encompasses the actual conduct of the fieldtrip. During the fieldtrip, student-teachers will be examined on their knowledge of the site they have chosen to conduct the fieldtrip on, the itinerary of the trip, time management and on‑site educational activities. Student teachers should prepare an on‑site teaching package consisting of brochures and on‑site teaching materials.

Part 3 ‑ 50%

Assignment Package

The package will be submitted at the end of the course. The package should consist of:

· Introduction‑outlining rationale and objectives of package

· A content write‑up of the site and why the site is suitable for a fieldtrip

· Pre‑trip plan of the fieldtrip (target level; time, date of trip etc.; link to syllabus; link to national education) and pre-trip activities

· Description of the conduct of fieldtrip

· A set of teaching materials/aids for on‑site activities for students

· A post‑ fieldtrip project work designed for students, including a set of teaching materials/aids for post‑trip activities for students and student feedback form

· Group and individual reflections which will deal with the features and processes of Group Investigation