Education continues to transform in ways that we probably have never imagined before, solely because the needs and wants of mankind changes over time and according to that career options undergo a dynamic change. Students are encouraged by their private tutors and school teachers to start thinking about their area of expertise and interest from the beginning itself.
Students who are interested in sciences are pretty confident of landing a good job in future but there is a plethora of job options which would be confusing. Science tutors are then obligated to explain the transition that is occurring every now and then in the workspace. It is important to discuss with your tutors, it may be your physics tutor or biology tutor or whomever; it doesn’t matter because all of them will be equipped to answer your doubts readily.
There is more dynamic education as well as career options in the science field and in order to perform well, students need to understand the gravity of the subject and also realise that the subject is a fun one as well.
So, here are some tips for tutors to make science fun and interesting!
DITCH THE BOOKS
Many students have the opinion that as long as they know every nook and cranny of the book its sufficient to score stellar grades in tests and exams. However, good tutors will know that true learning goes beyond books.
Books can only go so far to guide students about the fundamental concepts and give the details of theories but that is not enough to truly comprehend the essence of what science is all about. The reason why we educate ourselves is to primarily be able to apply that knowledge and solve novel problems, come up with creative solutions to different scenarios or even invent something new to make our life more convenient.
Burying one’s head into the books does no good; all it does is to make students feel as though the subject is boring. Tutors need to make their students understand the importance of putting aside books for a little bit and open up their mind to absorb information beyond those books.
HANDS-ON
A practical approach to learning always spices up learning and its hence also one of the many reasons why there is a practical component to science subjects. Students are often fixated at performing the procedure the right way, getting the results and tabulating them but are not inquisitive enough to ask questions and critically think about the significance of every step in the procedure.
Say for example in a back titration procedure in chemistry, it may seem like a complex procedure as it’s a 2-step analytical technique that has “reagent A” of unknown concentration reacting with excess of “reagent B” of known concentration.
It easy to just perform the technique but there are a couple of reasons why this is practiced, such as,
- The analyte may be in solid form
- The analyte may contain impurities
- The analyte might react slowly with titrant in direct titration.
- Weak acid – weak base reactions
Tutors can explain the underlying reasons behind concepts which will give students a clarity to their mind and they would be more interested in the concepts that they are learning.
APPLICATION
Every concept that is being learnt in school has significance in the world we live in. Students often feel demotivated to learn when they do not understand the purpose behind the concepts that they learn. Tutors need to be able to explain how each and every concept is being applied in the real-world context.
When students have a better understanding of why they are learning such concepts, they would be more curious to find out more details about it. Curiosity undeniably ignites passion and leads to creativity as well.
BOTTOM LINE
Every subject has its unique challenges and fun aspects to it. It is tutors’ important job to keep students determined and inquisitive in their learning process. Venturing beyond textbooks and understanding the importance of science in the real-world will make lessons so much more fun and interactive!