The Role of Experiential Learning in K-12 Science Education

​Experiential learning is a teaching approach that emphasizes students discovering concepts hands-on rather than only reading a textbook or attending class lectures. It also shifts learning toward students instead of centering on what a teacher thinks is most important. Students share a concrete experience, like an experiment or field trip, which exposes them to a concept. They reflect on the experience, organically connecting the idea to what they already know. Students form hypotheses based on their learning and test them via experiments that they also design themselves.

The interactive nature of experiential learning suits science education in K-12 settings. Witnessing and conducting experiments helps them associate principles or equations with tangible effects. Forming a hypothesis grounded in a certain concept and designing a robust experiment with physical objects or a computer simulation promote critical thinking skills. Matching the data collected with appropriate statistical analysis techniques adds another layer of nuance. Students also develop science communication skills by explaining their findings to their teacher and peers at all process steps.

Toni Brand PHD

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