Introduction
The teacher’s profession is one of the most important in human society, allowing generations of people to pass on the knowledge and discoveries of previous centuries. Teaching is the process of delivering information and skills in a manner that can be understood by others, a difficult process requiring much training in the field of education. Educators from each institution have their specialized approaches and professional outlooks on how to best interact with their students. The age of pupils can vary greatly, and so can the methods that are used by every teacher. Developing a desire to learn new things and curiosity towards knowledge is an important aspect of a teacher’s job. To successfully teach a child, it is not enough to give them the relevant information and demand that they remember it by heart. The most crucial step is to create a friendly environment that encourages children to understand and remember new material, as well as to research topics on their own. Facilitating the process of discovery, encouraging educational curiosity in students can greatly assist teachers in working with their pupils. For this paper, an examination of teachers for 1 to 6th-grade children will be made. The central goal is to highlight the importance of curiosity in the learning process and review the techniques used to promote it. Examining various literature connected with the topic allows us to better understand the role curiosity plays in the learning environment.
Literature Review
Arp, L & Woodard, BS & Hensley, RB. (2004) Information literacy and instruction – Curiosity and creativity as attributes of information literacy. Reference and User Services Quarterly. 44. 31-36.
The article concerns itself with the relationship between curiosity, creativity, and learning, seeking to inform the readers on how the former two can increase the effectiveness of the latter. Authors bring attention to the fact that the reform of the educational sphere is often considered from a top-down perspective, focusing on reforming the organizational classroom structure. Arp, et al., note that this outlook on the issue is not full, and any changes need to take into account that learning is an individual-driven personal process, driven by the correct environment. In many schools, the classroom setting suppresses unnecessary inquiry and discovery, instead of relying on simply delivering information and testing its retention. Authors conclude that school environments should encourage young children to participate in the educational process through “demonstrations, guidance and encouragement ”, which give children an opportunity to exercise curiosity and creativity.
Borowske, K. (2005) Curiosity, and Motivation-to-Learn. ACRL Twelfth National Conference. Web.
The conference discusses the roles curiosity can play in learning, both in the education system and in general. One of the theories Borowski addresses is the “information gap” theory that proposes curiosity to be the result of a disparity between what an individual knows and does not know. To successfully interest the pupils in a particular discussion, a teacher can connect it with atopic children are already somewhat familiar with, creating a sense of excitement and facilitating curiosity. Finding a balance between the new and old information can give educators the ability to engage their students far more effectively, as well as to create an enjoyable atmosphere.
Burns, A. C., & Gentry, J. W. (1998). Motivating Students to Engage in Experiential Learning: A Tension-To-Learn Theory. Simulation & Gaming, 29(2), 133-151.
The paper, connected with the previous one in their topics of interest, explores how a teacher can motivate students. The paper proposes that the combination of a perceivable knowledge gap and the adherence of the new information to a person’s values creates a bigger incentive to learn. This position means that students can be encouraged to learn new things if the skills or data are presented in a way that makes them seem new and relevant to a child’s current values.
Facilitating Student Curiosity: Strategies and Resources. (2018). Web.
The article focuses on examining and explaining why curiosity can be considered a driving factor for school learning. The webpage emphasizes that the presence of curiosity can give the children an incentive to learn and promote a student-centered classroom environment. The author also notes that the pupil’s curiosity can be a driving factor for engagement. One of the ways to promote curiosity in the article notes is incorporating the student’s questions into the learning process, and encouraging children to ask them more frequently. The use of project-based learning and the organization of non-standard class activities such as trivia quizzes and genius hours is also effective.
Ostroff, W. L. (2016). Cultivating Curiosity in K-12 Classrooms. ASCD.
The article highlights the role teachers play in encouraging curiosity in the classroom. By rewarding active engagement and introducing more methods of student participation, teachers can help their students understand and remember new things. Involved, innovative teachers that can be “down-to-earth” with their students have far more success in promoting learning than those that use a standard hierarchical approach. The open interaction between the teacher and their students is especially important in this regard, and establishing a friendly relationship within the classroom can assist in that regard.
Spektor-Levy, O., Baruch, Y. K., & Mevarech, Z. (2013). Science and Scientific Curiosity in Pre-school—The teacher’s point of view. International Journal of Science Education, 35(13), 2226-2253.
The last article focuses on the factors that develop children’s curiosity in scientific subjects. Science is one of the more difficult aspects of learning, and allowing children to familiarize themselves with the easier concepts can greatly improve their performance later on. A survey conducted among 146 pre-school teachers concluded that scientific activity in pre-school can influence children’s overall attitudes towards science. The researchers note that fostering natural curiosity can greatly assist in making children more interested in the subject. Presented data means that fueling curiosity in students can assist teachers in presenting difficult-to-understand material or the knowledge that does not apply to one’s day-to-day life more effectively.
Discussion
Examining these sources, one can say that a significant amount of research has been done into the relationship between curiosity, teaching, and learning. In many cases, making children more curious about a subject can lead to more beneficial outcomes. The experts note that the development of curiosity can assist in making children less resistant to receiving new information and affect long-term attitudes towards learning. By recognizing the knowledge gap between the information students already have and what the teacher can give, educators can make their audience more receptive and attentive. Presenting new data as something both novel and tangible to understand, a teacher can make the students more willing to learn. By implementing new and engaging approaches to teaching and presenting children with an opportunity to be active participants in the learning process, a teacher can achieve tangible results more effectively. Research shows that it is beneficial for teachers to facilitate curiosity and encourage children, especially younger ones, to make them want to ask questions. This task can be accomplished by using different methods, including unconventional approaches towards classroom organization and the encouragement of different kinds of classroom activities.
Conclusion
To conclude, a teacher plays an especially important role in society, being responsible for giving relevant cultural, historic, scientific, and general knowledge to young generations. Their work is often recognized and held in high regard, although understanding what factors make a good educator is difficult. Many factors play into the process of distributing knowledge, and a good teacher has to have the ability to ignite interest in their students. Curiosity can be used as a way to accomplish that goal, giving children a reason to receive new information. Overall, curiosity plays an unquestionably big role in learning, and educators must take advantage of this fact. Curiosity has a large part in the school environment, helping students to be more engaged, and making the teacher’s job easier. Through the recognition of curiosity as a route to deliver new information to children, teachers can accomplish their duties more efficiently. Facilitating curiosity and finding new approaches towards presenting information is crucial to introducing improvements to the education system. Making children interested in the subjects by appealing to their values and a desire to fill the knowledge gap can greatly assist educators in this regard.
References
Arp, L & Woodard, BS & Hensley, RB. (2004) Information literacy and instruction – Curiosity and creativity as attributes of information literacy. Reference and User Services Quarterly. 44. 31-36.
Borowske, K. (2005) Curiosity and Motivation-to-Learn. ACRL Twelfth National Conference. Web.
Burns, A. C., & Gentry, J. W. (1998). Motivating Students to Engage in Experiential Learning: A Tension-To-Learn Theory. Simulation & Gaming, 29(2), 133-151.
Facilitating Student Curiosity: Strategies and Resources. (2018). Web.
Ostroff, W. L. (2016). Cultivating Curiosity in K-12 Classrooms. ASCD.
Spektor-Levy, O., Baruch, Y. K., & Mevarech, Z. (2013). Science and Scientific Curiosity in Pre-school—The teacher’s point of view. International Journal of Science Education, 35(13), 2226-2253.