Exploring the Effects of Informal Curriculum on Student Learning
As society evolves, so does the academic curriculum. Amidst such advances, educators often overlook the impact of informal curriculum on students. Defined as the hidden or implicit curriculum, the informal curriculum is an essential component of the teaching process. It’s a collection of values, behaviors, and attitudes conveyed from an academic environment rather than the actual content that’s being taught.
Informal curriculum has a significant impact on educational practices, and although it’s not explicitly taught, it plays a crucial role in shaping the academic journey of students. Let’s explore the effects of an informal curriculum on student learning.
1. Develops Transferable Skills:
Apart from academics, informal curriculum plays a significant role in developing transferable skills. Students learn valuable life skills such as teamwork, leadership, communication, time-management, and adaptability through extracurricular activities and experiences like debates, sports, social clubs, and volunteering. Such skills help students stand out later in their professional lives.
2. Builds Confidence:
The informal curriculum plays a vital role in building confidence in students. Participation in extracurricular activities and various sporting events helps students develop self-esteem, social skills, and emotional resilience. Additionally, programs like career counseling and peer mentoring help students make well-informed decisions, turning them into confident and self-reliant individuals.
3. Develops Social Skills:
Extracurricular activities and informal classroom settings that involve collaborative group work help students develop social skills. These skills are vital not only in social interactions but also in job interviews. Being able to communicate effectively or work on a team can be a key deciding factor for employers when they select candidates.
4. Fosters Creativity and Innovation:
Participating in arts and cultural activities helps students become more innovative and creative. It promotes out-of-the-box thinking and helps students become innovative problem-solvers. Moreover, such activities can help students become more culturally aware and sensitive towards others.
5. Increases Classroom Engagement:
The informal curriculum helps teachers make even the most challenging academic concepts more accessible to students by using technology, games, and other interactive learning tools. It increases students’ engagement in the classroom, which results in a more participatory and interactive learning experience.
Conclusion:
In summary, the informal curriculum plays a vital role in shaping the academic journey of students. It builds confidence, develops social skills, fosters creativity, and increases classroom engagement – all of which generate an education that is wholesome and well-rounded. Therefore, educational institutions must recognize and implement informal curriculum practices into their academic curriculum. An inclusion of the informal curriculum can lead to better educational outcomes, contributing to a more successful student life.
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