Summary
- What is meant by curiosity?
- The importance of curiosity in education
- How students can develop curiosity
- How teachers can encourage students to be more curious
- Curiosity kindling activities for students.
Curiosity is a desire to learn something new. It is the interest or inquisitiveness to know something.
Based on this definition, we can say that curiosity is a good characteristic. Something that kindles a burning desire to acquire knowledge.
The process of learning itself is a strong characteristic of a curious person. It denotes the desire to grasp new knowledge. It is an important quality to possess because curiosity leads to discoveries and inventions.
Some of the most significant discoveries were born out of curiosity. Benjamin Franklin would never have conducted the Kite experiment if it wasn’t for his curiosity.
Neil Armstrong may have never landed on the moon if it wasn’t for the curiosity of mankind.
To be curious is an inherent quality of all humans, but as time passes, this curiosity dies down, giving way to a more rigid outlook.
This kind of rigidness is not conducive to learning. Being curious about everything around you is the need of the hour.
Importance of Curiosity in Education
Without curiosity, learning would be just a routine or a habit. However, being curious has many advantages.
1. A Stepping Stone for The Brain
Curiosity is like a brain stimulus. Notice a child or a toddler reaching out for things. It is this curiosity that enables a child to learn.
2. Keeps the Mind Alert
Curiosity awakens your mind. A curious person is always aware of things around them. Curiosity eliminates procrastination and laziness. Curious students tend to be more active in the classroom.
3. Exciting Life
The importance of curiosity in education can be seen in the fact that it leads to an exciting life full of questions and answers. A curious person is always attracted to new things, making their lives more engrossing.
4. Face Challenges
Curiosity allows a person to face challenges and discover new ways to overcome these challenges.
5. Never Give up
The importance of curiosity in education is that it focuses on the “never give up” attitude. Curious students usually are ready to face challenges and obstacles and therefore never give up when faced with a difficult situation.
All these advantages of being curious are also the answer to the question why is curiosity important for success? All these attitudes that stem from being curious
Now that you know the importance of curiosity in education, it is also important to know how to develop curiosity.
We can look at this from the point of view of students, that is, how to spark curiosity in yourself and from the point of view of teachers- how to develop curiosity in students.
When It Comes to Enhancing Your Curiosity Here Are a Few Pointers You Can Keep in Mind:
1. Keep an Open Mind
One of the best ways of how to develop curiosity is to keep an open mind. By open mind, we mean to accept all possible theories.
Never be closed to anyone’s theory or opinion. When you are open to listening to all theories, you develop a sense of curiosity towards other peoples thinking and viewpoints.
2. Ask Questions
Another way of how to spark curiosity is to question everything around you. Do not hesitate to ask doubts or question people around you.
It is this inquisitiveness that will drive your passion for curiosity. When you ask questions you also seek answers.
If anyone person does not give you an answer, you will look for answers somewhere else. This is one of the basic characteristics of curiosity.
3. Put Yourself out There
Curiosity does not develop simply by sitting behind four closed walls. There is nothing much you can learn behind the walls.
Curiosity springs from action and the action is out there beyond the four walls. So, the best way to develop curiosity is to get out there and explore things around you.
Several answers to questions you always wanted to know, lie in the events of daily life. Exploration is the essence of the human spirit. Remember, not all who wander are lost.
4. Kill the Boredom
The famous quote “Exploration may hurt you, but monotony will kill you,” holds good even in the case of curiosity.
To develop a curious mind you must avoid getting bored. Keep yourself occupied with activities that interest you.
This way boredom will never set in and your mind will always be brimming with new ideas and thoughts. When you stop exploring, your life becomes boring.
5. Add Some Spark to Your Routine
Well, some may argue that sticking to a daily routine, while others may say that following a routine leads to boredom.
So, let’s take a middle path. Yes, it is necessary to follow a routine so that you bring discipline to your life but it is also important to add a bit of spice to your routine so that this routine does not end up in boredom.
One of the ways to add a bit of spark to your routine is by doing things differently in a day. It could be small things like taking the stairs instead of the elevator to your workplace one day.
Or using the bus instead of a taxi on another day. These are small changes that develop a sense of curiosity. It does not affect the day significantly but changes the mood of the day and avoids boredom.
You May Also Like Importance of Education in Life
From the Teacher’s Point of View, There Are Many Ways of How to Develop Curiosity in Students
1. Be Self Curious
First and foremost a teacher or parent who wants to develop curiosity in students must themselves be curious. A disinterested teacher may end up being a bore.
Being sprightly and proactive in the classroom is one of the best ways of how to spark curiosity in students.
2. Experiential Learning
Introducing students to experiential learning or exposing them to practical training sparks curiosity amongst the students.
Learning from a textbook is not the same as a hands-on learning experience. Experiential learning develops a sense of curiosity amongst the students.
Take for example a chemistry experiment where vinegar turns blue litmus paper red. Here you will read about this in your textbook, but seeing the blue litmus paper turning red in a laboratory is a different experience altogether.
Learning through practical training develops a sense of curiosity amongst the students.
3. Change the Questioning Strategy
Every teacher asks questions. The questions are mostly based on the day’s lessons. One of the best methods of how to develop curiosity in students is to question them, but differently.
It always sparks curiosity when you use first-person names in situations. Taking the same example as above, you could simply ask what will happen if you pour acid on a blue litmus paper?
However, to spark curiosity in students, you can rephrase the question to make it more interesting. You can ask- What would happen if Jack accidentally spills a bottle of vinegar on blue litmus paper?
Notice how the same monotonous question has suddenly sparked curiosity in you.
4. Capture the Attention
The beginning is always where you can catch the attention of students. A lesson might be boring but has to be done.
So the best way to teach the lesson is to capture the attention of the students through different means. Using live examples or organising debates and discussions on the topic could act as a curiosity burst for the students.
These are just some of the ways teachers can develop curiosity in students. Apart from these unique methods of teaching, teachers and mentors can introduce curiosity activities for students.
5. Industrial Visits and Picnics
Organising field trips and industrial visits can kindle curiosity amongst the students. Learning about the Taj Mahal from a textbook is less effective than actually seeing the Taj Mahal in person.
The awe and grandeur of the place can spark curiosity amongst the students and it might even kindle their interest to learn more about its history than what is contained in the textbook.
6. Encourage Reading and Research
Books are a man’s best friend. It is from books that students can gain an insight into the events that shaped the world.
Books, encyclopedias, magazines and the internet are knowledge hubs for students. With just a click of the finger, students can find answers to innumerable questions.
7. Debates and Discussion
One of the best curiosity activities for students is debates and discussions. Through debates and discussion, students get encouraged to research and put forth their points of view.
They also get to know the other person’s points of view.
8. Team Building Games
Teachers can spark curiosity amongst students by organising games for the students. The games can be team-building games or games related to the day’s lesson.
It spurs an interest to learn when learning is made fun. The curious nature of students automatically manifests when they are having fun.
Conclusion
From the above, we can conclude that curiosity is your growth point. The moment you develop the sense of curiosity you begin to spread your wings and grow.
The future belongs to those who are curious, those who can explore and question it. Curiosity is the very basis of education.
