importance of education worksheets

• Jul 21, 2023

Creating Engaging Worksheets and Handouts: A Step-by-Step Guide

Are you tired of creating dull and uninspiring worksheets and handouts for your students? Do you want to captivate their attention and make learning a more enjoyable experience? Look no further!

In this step-by-step guide, we will provide you with valuable tips and advice on creating engaging worksheets and handouts that will leave a lasting impact on your students. Get ready to transform your teaching materials into interactive and exciting resources!

The Power of Engagement: Creating Engaging Worksheets

Creating engaging worksheets is the first step towards promoting active learning in the classroom. Here are some essential tips to help you make your worksheets more captivating:

Incorporate Interactive Elements:

Introduce interactive elements such as puzzles, matching exercises, or fill-in-the-blanks with a twist. This not only adds an element of fun but also encourages critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Use Visuals to Enhance Understanding:

Visual aids are a powerful tool to engage students and enhance comprehension. Incorporate relevant images, charts, or graphs to convey information effectively. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words!

Provide Real-Life Examples:

Connect the content of your worksheets to real-life situations to make them more relatable. Students are more likely to engage with materials that they can see the practical application of.

Include Varied Question Types:

Keep your worksheets interesting by including a mix of multiple-choice questions, open-ended questions, and hands-on activities. This helps cater to different learning styles and keeps students actively involved.

Step-by-Step Guide for Worksheets: From Planning to Execution

Now that you understand the importance of creating engaging worksheets, let's dive into a step-by-step guide to help you through the process:

Step 1: Define Learning Objectives:

Clearly define the learning objectives you want to achieve through the worksheet. This will guide your content selection and ensure that the activities align with your desired outcomes.

Step 2: Organize Content and Structure:

Break down the information into logical sections or steps. Use headings and subheadings to guide students through the worksheet and create a sense of structure.

Step 3: Design Clear Instructions:

Write clear and concise instructions for each activity or question. Students should be able to understand

what is expected of them without confusion.

Step 4: Review and Revise:

Before finalizing the worksheet, review it for clarity, accuracy, and alignment with your learning objectives. Revise any confusing or irrelevant content to ensure a seamless learning experience.

Effective Handout Design Tips: Enhancing Visual Appeal

Handouts play a vital role in delivering information effectively. Here are some effective handout design tips to make your materials visually appealing and engaging:

Use a Consistent Layout:

Maintain a consistent layout throughout the handout to provide visual coherence. Use headings, subheadings, and bullet points to break down information and make it easily digestible.

Choose Appropriate Fonts and Colors:

Select fonts that are easy to read and avoid using too many different fonts within a single handout. Use colors strategically to highlight important points or draw attention to key elements.

Utilize White Space:

Don't overcrowd your handouts with excessive text or images. Leave sufficient white space to enhance readability and allow students to focus on the content.

Incorporate Engaging Visuals:

Include relevant visuals such as diagrams, illustrations, or infographics to convey complex concepts or ideas. Visual elements can make your handouts more visually appealing and memorable.

Step-by-Step Guide for Handouts: Designing with Purpose

Creating effective handouts requires careful planning and attention to detail. Let's explore a step-by-step guide to help you design purposeful handouts:

Step 1: Determine Key Information:

Identify the essential information that needs to be conveyed through the handout. Focus on the main points and avoid overwhelming students with excessive details.

Step 2: Choose an Appropriate Format:

Decide on the format that best suits the content and purpose of your handout. It could be a one-page summary, a step-by-step guide, or a visual aid.

Step 3: Organize Content Strategically:

Arrange the information in a logical and sequential manner. Use headings, subheadings, and bullet

points to create a clear hierarchy and

facilitate easy navigation.

Step 4: Proofread and Edit:

Before finalizing the handout, carefully proofread it for any grammatical errors or typos. Ensure that the information is accurate, concise, and effectively conveys the intended message.

Conclusion:

By following these step-by-step guides and implementing effective design tips, you can create engaging worksheets and handouts that will captivate your students' attention and enhance their learning experience.

Remember, the key is to make the materials interactive, visually appealing, and aligned with your learning objectives. So, go ahead and start transforming your teaching resources into exciting tools for student engagement and success!

Incorporate these strategies into your teaching practice, and witness the transformative power of engaging worksheets and handouts in your classroom. Get ready to inspire, motivate, and empower your students on their educational journey!

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Engaging students via in-class worksheets.

Worksheets are an effective tool in ongoing efforts encouraging our students to engage their brains during class. Worksheets used in class can also help direct students' learning out-of-class. The following list, with links to discussion and illustrative examples, gives examples of goals that can be addressed by using worksheets.

Helping students focus on an underlying ?big picture?

Bridging the gap between watching and doing

Focusing students? attention in class

Delivering and/or summarizing content efficiently

Encouraging students to communicate their mathematical ideas

Teaching students how to learn from their textbooks

Connecting new material to previously-covered material

One obvious disadvantage to incorporating worksheets into one?s teaching is the extra time that must go into creating them. However, I find that an imperfect worksheet often serves a particular purpose almost as well as a ?perfect? one ? a finding that relieves the pressure of finding sufficient time to create the perfect worksheet. And of course, worksheets can be revised and improved in subsequent semesters when repeating a particular class. But even better, worksheets ? as with many teaching innovations ? can be shared with and improved by colleagues. Mathematics faculty at my institution habitually share their course materials with colleagues, explicitly giving each other the right to revise and reuse worksheets. I often return to a course after an absence of a few years to find that my colleagues have substantially improved some worksheets that I initially created. Joint authorship, both simultaneous and asynchronous, brings additional benefits. Sharing worksheets often spurs conversation about teaching ? for instance, about course goals and how best to achieve them. Additionally, using another?s worksheet and attributing credit properly provides our students a subtle model of how to work together in an academic setting.

A less obvious drawback to using worksheets pertains to class time. It's all too easy to underestimate the time students will need to thoughtfully work their way through a worksheet ? and this is our valuable class time! Often the process reveals underlying problems: gaps in knowledge or skills that I assumed they already had. (Of course, identifying such knowledge/ skill gaps provides any instructor some useful information.) This time-related drawback is alleviated as I gain experience. Getting students comfortable with the idea that they won't always finish a worksheet also helps: I often have "straight-forward" and "more-involved" sections on one worksheet, and tell the students that I expect them to work through the former, then move on to the latter as time allows. This strategy also serves to keep the more advanced students from becoming disengaged while they wait for their classmates to finish. (Example: integration strategies )

These two costs of using worksheets are both mitigated over time, and are outweighed by the benefits. Students? benefits can be inferred from the list above. Students seem to appreciate the extra effort that goes into creating worksheets: our student evaluations typically mention worksheets in a highly positive manner. And faculty benefit too: from enhanced faculty interaction (as we share our worksheets), from becoming more informed as to what students are ?getting,? and from that same positive feedback on evaluations. Of course, our real benefit comes from the professional satisfaction in knowing we're doing all we can to help our students learn mathematics.

Acknowledgment Many thanks go to Karrolyne Fogel of California Lutheran University for helpful conversations, fruitful worksheet swaps, and for always keeping the focus on student learning.

Students often view mathematical ideas as disjointed topics, where we see them as various manifestations of one concept. For instance, calculus students often choose to memorize summation formulas for different numerical integration techniques. I?d prefer that they consider all the techniques as consisting simply of dividing the planar region determined by the integral into various shapes ? rectangles, trapezoids, and figures formed by replacing the top of a rectangle with a parabolic segment. This unifies all the Rules typically taught in calculus into variations on a theme: subdivide the interval of integration, form the appropriate shapes, find the areas of these shapes, and sum. We work our way through a numerical integration sheet together, with them supplying the first two (review) rows of the table verbally and me leading them through developing the last three rows. (The pictures serve as reinforcement of which shape corresponds to which rule.) The worksheet provides a handy place for them to summarize the critical information. I make use of it during parts of two classes: first reviewing and introducing the different rules, then developing the material on error bounds.

Similarly, I use a worksheet to introduce the concept of a probability distribution function when teaching introductory Probability and Statistics. At this point the students have worked with probability mass functions for discrete distributions. Before handing out the worksheet I use a computer simulation to motivate a discussion about what is likely to happen when larger samples are collected from the same population. The pictures on the worksheet (with their notes) then help them retain our conclusions. I ask them about the properties of a probability mass function and write these on the board. We then figure out how to ?translate? these properties into analogous properties pertaining to continuous functions, which they then write into the spaces provided on the front side. Note that there are two copies of the back page: theirs is mostly blank, with just enough information for them to figure out what I?m asking them to provide. We then use what they know about probability mass functions to determine how probability distributions functions ?should? work. This process may take up to one and one-half class periods.

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Worksheets can provide an excellent means of teaching mathematical conceptsthat are somewhat algorithmic. For instance, mathematicians generally consider proofs by induction to be the easiest kind of proofs to teach students: we can (almost) tell them exactly what to do! Start with the basis step, write out the inductive hypothesis, and use the hypothesis (as necessary) to complete the inductive step. What could be easier? Yet students frequently have trouble making the transition from watching us write an inductive proof to writing one themselves. My colleague walks her students through an induction worksheet that helps them understand what they should do at each point. A significant side benefit is that they then have a template for out-of-class work. As they become more comfortable with the ideas they use the template less.Of course, by exam time they're expected to have mastered the technique.

Similar "bridging the gap" worksheets can be handy when teaching epsilon-delta proofs, creating general solutions to systems of equations, and in fact, for teaching any multi-step solution procedures. Examples:breaking down the pieces needed to implement the Chain Rule , interpreting and applying the definition of a vector space , and working through the steps to carry out a reduction in order of a Cauchy-Euler equation.

As scintillating as we make our presentations, some students? minds are bound to wander.A timely worksheet causes them to focus on the material at hand: it?s simply the difference between passive and active learning. Worksheets of this type can be used to introduce new material, particularly material with many new definitions and terms. In these cases the class may go through the worksheet together, individually, or in small groups. Other worksheets ask students to apply a concept just presented: these are best done with small than whole-class groupings.

Examples introducing new material: Stokes? Theorem (first part), vector space definition , characterizing differential equations

Examples applying new concepts: Stokes? Theorem (second part), polar areas

Lecturing through material that contains many new definitions and introductory concepts can take large chunks of class time. Students often fall into passive note-taking and remain two lines behind the lecturer, no matter how comfortably paced the lecture. A worksheet that provides a framework for the lecture can speed up coverage of this type of material, and ensure that students record key items. Inclusion of simple tasks and questions abnegates student passivity.

For example, Section 4.1 of Zill?s A First Course in Differential Equations, with Modeling Application, 7 th Ed. (Brooks Cole, 2000) introduces several new terms including the key ideas of linear independence and forming general solutions. I?ve used this Chap 4 terms worksheet to guide students through the main ideas of the section, pausing to have them generate responses and write out explanations. Other examples include the induction worksheet referred to earlier, and the pdfs_pmfs worksheet leading students familiar with probability mass functions to the analogous probability density functions.

How many times have you heard a student say ?I get it, but I just can?t explain it?? We all know that the ability to explain a concept demonstrates a deeper level of ?getting it? than does mere use.The two samples here could be used in various ways, only some of which would encourage students to talk through the material until they reach a good understanding of it.

I use the integration strategies worksheet once the class has worked through sections on various techniques of integration one by one. Students go to the boards (or work at their desks if the classroom has insufficiently many boards) in groups of three. They are specifically and repeatedly instructed to complete the ?Novice? activity before attempting to evaluate any integrals: the focus is on analyzing integrands to determine which integration strategy is most likely to be effective. Groups must discuss their choices thoroughly and provide strong reasoning for them. They interact with the instructor and with other groups, defending their choices. I may send emissaries from one group to another. Most groups have time to begin evaluating several of the integrals and thereby to see if their chosen technique will work. Note that structuring the activities by different levels diffuses the tendency to race through to completion of individual integrals.

Students begin work on the polar integration worksheet individually. They?re asked to get as far as time (4 ? 5 min.) allows on the first four problems, then to compare their responses with their neighbors. Once pairs of students agree (or are stuck), they compare their work to that of another pair. The whole class then discusses the first four problems ? often by having pairs present their solutions to the class ? before moving on to the last two. The whole process takes about 20 minutes. Separating out the process of setting up the region of integration breaks down polar integration problems and helps the students feel comfortable with later multi-step problems.

First and second-year students have rarely developed the ability to read and learn from their mathematical textbooks. Worksheets can be used intentionally to help guide students? development of this ability. Having students write out responses encourages their engagement with the text; the questions chosen indicate areas on which to focus. Explicitly discussing the worksheets and why particular questions are asked helps students reflect on what is important. Follow-up discussions drawing similar information from students on subsequent sections reinforce lessons on how to glean knowledge from their textbooks.

Examples: a worksheet introducing Stokes? Theorem , a worksheet designed to be used when working through Section 4.1 of Zill?s A First Course in Differential Equations, with Modeling Application, 7 th Ed. (Brooks Cole, 2000).

Learning theory shows that students absorb new material best when they have mental ?hooks? upon which to hang new ideas. These hooks, of course, consist of previously-grasped concepts; making connections between concepts equates to hanging the new idea on an appropriate hook. Making connections can be achieved by asking students to review, and possibly rephrase, previously-covered material at the beginning of a worksheet, and then to use this material to investigate new ideas. For example, a worksheet introducing Stokes? Theorem directs students to review Green?s Theorem in the context of a 3D vector field with zero z -component. Through completion of the worksheet and simultaneous discussion in class, students then approach Stokes? Theorem as a generalization of Green?s Theorem. Similarly, students in an introductory Probability and Statistics class begin study of probability density functions by reviewing the key characteristics of probability mass functions, then tying these ideas together. See p. 2 of this example .

Cindy Wyels ( [email protected] ) is an Associate Professor at CSU Channel Islands, California's youngest state university, where she directs the MS in Mathematics program. Her BA is from Pomona College and her Ph.D. is from U.C., Santa Barbara. Her recent research interests have focused on graph pebbling and graph labeling, and she strongly advocates student participation in research. Her pedagogical interests include incorporating technology to aid student learning, improving students' communication skills, and increasing the participation of underrepresented minorities in mathematics.

The Innovative Teaching Exchange is edited by Bonnie Gold .

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Why Worksheets are important for kids?

In this article:

What are worksheets?

Benefits of using worksheets for kids, 1. subtle learning, 2. logic building exercises, 3. large coverage, 4. easier for the parents, 5. whisks kids away from gadget, 6. exploring concepts, 7. enjoyment, 8. repetition.

Past modes of imparting education are not as relevant now as they were back then. The education industry has evolved and is evolving with time. The old methods have improvised keeping the needs and receptiveness of students in mind. Kids learn more than what they do and see than what their teachers teach. Kids, specifically preschoolers, are prompt learners. They learn in a quicker way, provided we use smart methodologies of imparting knowledge. Speaking of smart methodologies, worksheets come into play. 

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Worksheets are the modern way of making children learn by creative and related play structures. Worksheets are more participative and mind provoking than any other mode of imparting education on children. It is a highly used technique of making students learn, especially when the children are in their pre-school. 

Worksheets are important for the children because while studying seems like a chore, worksheets feel like a fun activity or even a game. Below are major reasons why worksheets are important for kids

As mentioned earlier, the children learn without even knowing that they are learning. They get to do and say things that otherwise would feel like a chore if they were studying. As it engages and makes children participate, worksheets make kids learn in a subtle manner. 

Worksheets invigorate kids to engage on their own, look for a solution on their own. They develop logic in the children. By virtue of worksheets, you can teach children how to think. Their logic builds up as they try to figure out solutions and answers by themselves. 

You can cover many related topics at once when engaging in a relevant worksheet with your kids. It doesn’t seem like a lot of work to the children as worksheets help in engaging their young minds. When concerning fruits, animals, stores, you can cover a lot of worksheets together. The best part is that the kids wouldn’t feel like they indulged in a lot of studying today.

While it is hard for the parents to make the children to sit and study, the worksheet is a welcome change for both. It enables the parents to engage in some quality time spending with their children, while also making them learn. 

Engaging kids in interesting activities apart from gadgets and television is a toughie for all the parents. Making them shift from an iPad to a worksheet is a good change even for the children. They enjoy coloring, tearing, pasting, joining, puzzling, etc. Therefore, the parent’s can efficiently curb their child’s gadget time with worksheets. 

Worksheets help the kids in exploring multiple concepts and ideas. They develop fine motor skills, logical thinking, and learn things on their own. Worksheets make the kids privy to new and improved concepts of learning, develop ideas, and portray the same on their worksheets.

Kids enjoy doing worksheets and it is no different than playtime for them. What is more fun than ensuring that the kids learn subliminally while also enjoying what they do? As worksheets involve a lot of coloring and figuring out to do, the kids find it interesting. They would voluntarily engage in a worksheet as opposed to their own textbooks.

The best thing with worksheets is that they are in easily printable forms. The kids can be asked to do the same worksheet later and their improvisation can be analyzed. You can actually see that the kids have bettered at the same worksheet. This also builds up their academic confidence. 

Worksheets have become a great entertaining source of imparting value education to young minds. They find them interesting, engaging, and thought-provoking. As a parent, you would yourself discover that your child will be happily engaged in a worksheet as compared to his/her textbooks. The worksheet also ensures quality time spending between parents and their children. A lot of websites like School My Kids provide age-wise worksheets for the benefit of your loved ones. Keeping kids busy in the summer vacations can be a tough task, but worksheets can make it easier for you. 

SchoolMyKids provides Parenting Tips & Advice to parents, Information about Schools near you and School Reviews .

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Last Updated: Fri May 29 2020

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Keeping Learning Real, Relevant, and Relatable

Reading and writing exercises teachers can use to tap students’ interests and experiences in a variety of classes.

Our students are reading all day long—text messages on their phones, emailed directions about homework, apps from advertisers. They read what interests them and what helps make their world a more real, relevant, and relatable place to live. And we can tap into their interests to embed speaking, listening, reading, and writing in classes to help achieve content objectives.

Keep It Real

Students want to learn about things that have an impact on them in their daily lives.

Example: Give students an opportunity to learn about where they live by researching how culture, religion, and traditions have shaped their community and perhaps their lives as well. As you introduce this lesson in history or social studies, remember that some students might feel proud of their community, but others might be embarrassed about where they live, and still others might feel indifferent. For many students, their demographic reality is something they have no control over. But where we live does have a real impact on us. Ask your students: How do our neighborhoods define us, our families, and our neighbors?

Have students learn about the history of their neighborhood by researching it. Who were the first people to move to that particular part of town? As an example, what was their ethnic background? Was that particular part of the community more rural than urban, more industrial than agricultural?

Next, ask students to locate vintage pictures of their community from various websites. What can students infer from the pictures? Or invite neighborhood senior citizens to school to share their memories. How has their community changed? How has it stayed the same?

Finally, ask students to explain what they learned about their neighborhood. Students could share their community through more pictures or other artistic representations, or through interviews with senior leaders of their community.

In this scenario, keeping it real means sharing their neighborhood and explaining in creative ways how we are tied to the culture, traditions, and people around us.

Keep It Relevant

Students want to be connected to their learning and in control of it. When planning a lesson, think about the connections students will be able to make.

Example: Students are often tasked with writing a creative reflection about their last family vacation in English class; however, many students have never gone on a family vacation. The writing holds no connection to those students and creates a gap between those who have taken this kind of vacation and those who don’t have the means or opportunity. As a result, this assignment is busywork for some students.

Instead, give students in-class time to write a “Dear Teacher” letter to tell you about their family, their academic background, and their hobbies. This lesson can work in any class, not just English, and you may be able to apply the letter to your lessons, keeping your students connected to their learning in a very personal way.

In this example, you have used a culturally responsive, universally designed lesson to include all students in a relevant way.

Keep It Relatable

How do we connect student interests to their textbook or other required reading? Asking students to study what they find interesting in the text is not enough. However, offering choice within those texts might help.

Example: The next chapter in students’ world history text is ancient Rome. As you explain and highlight the textbook features of the chapter, offer choices of study within the text: During your preview of their required text, ask students to jot down the subheadings, questions, or pictures they find interesting.

Next, create small groups based on student interests. One group might want to research the early years of the republic, another might want to study ancient ruins, and another might want to investigate the power of Rome.

Give groups time to research their interests and prepare presentations based on information within the text and perhaps one or two outside sources. Then give them the opportunity to share their information in rotation stations, with students moving from one station to another to learn from their peers about their interest of study.

In this way, students are able to relate to the content by taking ownership of their learning.

Creating real, relevant, and relatable lessons might mean giving up some teacher control to dialogue with students about what they want and need to be successful. However, if you empower students to share their passions, perceptions, and progress in a deeply meaningful and personal way, your lessons become more creative and imaginative, and give students an opportunity to lead their learning.

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Effect of worksheet scaffolds on student learning in problem-based learning

Serene s. y. choo.

1 Republic Polytechnic, Singapore, Singapore

2 School of Applied Science, Republic Polytechnic, 9 Woodlands Avenue 9, Singapore, 738964 Singapore

Jerome I. Rotgans

3 Centre for Research and Pedagogy and Practice, National Institute of Education, 1 Nanyang Walk, Singapore, 637616 Singapore

Elaine H. J. Yew

4 Centre for Educational Development, Republic Polytechnic, 9 Woodlands Avenue 9, Singapore, 738964 Singapore

Henk G. Schmidt

5 Department of Psychology, Erasmus University, P.O. Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of worksheets as a scaffolding tool on students’ learning achievement in a problem-based learning (PBL) environment. Seventeen PBL classes ( N  = 241) were randomly assigned to two experimental groups—one with a worksheet provided and the other without. Students’ learning of the topic at hand was evaluated by comparing results from pre- and post-lesson concept recall tests. We also obtained information about students’ perceptions of factors impacting their learning using a Learning Impact Questionnaire. The data was analyzed by means of analyses of variance. Results of the study indicated that there was no statistically significant difference between the levels of understanding for both groups of students. In addition, survey results revealed that the strongest factor perceived by students to impact their learning in a PBL context is the tutor followed by team and class dynamics, while the influence of the worksheet was rated lowest. These findings suggest that scaffolds such as worksheets may not play a significant role in enhancing students’ learning within the social constructivist framework of problem-based learning. On the other hand, the importance of the role of tutor and collaborative small group learning which are key features of PBL is reinforced.

Introduction

In recent years, a debate erupted among researchers about the question of how much guidance do students need in problem-based learning (PBL) (Hmelo-Silver et al. 2007 ; Kirschner et al. 2006 ; Simons and Klein 2007 ). For instance, Kirschner et al. ( 2006 ) suggest that problem-based learning (PBL) is a minimally guided approach and is less effective and efficient than instructional approaches that place a strong emphasis on guidance of the student learning process. However, there are others who argued that the PBL approach does provide extensive guidance and scaffolding to facilitate meaningful learning (Hmelo-Silver et al. 2007 ; Schmidt et al. 2007 ; Simons and Klein 2007 ). Several authors describing the PBL process include descriptions of additional structured educational activities and sources of guidance such as references, audiovisual aids and lectures relevant to the problem as scaffolds to enhance student learning (Ertmer and Simons 2006 ; Saye and Brush 2002 ; Simons and Klein 2007 ; Taylor and Miflin 2008 ). However, till date, there have been different opinions about how resources or scaffolds should be used in a PBL curriculum (Taylor and Miflin 2008 ). Some institutions believe that PBL curricula should be characterized by as few lectures as possible, whereas others believe that there should be more structure in the curricula. The objective of this study is to investigate the influence of worksheets as a tool used to scaffold students’ learning in a PBL environment.

According to Saye and Brush ( 2002 ), scaffolding can be generally classified into two groups—hard and soft scaffolds. Soft scaffolds refer to the teacher actions in response to the learner’s efforts when the learner has a specific need (Saye and Brush 2002 ). An example of such scaffolds would be the tutor or facilitator in PBL. Tutors play a significant role in ensuring that the students learn and progress satisfactorily in the course of solving the problem (Maudsley 1999 ). They should be knowledgeable and able to effectively facilitate groups of students (Greening 1998 ; Hmelo-Silver 2004b ). Another instance of soft scaffold, which is also characteristic of PBL, would be the formation of collaborative problem-solving groups which helps to distribute the cognitive load and allow students to learn in complex domains (Hmelo-Silver 2004b ; Hmelo-Silver et al. 2007 ; Schmidt et al. 2007 ). Research done on small PBL tutorial groups indicated positive cognitive effects in aspects such as activation of prior knowledge, recall of information and causal reasoning (Dolmans and Schmidt 2006 ; Hmelo 1998 ). In addition, group discussions in such PBL groups seem to have a positive influence on the students’ interest in the subject matter (Dolmans and Schmidt 2006 ). This rise in interest may indirectly lead to an increase in the students’ motivation level to learn. Students also need to be willing to participate in peer teaching, as well as being actively involved in the group learning process in order for effective learning (Lohfeld et al. 2005 ).

On the other hand, hard scaffolds are in general static supports that can be developed based on learner difficulties prior to an assigned task (Saye and Brush 2002 ). Such scaffolds can be provided once a task is assigned to the learner. Hard scaffolds can be in the form of computer or paper-based cognitive tools e.g. worksheets (Belland et al. 2008 ). For example, one way of guiding instruction can refer to the use of scaffolds like process worksheets (Merriënboer 1997 ). Such worksheets provide hints or descriptions of the phases one should go through when solving the problem. Students can consult the process worksheet while they are working on the learning tasks and they may use it to monitor their progress throughout the problem-solving process.

Some studies have also suggested that fading of hard scaffolds is possible once the students have gained ability in performing the assigned tasks (Belland et al. 2008 ; Puntambekar and Hubscher 2005 ). For example, novices in a PBL environment may engage in unrelated literature searches, which indirectly results in inefficient learning (Schmidt et al. 2007 ). Hence, it is often essential that novice students in a PBL environment are provided with some resources to scaffold their learning, as being able to successfully search for literature and other resources usually requires a certain level of prior or domain knowledge. With increasing expertise, fewer resources should be provided to the students. In this way, independent learning is encouraged while providing a form of flexible scaffolding (Schmidt et al. 2007 ).

On the whole, the use of scaffolds in general and PBL context has demonstrated varying degrees of impact on student learning achievements. Some studies have shown effectiveness of scaffolds in supporting student learning (Cho and Jonassen 2002 ; Roehler and Cantlon 1997 ; Simons and Klein 2007 ). For example, Simons and Klein ( 2007 ) examined the impact of scaffolding and student achievement levels in a PBL environment, whereby students were subjected to different scaffolding conditions. Results from this study revealed that students who were given access to scaffolds performed significantly better in the post-tests, compared to the group with no scaffolds provided. The findings indicated that scaffolds may influence student inquiry and performance in a PBL environment. However, one of the limitations for this study would be the distribution of experimental groups. Only one class was assigned to the no scaffolding condition, whereas it would have been more desirable if the sample size of two classes was used to achieve the same number of classes in each experimental condition. Therefore, the present study sought to explore how far scaffolds, in the form of structured worksheets, help students in their learning in PBL. A quasi experimental approach was chosen in which one group of students received a scaffold during PBL and another not. Differences in their learning were determined by comparing the mean scores on a concept recall test.

Participants

The sample consisted of 241 participants with an average age of 18 years and who were in their second year of study in the institution. The participants were enrolled in 17 classes for a Biomedical Science-related subject (Immunology) at a polytechnic in Singapore. The response rate for this study was approximately 89%.

Educational context

In this polytechnic, the instructional method is PBL for all its modules and programs. In this approach five students work together in one team under the guidance of a teacher. Each class comprises four to five teams. A unique feature of the PBL approach used in this polytechnic is that students work on one problem during the course of each day (Alwis and O’Grady 2002 ) A typical day starts with the presentation of a problem. Students discuss in their teams what they know, do not know, and need to find out. In the process, students activate their prior knowledge, come up with tentative explanations for the problem, and formulate their own learning goals (Hmelo-Silver 2004a ; Schmidt 1983 , 1993 ). Subsequently, periods of self-study follow in which students individually and collaboratively try to find information to address the learning goals. At the end of the day the teams come together to present, elaborate upon, and synthesize their findings.

The problem used is a case scenario of a patient suffering from reoccurring infections due to deficiency in one of the proteins required for activating certain immune responses within the body. Some clinical data was provided in the case study for the students to infer and analyze.

Worksheet scaffolding

For the experimental group a worksheet scaffold was devised, which aimed to guide the students towards ideas to consider during the process of analyzing and approaching the task for the day. This was carried out by including hints or providing some information within the worksheet. For example in this study, students were required to find out about the role of complement proteins in the immune system. One of the questions in the worksheet prompted the students to investigate more about the different immune processes that complement proteins are involved in. For this question, students were required to fill in a table to guide them in learning more about the various processes that involve complement proteins. At the end of the question, students were then required to summarize the functions of complement proteins with the aid of diagrams and the information gained in the earlier part of the question as hints. (Refer to Appendix section for an example of the worksheet question).

Thus the worksheet is an instructional tool consisting of a series of questions and information designed to guide students to understand complex ideas as they work through it systematically. It was provided as an additional scaffold apart from the problem trigger, and students may complete it on their own or in discussion with their teammates. For the control group, the students were only provided with the problem trigger.

Pre- and post-tests

A concept recall exercise was designed to estimate the number of relevant concepts that students were able to recall before the start of the problem analysis phase (pre-test), and at the end of the reporting phase (post-test). Both tests consisted of the following instruction: “List down all the concepts that you think are relevant to today’s problem on the complement system.” (Understanding the complement system was the focus of the learning for the day). Students were instructed to only list keywords or terminologies they thought were relevant, and not write in paragraphs or sentences. They were not allowed to discuss their answers or to refer to any resources when completing the exercise. Students’ answers to the concept recall procedure were analyzed by awarding 1 point to each relevant concept given by the student. Rating was done by the first author and a colleague of similar expertise in the field of immunology. Differences in opinion were resolved by discussion.

Learning impact questionnaire

In addition to concept recall tests, a Learning Impact Questionnaire was administered to the participants in order to find out what students perceive as important factors that impact their learning in a PBL environment. The questionnaire consisted of five items measuring how certain features of the learning environment impact student learning: worksheet, problem statement, tutor, team dynamics (level of involvement within a small group of 5 students) and class dynamics (level of involvement between teams or in a larger group of about 25 students).

The following questions were included in this questionnaire: (1) “The worksheet has a strong impact on my learning”; (2) The problem statement has a strong impact on my learning”; (3) “The tutor has a strong impact on my learning”; (4) “Team dynamics have a strong impact on my learning”; and (5) “Class dynamics have a strong impact on my learning”. The items were scored on a 5-point Likert scale: 1 ( Strongly disagree ), 2 ( disagree ), 3 ( neutral ), 4 ( agree ), and 5 ( strongly agree ). Students were asked to answer the questionnaire based on their overall experience in a PBL environment.

The 17 classes were randomly assigned to the treatment condition (7 classes) and the control condition (10 classes). Each class has an average of 25 students. At the beginning of the PBL day, students completed the pre concept recall test, which took about 10 min. After that they commenced with the lesson. The PBL day was exactly the same for both groups, except that the treatment group received a worksheet with the problem. They were asked to complete the worksheet during the self-study periods. For students in the treatment group, the teacher would briefly check on their progress of the worksheet during the team discussions. After both groups had completed the PBL day, they responded to the post concept recall test, which was identical to the pre-test. In addition, the participants completed the learning impact questionnaire. As students were asked to complete the questionnaire based on their overall experience in the course of study within the institution, students who were not provided a worksheet were also able to evaluate the impact of worksheets (in general) on their learning in the PBL context.

When this study was carried out, the institution had not yet formed an Institutional Review Board (IRB) through which formal ethical approval for the study could be sought. However, measures were taken to ensure that ethical standards were met. First, the problem selected for this study was one which did not normally provide a worksheet scaffold. The students in the control group (with no scaffold provided) were therefore not disadvantaged by being in the control group. Moreover at the end of the day, the worksheet was made available to all students, including those in the control group. Second, all students and tutors who participated in this study gave informed consent, and were given a choice in regards to their participation.

Statistical analysis

In order to test whether there are significant differences in terms of students learning between the treatment and control groups we conducted an analysis of variance (ANOVA). The dependent variable was post-test score and the independent variable was the condition. In addition to the F -value and p -value, we generated eta-squared as a measure of the effect-size. In order to compare the items scores of the learning impact questionnaire we also conducted an ANOVA.

The results of the ANOVA revealed that the control group ( N  = 143) scored significantly higher on the post-test than the treatment group ( N  = 98) using the worksheets ( F (1, 239) = 6.47, p  = .01, eta-squared = .03). The mean score for the control group was M  = 5.91 (SD = 3.95) and for the treatment group M  = 4.76 (SD = 2.57). This outcome is rather surprising because it suggests that the worksheet had no significant influence on students’ learning during the PBL day; on the contrary, not having a worksheet seemed to result in better learning for the day. An explanation for this unexpected outcome could however be that despite the random assignment of the groups, the control group had by chance more knowledge about the topic than the treatment group. In order to test for this possibility, we conducted another ANOVA to examine whether there were initial differences on the pre-test scores between the two groups. The results of the ANOVA revealed that there were indeed significant knowledge differences in favor of the control group: F (1, 239) = 15.08, p  < .01, eta-squared = .06. The mean score for the control group on the pre-test was M  = 2.32 (SD = 3.36) and for the treatment group M  = 1.00 (SD = 1.65). The results of the pre- and post-tests are summarized in Table  1 .

Table 1

Summary of ANOVA comparing the pre-test and post-test scores of participants

In order to statistically correct for this initial difference in pre-test scores, we conducted an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The covariate was the pre-test score, the independent variable as the condition and the dependent variable was the post-test score. Despite correcting for the initial differences, the ANCOVA revealed that the differences in post-test scores were not significantly different: F (1, 238) = 1.58, p  = .21, eta-squared = .01. This outcome suggests that using a worksheet as a scaffold for learning had no significant effect on student learning, even after correcting for initial knowledge differences.

We next compared the scores to the items of the Learning Impact Questionnaire to examine how students perceive various aspects (scaffolds) present in a PBL classroom environment and their respective impact on learning. The results are summarized in Table  2 .

Table 2

Summary of ANOVA comparing factors that students perceive as important in impacting their learning in a PBL environment

The ANOVA revealed that there were statistically significant differences between the scores of the items in absolute sense: F (4, 218) = 39.88, p  < .01, eta-squared = .16. Considering the mean values and pairwise comparisons based on the LSD, students in our sample rated the worksheets as having the lowest impact on their learning (worksheet scored lowest as compared to all other items p  < .01). There are no differences in mean scores reported in Table  2 between experimental and control group, except for the worksheet ( p  = .013; mean score for experimental group = 3.71; mean score for control group = 3.40). Although the p -value for worksheet is not smaller than .01, it is smaller than .05 which may be considered as a statistical significant difference. The highest impact on students’ learning was related to team dynamics, which was rated higher than for all other items ( p  < .01). The other factors of the learning environment fell within between these two extremes. The tutor and class dynamics were rated second most important and the problem statement third.

Overall, the results demonstrate that worksheets may not have a significant influence on students’ learning in a PBL classroom. This was inferred from our post-test achievement data, and also by students’ responses to the Learning Impact Questionnaire.

General discussion

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of worksheet scaffolds on students’ learning achievement in a PBL environment. Based on the results obtained from this study, there was no statistically significant difference between the levels of achievement in terms of learning outcomes for both the experimental and control group. As mentioned in the introduction to this study, there is a lack of clarity on how scaffolding can be used to achieve successful teaching (Verenikina 2008 ) in PBL. The contribution of this study is the evidence that, at least in this PBL context, scaffolds such as worksheets may not play a significant role in enhancing students’ learning within PBL. This is supported by the results obtained from the Learning Impact Questionnaire, which revealed that the strongest factor perceived by students to impact their learning in a PBL context is the tutor followed by team and class dynamics, whilst the influence of the worksheet was rated lowest.

With reference to prior studies, the findings obtained from this study reinforced the view that soft scaffolds, such as tutoring and collaborative small group learning, are crucial for student learning in a PBL environment. Tutors should have the relevant content knowledge to guide students throughout the process of solving the problem by asking open-ended questions to facilitate them (Hmelo-Silver 2004b ; Hmelo-Silver and Barrows 2008 ; Maudsley 1999 ; Yee et al. 2006 ). A recent study conducted by Rotgans and Schmidt ( 2010a ) discussed that one of the options to increase interest would be to enhance the tutor’s subject-matter expertise, thereby leading to an increase in cognitive congruence. This could be done by providing modes of additional resources (e.g. briefing sessions, reading materials) for tutors to gain more in-depth knowledge of the problem (Rotgans and Schmidt 2010a ). In this study we have conducted, the responses obtained from the Learning Impact Questionnaire showed that the tutor was rated as being more significant for students’ learning and not the worksheet. Based on this finding, it may be more beneficial for student learning in PBL if the tutor provides soft scaffolding like what previous studies have suggested. This study also suggests that collaborative small group learning (team dynamics) plays a significant role in enhancing student learning. Studies have indicated that collaborative groups in PBL creates an appropriate environment for students to learn the concepts by allowing them to investigate each others’ comments and encourage further discussion (Dolmans and Schmidt 2006 ; Hmelo-Silver 2004b ; Will 1997 ). Overall, this seems to support the finding from our study as to why students perceive team dynamics to have a significant impact on their learning.

Limitations

In overall, the outcome of this study seems to align with previous studies pertaining to scaffolds. Schmidt et al. (1997) commented that as students gain a certain level of prior knowledge or expertise, the degree of scaffolding should be lower (i.e. fewer resources) so as to encourage independent learning. In this study, the participants were already in their second year of the diploma course that they were enrolled in. They would have some prior knowledge and experience in searching for literature and other resources during their first year, when they were still novices to PBL. This could have lead to the participants being less reliant on the worksheets to grasp the concepts related to the topic for the day. Furthermore, there are other limitations that could have influenced the student’s reliance on using the worksheet to enhance their learning.

First, students who are less motivated in learning might not necessarily attempt to use the worksheet for their learning. According to Merriënboer ( 1997 ), students can refer to the worksheet and use it to monitor their progress during the process of solving the problem. Students who are either not keen to investigate more about the problem, or are confident in their ability to search for relevant resources to solve the problem may not deem the worksheet to be essential in scaffolding their learning. Moreover, it was unfeasible to unravel differences between using a worksheet individually or as a group. Students who completed the worksheet in groups may possibly have learnt more compared to those who completed the worksheet individually. Hence, this could have lead to the high rating of the team dynamics in the learning impact survey.

Secondly, the concept recall test is based on the assumption that students build networks of concepts in the process of learning and the more students have learned about a topic, the more coherent and detailed each network would be (Glaser and Bassok 1989 ). Students who have learned more effectively would therefore be able to recall more concepts and also would be able to do so more easily (Collins and Quillian 1969 ; Rumelhart and Norman 1978 ). However, it is possible that though the concept recall test could provide an indication of the quality of student learning it may not thoroughly measure students’ understanding of the topic (Yew and Schmidt 2011 ).

Third, through the PBL process, students are required to come up with tentative theories to explain the phenomena presented in the problem. Previous studies have indicated that there is a positive effect on motivation, interest and learning when students have a choice to determine what they wish to study or learn (Deci et al. 1991 ). In a recent study, it was suggested that when students gain more autonomy from tutor and team members, they would exhibit more cognitive engagement in class with the task at hand especially when they are doing individual self-study (Rotgans and Schmidt 2010b ). By integrating hard scaffolds such as worksheets into the PBL curriculum, this may reduce students’ feeling of choice and autonomy, which leads to less engagement and learning. Since students in a PBL environment are expected to engage in their own knowledge construction to solve the problem, there could be a possibility that worksheets and PBL are not reconcilable. As worksheets tend to impose the theories on the students, this may affect the process of the students’ knowledge construction. However, this is only a tentative explanation, as more research is needed to establish the link between autonomy reduction and hard scaffolds in PBL.

The following suggestions could be taken into consideration for further research: (1) Results from this study generally indicated that worksheets may not be that effective as a form of scaffolding to enhance student learning in PBL in this educational context. However, it remains an empirical question to see if there are any significant differences in the level of student dependence on hard scaffolds such as worksheets, as they progress from novices to individuals who have adopted relevant PBL skills gained throughout the course of study. Since this study involved participants who are in their second year of the diploma course, it is suggested that it could be helpful to conduct similar studies on students who are in their novice and final year of the course. In this way, comparisons and inferences can be made about students’ perceptions and reliance on worksheets as a scaffold in a PBL environment. (2) Most of the previous studies conducted have demonstrated a certain level of success rate of adopting PBL in the field of science, in particular medical education. Hence, it is suggested that the influence of worksheets on students’ learning in other subject fields (e.g. engineering, arts) could be further investigated. (3) Considering that the worksheet design may vary based on the curriculum to be delivered, data could be collected for a range of topics for more conclusive findings. (4) Since tutors play an important role in observing learning processes of the students throughout the lessons, it would be beneficial to examine what are the tutors’ perceptions of using worksheets as a form of scaffolding to facilitate students’ learning. (5) One of the aims of PBL is to encourage students to move away from passive learning to active engagement during the process of solving the problem (Davis and Harden 1999 ). Students who are generally passive learners could be relying more on the worksheet for guidance instead of being engaged in collaborative small group learning. Hence, this may indirectly affect the responses to the Learning Impact Questionnaire. More research could be conducted to investigate if there is any correlation between the learning styles and achievement level of the students.

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Appendix: Example of question included in the worksheet (From the Immunology curriculum, Republic Polytechnic, 2009–2010)

In the previous problems, we have learnt about the structure and function of various antibodies. One important function of some classes of antibody is to activate the complement system. The complement system consists of a cascade of proteins, which eventually leads to lysis of the foreign invader. One of the functions of complement is to aid in opsonisation of foreign invaders, together with antibodies.

a. What does the term ‘opsonisation’ mean?

b. Other than opsonisation and complement, there is also another approach that antibodies use to participate in host defense, which is neutralization. Using the table below, compare and contrast the three different approaches.

Contributor Information

Serene S. Y. Choo, Phone: +65-3100-1739, Fax: +65-6415-1310, Email: gs.pr@oohc_eneres .

Jerome I. Rotgans, Email: [email protected] .

Elaine H. J. Yew, Email: gs.pr@wey_eniale .

Henk G. Schmidt, Email: ln.rue.wsf@tdimhcS .

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• Saye JW, Brush T. Scaffolding critical reasoning about history and social issues in multimedia-supported learning environments. Educational Technology Research and Development. 2002; 50 (3):77–96. doi: 10.1007/BF02505026. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
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• Simons, K., & Klein, J. (2007). The Impact of scaffolding and student achievement levels in a problem-based learning environment. Instructional Science , 35 (1), 41–72).
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• Verenikina I. Scaffolding and learning: Its role in nurturing new learners. In: Vialle W, Konza D, Vogl G, Kell P, editors. Learning and the learner: Exploring learning for new times. Wollongong: University of Wollongong; 2008. [ Google Scholar ]
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What is a Worksheet for teaching and learning?

A worksheet (used in education or in teaching and learning in schools) is a written material used by teachers to deliver written instructions, and assignments to students, and students have to work on them. Worksheets are easily downloadable on a home or a school printer and can be created easily for student and teacher use. Worksheets can come in a variety of subjects like English Language Arts, Science, Mathematics, Social Studies, Drawing and Crafts, and more in other fields of study.

According to research, when students are provided with quality, standard-aligned learning materials for their education, it has a greater impact on the overall performance of the students. High-quality learning materials improve the academic performance of the student. Worksheets are popular and the most frequently used resource for learning in schools. Worksheets or printables for teaching and learning purposes are used in schools for quite a long time.

Why worksheets or printables are so popular in classrooms for teaching and learning?

• Easy to use
• Can be used independently by students
• Students can complete it on their own time
• Easy to create
• Properly designed worksheets and printables can improve student engagement and help in active learning.
• Students can evaluate each other’s progress by sharing their own worksheets with the neighboring student and discussing the topic in the class initiates communication between the students and the teacher. This helps to improve communication skills, class engagement, and social skills.
• Students can work on their own time and teachers are able to help other students who need more support. (McDowell & Waddling, 1985)
• Worksheets and printables can be shared with students who are learning online
• A variety of instructions can be included in a worksheet, for example, fill in the blanks, match the following, compare, picture space for journaling worksheets, handwriting practice space for tracing, writing activities, and more. These different types of written materials help to trigger interest in students and learning becomes fun and enjoyable.
• Teachers are able to assess students’ previous knowledge, the outcome of learning a concept, and the process of learning, and students themselves can monitor the progress on their own.
• Bridges the gap between watching and doing , and encourages active learning.

What is a student worksheet?

Student worksheets are printed materials prepared by school educators for the student’s learning needs and these can be based on the school subjects like math, science, history, geography, social studies, etc. Educators spend quite a lot of time preparing them for the students keeping some factors in mind:

• Keeping the content relevant to the specific grade level
• Meets the needs and requirements of the children
• Creating high-quality standard aligned instructional materials
• Making the materials that students find interesting, engaging, and challenging.
• Making learning easy and fun.

Below you will find some worksheets by Eduresourcesfor kids which include line tracing a nd pencil control worksheets for pre-kindergarten to kindergarten students in school as well as in homeschool. Others include fun coloring pages on seasonal themes, ocean creatures woodland animals, and printables in the elementary math curriculum .

Get Access to the amazing Resource Library for free amazing Printables Now!

What is the purpose of worksheets in Education?

The underlying purpose of creating worksheets for teaching and learning is:

• Making teaching more fun with high-quality materials for the educators, that helps them to implement those materials in the classroom to get desired learning outcomes.
• Worksheets are simple yet effective methods of delivering instructions to students.
• Different worksheets for different levels of learning can improve student performance because the worksheets can be customized according to the needs of the students and their level of understanding.
• Preferred by parents compared to conventional heavy textbooks. Makes teaching and learning easy.
• Effective learning tool for students from PreK to higher grades – facilitates increased engagement, class discussion, student performance, and active learning.
• Worksheets fo r teachers for teaching purposes help the teachers to monitor student progress, make evaluation faster, achieve learning goals, access students prior knowledge, the outcome of learning a concept, and the overall learning process.

Benefits of using In-class worksheets for teaching

Cindy Wyels, Associate Professor, CSU Channel Island, explains the benefits of using workshee ts in Math classes,

Worksheets can be revised and improved when repeating a class lesson . Teachers can take the used worksheets and change the contents to improve them and then provide the received worksheets to the students or the class to work on. The main benefit of this practice is that the students get new questions and skills to work on and their attention is instantly hooked to the new questions which reduces boredom to a greater extent.

Worksheets can be reused after revising the contents and shared with the class and other teachers , which sparks communication between colleagues about lesson goals, learning outcomes, and how to achieve them effectively. Other teachers who teach the same subjects in the school in the same grade level, can update the content of the worksheet that you have created based on a mutual understanding, and the needs and requirements of the students. This joint authorship can improve academic achievement to a higher level and saves a ton of time for the teachers to recreate the content on their own which is on the same topic.

Worksheets cause the students to focus on the materials at hand and support active learning . This is an advantage of using quality worksheets in education as the passivity decreases and the students in the classroom focus on the work given to them, either the students can work independently or in small cohorts. One advantage of using worksheets is that students get the flexibility of completing the worksheets at their own pace and hand in before the deadline.

Worksheets can be used to introduce a new concept with examples and definitions and practice activities. When students are asked to summarize what they have learned, students can easily do it by filling up a template provided to them either in class or out of class. Once the kids get acclimatized to how to write a topic based on the given parameters, they would reduce the use of the template and be able to construct answers of their own. For example, in science experiments, if a template is provided on how to write a hypothesis, what are the materials required to carry on the experiment, what are the procedures students require to follow and a definite space for writing the observation and the inference, then students could organize their work and fill in the details of the experiment in a much efficient and effective manner. Later on, when they proceed in writing other similar or higher level experiments, they already know what format to follow to write and the class operations can proceed in a much smoother way.

Students are engaged in filling up the material on the basis of the lessons completed in class and this helps in keeping the student’s attention on the material and reduces passive learning.

Connecting new study materials with already covered material , worksheets can be useful. Students can be asked to review a previously learned material at the beginning of a new worksheet and then build up the new concept from the already acquired lesson. For example, in Maths in elementary classes, the students get worksheets on the Addition and subtraction of fractions, the initial pages of the workbook can contain the definitions of fractions, like and unlike fractions, equivalent fractions, mixed fractions, and so on to have the students review the topics already covered, so that they can refresh their memories and start working on the given additions and subtractions of like, unlike and mixed fractions. Repetition of the already learned concepts reinforces their understanding of the concept and they can solve upcoming problems without much difficulty.

The use of worksheets is seen quite frequently in schools from the pre-K stage to high school. Students work individually on them or in small groups. The worksheets offer flexibility in using them over and over again( changing and reusing the content) and help the educators in evaluating students’ prior knowledge, and the learning process. The use of worksheets as instructional tools is also popular among educators.

Lastly, high-quality instructional materials in form of worksheets with a proper layout could cater to the needs of students with different reading levels from pre-primary to university level, and also teachers could benefit from its use when they are trained professionally on how to use them for maximum academic achievement and teacher growth.

• Importance of High-Quality Instructional materials, Oregon Department of Education (2022, February, n.d.). Retrieved May 3, 2022 from Importance of High-Quality Instructional Materials (oregon.gov) .
• Wyels, Cindy. ( 2022, n.d.). Engaging Students via In-Class Worksheets. California State University Chanel Islands, Mathematical Association of America. Retrieved May 3, 2022 from Engaging Students via In-Class Worksheets | Mathematical Association of America (maa.org)

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Home / Parents / Child development / Importance of education

Importance of education

Perhaps nothing illustrates the importance of education better than the fact that it is one of the fundamental human rights according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) .

In fact, when we start the process of learning the first steps, words, learning complex lessons, taking tests and exams, all the way to attending professional development programs and various extracurricular activites , we never stop being part of a broad and significant educational process. Therefore, although many people primarily associate education with the time spent in school or in college, education is actually much more than that and occurs in many places and in many different ways – in the classroom, but also in everyday life.  

Thus, education comes in many different forms and types, from formal to informal, and there are different ways to realize the educational process: from organized to individual. What remains an undeniable fact is the importance of education for each individual who treats life in a productive way. 

Why is education so important?

In our civilization, there is probably no other value about which people are so unanimous as the importance of education. According to UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, all people should have access to primary education at least. However, education is an activity that people who want to develop, make progress and improve both their personal and professional achievement seek to practice in different ways throughout their life.

The fact is that as long as we are learning and getting an education, our life is being enriched. Specifically, nothing provides such great opportunities as real education: from concrete tools and skills needed for everyday life, to specialized knowledge important for certain vocations and professions, and finally, fundamental values and qualities that make us good human beings. 

Hence, education can be understood as a process of our (self)construction, i.e. ways to become complete personalities. Being a doctor, IT expert, entrepreneur, good friend, responsible member of society – all these things are something we do our whole life, and education can help us become better at them. 

Education gifts us with the most fundamental human value of all – freedom, by allowing us to choose what we want to learn, and as a result, what we want to be, i.e. how we want to live. Thus, education is not just about acquiring knowledge that will provide us with good jobs, successful careers and comfortable life, but also about adopting fundamental human qualities, such as the ability to distinguish right from wrong, importance of altruism, and to care for oneself and others, all of which will help us to become better individuals. 

Authentic education seeks to provide the individual with everything they need to develop into a versatile and well-rounded person. In other words, life education is a powerful weapon that ensures success in different areas of life. 

Important facts about education: 

• Education helps reduce poverty in the world. Education is one of the most powerful tools that allows the integration of children and adults from the margins of society into that same society. UNESCO data show that if all adults in the world completed secondary education, poverty would be cut by at least half.  
• Reduces gender inequality . Education reduces the gender gap in favor of women and girls. 
• Standards and control are important. In order for education as a fundamental right to be equally exercised by all, it is necessary to provide equal opportunities for all, a universal approach and quality standards that can be easily monitored and implemented. 
• Most countries in the world guarantee at least eight years of free education. 155 countries guarantee nine or more years of free compulsory education within their education system. 
• Almost a hundred countries guarantee 12 years of free education. Only 99 countries legally guarantee at least 12 years of free education. 
• Education is also a privilege. Higher education is not a right, but a privilege that an individual is able to exercise based on their talent and achieved results.

There is no development without education 

Nowadays, many world leaders, scientists and entrepreneurs clearly emphasize that without a good education, there is no stable and long-term progress in society. In consequence, more and more resources are invested in the field of education in an attempt to equip people with the necessary knowledge and skills that will help society and economy to thrive. 

The example of South Korea confirms the importance and role of education in the development of a country. Only 70 years ago, in the 1950s, this country was in a worse position than many African countries are today. However, investments, and equal access to education both for men and for women led to the economic boom this country is known for today. 

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A powerful tool for changing the world, and oneself 

One of the most famous quotes about education is attributed to Nelson Mandela. He once said that education is the most powerful tool that we can use to change the world. However, education can also help us to change ourselves. Whether we are at the very beginning of our path, or we want to reinvent ourselves, education is the key. Thanks to it, we can become entrepreneurs, doctors, authors, IT experts, etc. But even more than that, education helps us to become good people with broad and varied interests, high values, ideals and goals we strive to achieve. 

Thanks to education, one can achieve personal growth, and advance both socially and professionally. Simply put, education provides us with the necessary tools for success in each of these fields. And success creates a well-rounded and satisfied individual who is a productive member of society and who wants to share his/her ideas and positive experiences with others. Therefore, the whole society and all its members benefit from education .

Education is important because:

• It helps us better adapt to the dynamic world of changes that surround us. Therefore, proper education is necessary in order for students to prepare for the future. 
• It enables us to preserve fundamental values in times of crisis, to distinguish right from wrong, and thus preserve the core of civilization. 
• An educated individual wants to work on overcoming social injustices, he/she is environmentally conscious and works on the preservation of the environment. 
• Educated individuals have better chances of building a successful career and achieving personal goals. 

As individuals become more educated, they become valuable members of society as they have the possibility to, thanks to their knowledge and ideas, drive the progress of all. Thus, by transforming their own life through education, the individual at the same time positively influences the lives of others. Regardless of where you start from, if you have access to education and make use of the advantages it provides, you will be able to achieve exceptional results. 

From an uneducated 13-year-old to a successful entrepreneur 

Margarita Pelico was born in Guatemala where men usually work the land, while women are weavers. The school she attended in the village where she grew up closed down, so at the age of 13, Margarita fell seriously behind her peers, and had no bright future or perspectives to look forward to. However, she found a flexible adult education program designed for older girls who had to drop out of school or missed part of their education for different reasons.

She learned to count and perform computational operations while visiting the market with her teacher, or while she weaved. She was determined to continue her education, so she later finished high school  and college. Today, Margarita is a social worker, and the owner of her own weaving company, and is committed to providing as many girls as possible with the opportunity to continue their education. For Margaria, education was the key to succes and the driving force behind her decision to help others pursue their own dream. 

The golden age of education? 

We certainly live in the age of information. According to some, that also means that we live in the golden age of education, because the development of the Internet and a relatively free flow of information have made numerous learning materials, a wide range of knowledge and skills available to a large number of people. Hence, the impression that education is perhaps more accessible than ever before in history.  

This means that, nowadays, one has easier access to education, and more opportunities to design their own personal and professional life in line with their individual needs and desires. Education does not end with a college degree, instead, anyone can decide to continue their education independently.

This also means that one is running out of excuses, because the responsibility for one’s destiny is more than ever before in one’s hands. Therefore, everyone should use the opportunity to get an education, but all of us should work together to make education accessible even to people who live in underdeveloped countries, because education is the passport for the future for all of us. 

Related Posts

The Importance of Using Worksheets in Your Child’s Education

Learning is an important part of a child’s life. Getting an education is essential to find better career opportunities and make a good living. It doesn’t just teach us to read and write, education also improves our communication and cognitive skills. It also equips us with the knowledge and skills to navigate through life successfully. This is why it is important to learn and get a good education. But learning, especially when it’s too structured, can become boring and monotonous.

When kids are bored, they tend to get distracted and look for other things to keep themselves occupied. This could hamper their learning. The easiest way to keep your kids learning on track is to make learning fun and engaging. Ditch the old methods or improvise them with smarter teaching methods to impart knowledge in a way that piques the child’s interest. This makes them look forward to learning more and love learning as well.

One smart method of imparting knowledge to kids is helping them learn through worksheets. Worksheets are sheets of paper with certain tasks for the children to perform to gain knowledge. In addition to imparting knowledge, worksheets also give parents and teachers a measure of the child’s understanding of the subject. This helps them target problem areas and help the child understand the lessons better. And not just these, worksheets have several other benefits too.

Why Should You Include Worksheets in Your Child’s Education?

• Better learning: Learning comes from regular practicing. Children have low attention spans, so when a concept is taught verbally to a child, they tend to forget it quickly. When you get kids to practice the same concept on worksheets repeatedly, the knowledge tends to stick in their minds. Additionally, with worksheets, kids tend to participate more actively, which helps them learn better. For example, when a child is taught a math formula, it tends to slip their mind easily. However, when they solve worksheets, they practice using the formulas which help them learn to apply the concepts in real life too.
• Fun and engaging: Lessons can sometimes be boring and monotonous. But solving worksheets make learning the same lesson fun and engaging. Solving worksheets that involve fun activities, and games will ensure learning is not a chore anymore. For example, a child will participate more enthusiastically and learn actively while solving an addition coloring worksheet than sitting for an hour of theoretical lessons.
• Logic building: When a concept is taught verbally, children just listen and don’t think about it. But when they solve worksheets for kids , they need to think logically and also think out of the box to solve them. It also helps them tackle problems independently and find solutions on their own. All this improves their thinking skills, problem-solving skills and independence. It also improves their focus and concentration as they sit down and solve the worksheets on their own.
• Tests understanding: Worksheets don’t just help kids learn, it also helps parents and teachers assess the child’s understanding of what they’ve learnt. It helps them identify areas of weakness and help the child understand the lesson better using different methods. 
• Screen-free learning: Kids these days are glued to their screens, whether it is to learn or not. Worksheets are a great way to give them some time away from the screens. They give their eyes a break from the gadgets and improve their fine motor skills and thinking skills.
• A variety of concepts: Another great benefit of worksheets is that it helps children explore and learn a variety of concepts at the same time. Worksheets make learning fun and engaging for the child so that they don’t feel like they’re studying at all. For example, a worksheet that combines alphabet learning with coloring and drawing will get your child to learn the letters of the alphabet much more quickly than an hour of going over charts.
• Better thinking skills: Worksheets open a new world of possibilities for kids to learn. They learn to think logically and critically while they solve problems in the worksheet. They learn to come up with ideas and new ways to solve problems. This improves their confidence and helps them perform better academically.

Skye Marshall

Ivy Skye Marshall: Ivy, a social justice reporter, covers human rights issues, social movements, and stories of community resilience.

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Healthy Eating Learning Opportunities and Nutrition Education

Healthy eating learning opportunities includes nutrition education  and other activities integrated into the school day that can give children knowledge and skills to help choose and consume healthy foods and beverages. 1 Nutrition education is a vital part of a comprehensive health education program and empowers children with knowledge and skills to make healthy food and beverage choices. 2-8 

US students receive less than 8 hours of required nutrition education each school year, 9  far below the 40 to 50 hours that are needed to affect behavior change. 10,11  Additionally, the percentage of schools providing required instruction on nutrition and dietary behaviors decreased from 84.6% to 74.1% between 2000 and 2014. 9

Given the important role that diet plays in preventing chronic diseases and supporting good health, schools would ideally provide students with more hours of nutrition education instruction and engage teachers and parents in nutrition education activities. 5, 12  Research shows that nutrition education can teach students to recognize how healthy diet influences emotional well-being  and how emotions may influence eating habits. However, because schools face many demands, school staff can consider ways to add nutrition education into the existing schedule. 11

Nutrition education can be incorporated throughout the school day and in various locations within a school. This provides flexibility allowing schools to use strategies that work with their settings, daily schedule, and resources.

In the Classroom

Nutrition education can take place in the classroom, either through a stand-alone health education class or combined into other subjects including 2,5 :

• Counting with pictures of fruits and vegetables.
• Learning fractions by measuring ingredients for a recipe.
• Examining how plants grow.
• Learning about cultural food traditions.

Nutrition education should align with the National Health Education Standards and incorporate the characteristics of an effective health education curriculum .

Farm to School

Farm-to-school programs vary in each school or district, but often include one or more of the following strategies:

• Purchasing and serving local or regionally produced foods in the school meal programs.
• Educating students about agriculture, food, health, and nutrition.
• Engaging students in hands-on learning opportunities through gardening, cooking lessons, or farm field trips.

Students who participate in farm-to-school activities have increased knowledge about nutrition and agriculture, are more willing to try new foods, and consume more fruits and vegetables. 14-17

School Gardens

School garden programs can increase students’ nutrition knowledge, willingness to try fruit and vegetables, and positive attitudes about fruits and vegetables. 18-22 School gardens vary in size and purpose. Schools may have window sill gardens, raised beds, greenhouses, or planted fields.

Students can prepare the soil for the garden, plant seeds, harvest the fruits and vegetables, and taste the food from the garden. Produce from school gardens can be incorporated into school meals or taste tests. Classroom teachers can teach lessons in math, science, history, and language arts using the school garden.

In the Cafeteria

Cafeterias are learning labs where students are exposed to new foods through the school meal program, see what balanced meals look like, and may be encouraged to try new foods through verbal prompts from school nutrition staff, 23 or taste tests. 24-25 Cafeterias may also be decorated with nutrition promotion posters or student artwork promoting healthy eating. 24

Other Opportunities

Schools can add messages about nutrition and healthy eating into the following:

• Morning announcements.
• School assemblies.
• Materials sent home to parents and guardians. 24
• Staff meetings.
• Parent-teacher group meetings.

These strategies can help reinforce messages about good nutrition and help ensure that students see and hear consistent information about healthy eating across the school campus and at home. 2 

Shared use agreements can extend healthy eating learning opportunities. As an example, an after-school STEM club  could gain access to school gardens as learning labs.

CDC Parents for Healthy Schools: Ideas for Parents

Nutrition: Gardening Interventions | The Community Guide

Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025

Introduction to School Gardens

Learning Through the Garden

National Farm-to-School Network

National Farm to School Network Resource Database

National Health Education Standards

Team Nutrition Curricula

USDA Farm to School

USDA Team Nutrition

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. School health guidelines to promote healthy eating and physical activity. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep . 2011;60(RR-5):1–76.
• Joint Committee on National Health Education Standards. National Health Education Standards: Achieving Excellence. 2nd ed. Atlanta, GA: American Cancer Society; 2007.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool, 2012, Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Department of Health and Human Services; 2012. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/hecat/index.htm. Accessed April 9, 2019.
• Price C, Cohen D, Pribis P, Cerami J. Nutrition education and body mass index in grades K–12: a systematic review. J Sch Health. 2017;87:715–720.
• Meiklejohn S, Ryan L, Palermo C. A systematic review of the impact of multi-strategy nutrition education programs on health and nutrition of adolescents. J Nutr Educ Behav . 2016;48:631–646.
• Silveira JA, Taddei JA, Guerra PH, Nobre MR. The effect of participation in school-based nutrition education interventions on body mass index: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled community trials. Prev Med . 2013;56:237–243.
• County Health Rankings and Roadmaps. School-based Nutrition Education Programs website. http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/take-action-to-improve-health/what-works-for-health/policies/school-based-nutrition-education-programs . Accessed on April 9, 2019.
• Results from the School Health Policies and Practices Study 2014 . Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2014.
• Connell DB, Turner RR, Mason EF. Results of the school health education evaluation: health promotion effectiveness, implementation, and costs . J Sch Health . 1985;55(8):316–321.
• Institute of Medicine. Nutrition Education in the K–12 Curriculum: The Role of National Standards: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2014.
• Murimi MW, Moyeda-Carabaza AF, Nguyen B, Saha S, Amin R, Njike V. Factors that contribute to effective nutrition education interventions in children: a systematic review. Nutr Rev . 2018;76(8):553–580.
• Hayes D, Contento IR, Weekly C. Position of the American Dietetic Association, School Nutrition Association, and Society for Nutrition Education: comprehensive school nutrition services. J Acad Nutr Diet . 2018; 118:913–919.
• Joshi A, Misako Azuma A, Feenstra G. Do farm-to-school programs make a difference? Findings and future research needs . J Hunger Environ Nutr . 2008;3:229–246.
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The Importance Of An Education

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• Open access
• Published: 09 April 2024

Preparing medical students for their educational task as physicians: important, desirable and unexplored territory

• Bas PH ter Brugge 1 ,
• Lena Sophia Fegg 2 &
• Marjo Wijnen-Meijer 2 , 3  

BMC Medical Education volume  24 , Article number:  391 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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Metrics details

Physicians engage in educational activities in daily practice and take over an important role in providing information and transferring knowledge to patients and medical students. Therefore, it is important to focus on methods to develop teaching skills during medical school. Peer-teaching is a teaching method that is connected to different positive learning outcomes. This study aims to investigate the perspective of medical students regarding teaching as a core competency of physicians and peer-teaching as an opportunity to acquire educational skills. The study also aims to examine to what extent medical students are prepared for their teaching role at medical schools.

This cross-sectional study was performed by an online survey amongst Dutch medical students from all medical schools across all years of study. In total, 2666 medical students filled out the survey. The survey was part of the annual online survey of the Dutch medical advocacy group (DeGeneeskundestudent) amongst all medical students in the fall of 2017. The data were analysed with descriptive statistics and statistical tests (chi-squared-test and binomial test).

The results show that 49% of medical students see teaching as one of the core tasks of a physician. However, only 25% feel well prepared by their medical school for this teaching role. Instead, there are many students who gain experiences and teaching skills on their own outside medical schools. 64% of the respondents agrees that senior medical students can educate junior medical students well.

Conclusions

Implementing peer-teaching in the curricular of medical schools could be an effective teaching method to prepare medical students for their future teaching role. It is important that medical schools focus on enhancing educational quality and designing learning environments for best learning outcomes to better prepare medical students for professional life.

Peer Review reports

The teaching role of physicians is a core competency in the new Dutch Medical Training Framework: “Physicians contribute as academics to the application, spread, translation and proliferation of knowledge in practice through lifelong learning, training others, evaluating evidence and contributing to scientific research” [ 1 ]. Every physician must be able to “create a safe learning environment”, “provide a teaching activity” and “constructively evaluate teaching activities to improve education” [ 1 ]. After all, every physician engages in educational activities in one way or another. It has been shown that a general practitioner spends up to 20% of his consultation time on patient education and a medical specialist up to 10% of his time on supervising residents or medical students [ 2 , 3 ]. Physicians play an important role in providing information and transferring knowledge to patients and medical students. Therefore, parallel to clinical skills the acquisition of educational skills should begin in medical school and continue throughout postgraduate training [ 4 ].

Educational skills are best developed by doing it yourself [ 5 , 6 ]. Peer-teaching, i.e. students teaching other students, is a method for medical students to practice teaching in a controlled environment [ 6 ]. In some medical faculties, both in the Netherlands and other countries, peer-teaching is a regular part of medical school [ 7 , 8 ]. To develop medical students’ teaching skills, peer-teaching programmes, teaching workshops, and community outreach programmes are used [ 9 ]. Many medical schools in the United States offer formal students-as-teachers (SAT) programmes, where students are assigned educational roles such as peer mentors, teaching assistants or contributing to the development of a curriculum design. These programmes benefit the students’ teaching skills, improve their clinical knowledge and communication- and professional skills. Peer-teachers can benefit from peer-teaching experiences in many ways. Teaching offers a chance to identify personal strengths and weaknesses by preparing complex medical knowledge, organizing classes, enhancing public speaking skills, giving- and receiving feedback, working in a team and leading near-peer students [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 10 , 11 ]. By actively participating in their training the medical students’ intrinsic motivation is improved [ 12 , 13 ].

In a recent non-randomized controlled trial by Veloso et al. (2019), it was shown that medical students who taught Basic Life Support skills to community health professionals had a better theoretical and practical performance in Basic Life Support, than medical students who didn’t teach these skills [ 14 ]. Peer-teaching is further supported by studies that have found no difference in medical students’ academic achievements when taught by peer-teachers or faculty staff. While peer-teachers are considered less knowledgeable than faculty staff, students actually feel more at ease asking questions and, due to peer-teachers being regarded as more approachable, they are better understood and guided in comprehending difficult topics [ 11 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. A final reason for implementation of peer -teaching programmes is the rise in student numbers. Peer-teachers offer a solution to overcome the strained teaching capacity of faculty staff [ 11 , 17 ].

There is evidence that former peer-teaching physicians become more engaged in educational activities. A study by Kloek et al. (2016) indicated that these physicians themselves highly appreciated the teaching internship and are likely committed to building an educational career in their future professional life [ 18 ].

Unfortunately, little is known about the perspective of medical students regarding teaching as a physician and peer-teaching. This perspective is relevant to facilitate the introduction of peer-teaching by medical schools and better prepare medical students for their future teaching role as a physician. It is relevant to assess medical students’ perspective on the teaching role of physicians and their educational activities during medical school. Therefore, this study aims to gain insight into medical students´ opinion on teaching as a physician and peer teaching by answering the following research questions:

To what extent do medical students consider teaching a core competency of a physician?

How and to what extent are medical students prepared for teaching as a physician during medical school?

Study design and participants

This study has a cross-sectional design and is performed by an online survey amongst medical students.

The research population comprised of Dutch medical students from all medical schools across all years of study. In the Netherlands, there are eight medical schools that offer a six-year undergraduate medical training. The undergraduate program is divided in a three year Bachelor, with mostly theoretical education, and a three year Master, with both theoretical educations and clerkships.

The survey started with a general section on gender, university and study-phase. Next, five questions asked for the participants view regarding (the preparation for) teaching as a physician and peer-teaching (see Tables  1 and 2 ). The questions were grounded in literature [ 17 ]. Four questions were answered on a five-point Likert scale (strongly agree- strongly disagree), in which answer option 3 means “neutral” and for the question “older students can teach younger year medical students well” also “no experience”. The final question was a binary question (yes/no).

The survey was part of the annual online survey of the Dutch medical advocacy group (DeGeneeskundestudent) amongst all medical students in the fall of 2017. Participants voluntarily filled out the questionnaire and informed consent was given for anonymous use of the data.

Data analysis

Before data-analysis we excluded the following participants. Participants with an abbreviated medical study were excluded because they had already finished a wide range of different previous bachelor-studies. Participants who had not filled out the general section were excluded as well. The results were analysed with SPSS version 25. The general section was analysed with descriptive statistics. The study population was compared with available national data on medical students regarding gender, study-phase and university [ 19 , 20 ]. The questions on the participants view answered on a Likert scale were dichotomised to agree (strongly agree-agree) and disagree (strongly disagree-disagree). In the analysis, we left out the responses to category 3 to get an impression of students’ positive or negative attitude towards peer-teaching and, regarding question 2, to avoid bias from people who have no experience with it giving an opinion. The results were analysed with descriptive statistics. The participants view according to different gender, study-phase or university was analysed with a chi-squared-test or binomial test. The binary question on the participants view was analysed with descriptive statistics. The participants view according to different gender, study-phase or university was analysed with a chi-squared-test. The outcome of all tests was significant if p  < 0.05.

Respondents´ characteristics

The respondents´ characteristics are shown in Table  3 . A total of 2666 medical students filled out the survey. The percentage of male respondents was lower than the national average, 23% versus 34%, as well as the percentage of master students, 47% versus 53%. The percentage of respondents from the University of Amsterdam (UvA), Vrije Universiteit (VU) and Rotterdam was slightly lower than the national average, while the percentage of respondents from Groningen, Leiden and Nijmegen was higher than the national average. The distribution of respondents across years of study is similar to the distribution in the overall population.

View on teaching as a physician and peer-teaching

The results on teaching as a physician and peer-teaching are shown in Tables  1 and 2 . Significant results are highlighted in the paragraph below.

Teaching as a physician

49% of the respondents agrees that teaching is a core responsibility of a physician, while 22% of the respondents disagrees. Male respondents agree more often than female respondents, 58% versus 47%, as well as respondents in the master phase than respondents in the bachelor phase, 64% versus 35%. Agreement of respondents from different universities was between 43% and 56%.

• Peer-teaching

64% of the respondents agrees that senior medical students can educate junior medical students well, while 13% of the respondents disagrees. Respondents in the master phase disagree more often than respondents in the bachelor phase, 13% versus 11%. Agreement of respondents from different universities was between 53% and 75%.

View on preparation for teaching as a physician

The results on preparation for teaching as a physician by the formal education and respondents’ own experience are shown in Tables  1 and 2 . Table  4 shows the respondents own experience with teaching. Significant results are highlighted in the paragraph below.

Formal education

27% of the respondents agrees that the medical education prepares them well for teaching as a physician, while 39% disagrees. Male respondents agree more often than female respondents, 36% versus 24%. Respondents in the master phase disagree more often than respondents in the bachelor phase, 46% versus 33%. Agreement of respondents from different universities was between 19% and 33%.

Own experience

48% of the respondents agrees that their own experience with teaching prepares them well for teaching as a physician, while 22% disagrees. Male respondents agree more often than female respondents, 62% versus 44%. Respondents in the master phase agree more often than respondents in the bachelor phase, 56% versus 40%. Agreement of respondents from different universities was between 39% and 56%.

52% of the respondents have teaching experience. Male respondents more often have experience than female respondents, 59% versus 51%, as well as respondents in the master phase than the bachelor phase, 63% versus 42%. The percentage of respondents from different universities with teaching experience varies between 44% and 60%.

Of the respondents with teaching experience, 13% have experience as peer-teacher, 11% as part of the formal education and 37% outside the formal education. Male respondents have more experience than female respondents with teaching outside the formal education, 42% versus 36%, and as peer-teacher, 16% versus 12%. Respondents in the master phase have more experience in all manners of teaching than respondents in the bachelor phase. The percentage of respondents from different universities with teaching experience varies, as peer-teacher (4 − 17%), as part of the curriculum (6 − 21%) and outside the formal education (33-45%).

Half of medical students feel that teaching is one of the core tasks of a physician. Unfortunately, only 25% feel well prepared by their medical school for this teaching role. This is in line with the literature that students would benefit from more preparation in this area [ 21 , 22 ]. It is striking that students who are more advanced in their studies feel less prepared than students who are at the beginning of medical school. The explanation for this may be that older students have more insight into the complexity of the teaching task because they have more experience with the physicians who teach or have had some experience of this themselves. It is contradictory that on the one hand students are aware of their later teaching role and responsibility but on the other hand do not feel adequately prepared for this role. A core task of physicians is to provide knowledge, experiences and skills to different learning groups, e.g. to medical students, patients and other professionals and should therefore be a relevant part of medical education programs.

Almost half of the students feel well prepared for their later teaching role from their own experience. They look for teaching opportunities themselves in anatomy or skills courses or as a secondary job [ 23 ]. They agree that their own experience with teaching prepares them well for teaching as a physician. This finding highlights the importance of providing appropriate learning opportunities during medical education. Students engaging as peer-teachers have the chance to gain extracurricular experiences that are relevant not only for professional practice but also to strengthen soft skills and interdisciplinary competencies. Teaching experiences are beneficial in many ways, increase teaching skills, intensify knowledge, increase organizational and communication skills and enhance leading and speaking skills that are relevant for daily practice [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 10 , 11 , 24 ].

A large majority of medical students think that older students are good at teaching younger ones. At some universities, students have a more positive image of peer-teaching than at others. It is useful to find out whether these faculties use peer-teaching more as a teaching method.

Thus, medical students’ own views on peer-teaching do not seem to be an impediment to using peer-teaching to learn the role of a teacher. This is also in line with the literature on peer-teaching showing different advantages of learning from other students [ 11 , 25 ]. First, peer-teachers are closer to the student in experience. Therefore, they can better understand what the students find difficult and they also understand the knowledge level of the students better, compared to, for example, medical specialists [ 15 ]. In addition, peer-teachers can create a safe educational climate in which mistakes are allowed and questions can be asked, because peer-teacher are perceived as less threatening [ 15 ]. Peer-teachers and students both can profit from peer-teaching settings.

The use of students as teachers can improve teaching capacities and is also connected to economic aspects. To secure high standards in the quality of education in medical schools, peer-teaching programs should be accompanied by training and supervision [ 11 , 17 ].

A strength of this research project is that it is a cross-section of all Dutch universities and all study years. Therefore, the results give a good picture of the opinion of Dutch medical students. Furthermore, the study focuses on the perspective of medical students. This perspective can be beneficial for gaining insights into medical students’ opinions and for designing adequate learning environments in medical schools. A limitation is that due to the nature of the survey, questionnaires with multiple choice questions, it only provides a global picture. Furthermore, male and bachelor students participated significantly less, which may distort the results. Future research can focus on a comparison between universities with and without formal education in the study program in the area of teaching skills. Furthermore, follow-up research should focus on assessing gender differences. Interviews or focus groups can also provide insight into the motivation and argumentation of the students to gain deeper insights into students’ perceptions. Additionally, further research should also include medical teachers, professionals at medical schools, experts and physicians to gain multiple perspectives. It is also important to focus on the effectiveness of peer-teaching programs in comparison to other learning methods, particularly from a long-term perspective. As teaching skills are a core competence of physicians for daily practice, assessing learning opportunities and methods for physicians in the context of continuing education should also be taken into account.

Many medical students see teaching as a core task of physicians and are aware of their later teaching role. However, a large proportion of them, especially the students in the last phase of their studies, feel that their medical school program has not adequately prepared them for this role. Instead, there are many students who gain experiences and teaching skills on their own initiative outside medical schools. Preparing medical students for their educational tasks and supporting them in the acquisition of teaching skills should be an essential part of their education. The majority of medical students think that senior students can educate junior medical students well. Therefore, implementing peer-teaching in the curricular of medical schools could be an effective teaching method for learning success. In a broader context, preparing medical students for their teaching role can be beneficial for the patient-medicine relationship and the provision of knowledge and health competency for patients. This study and the literature show that peer teaching, combined with good supervision and feedback, is a good way to prepare medical students for the future teaching role. It is important that medical schools focus on enhancing educational quality and designing beneficial and positive learning environments for best learning outcomes to better prepare medical students for professional life.

Data availability

The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are not publicly available due to data protection guidelines of the institution but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

students-as-teachers

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all the students who participated in the survey.

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Bas PH ter Brugge

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Lena Sophia Fegg & Marjo Wijnen-Meijer

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BtB, LSF and MWM designed and run the study and collected the data. BtB and MWM analysed the data and drafted the manuscript. All authors contributed to the critical revision of the manuscript and read and approved the submitted version.

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Correspondence to Marjo Wijnen-Meijer .

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The survey was anonymous and voluntary. All students received information on the nature, purpose and procedure of the survey and their right to withhold or revoke their consent at any time. Participants voluntarily filled out the questionnaire and informed consent was given for anonymous use of the data. Ethical approval was obtained in 2017 from the Ethical Review Board of the Dutch Association for Medical Education.

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Healthy Living with Diabetes

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How can I plan what to eat or drink when I have diabetes?

How can physical activity help manage my diabetes, what can i do to reach or maintain a healthy weight, should i quit smoking, how can i take care of my mental health, clinical trials for healthy living with diabetes.

Healthy living is a way to manage diabetes . To have a healthy lifestyle, take steps now to plan healthy meals and snacks, do physical activities, get enough sleep, and quit smoking or using tobacco products.

Healthy living may help keep your body’s blood pressure , cholesterol , and blood glucose level, also called blood sugar level, in the range your primary health care professional recommends. Your primary health care professional may be a doctor, a physician assistant, or a nurse practitioner. Healthy living may also help prevent or delay health problems  from diabetes that can affect your heart, kidneys, eyes, brain, and other parts of your body.

Making lifestyle changes can be hard, but starting with small changes and building from there may benefit your health. You may want to get help from family, loved ones, friends, and other trusted people in your community. You can also get information from your health care professionals.

What you choose to eat, how much you eat, and when you eat are parts of a meal plan. Having healthy foods and drinks can help keep your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels in the ranges your health care professional recommends. If you have overweight or obesity, a healthy meal plan—along with regular physical activity, getting enough sleep, and other healthy behaviors—may help you reach and maintain a healthy weight. In some cases, health care professionals may also recommend diabetes medicines that may help you lose weight, or weight-loss surgery, also called metabolic and bariatric surgery.

Choose healthy foods and drinks

There is no right or wrong way to choose healthy foods and drinks that may help manage your diabetes. Healthy meal plans for people who have diabetes may include

• dairy or plant-based dairy products
• nonstarchy vegetables
• protein foods
• whole grains

Try to choose foods that include nutrients such as vitamins, calcium , fiber , and healthy fats . Also try to choose drinks with little or no added sugar , such as tap or bottled water, low-fat or non-fat milk, and unsweetened tea, coffee, or sparkling water.

Try to plan meals and snacks that have fewer

• foods high in saturated fat
• foods high in sodium, a mineral found in salt
• sugary foods , such as cookies and cakes, and sweet drinks, such as soda, juice, flavored coffee, and sports drinks

Your body turns carbohydrates , or carbs, from food into glucose, which can raise your blood glucose level. Some fruits, beans, and starchy vegetables—such as potatoes and corn—have more carbs than other foods. Keep carbs in mind when planning your meals.

You should also limit how much alcohol you drink. If you take insulin  or certain diabetes medicines , drinking alcohol can make your blood glucose level drop too low, which is called hypoglycemia . If you do drink alcohol, be sure to eat food when you drink and remember to check your blood glucose level after drinking. Talk with your health care team about your alcohol-drinking habits.

Find the best times to eat or drink

Talk with your health care professional or health care team about when you should eat or drink. The best time to have meals and snacks may depend on

• what medicines you take for diabetes
• what your level of physical activity or your work schedule is
• whether you have other health conditions or diseases

Ask your health care team if you should eat before, during, or after physical activity. Some diabetes medicines, such as sulfonylureas  or insulin, may make your blood glucose level drop too low during exercise or if you skip or delay a meal.

Plan how much to eat or drink

You may worry that having diabetes means giving up foods and drinks you enjoy. The good news is you can still have your favorite foods and drinks, but you might need to have them in smaller portions  or enjoy them less often.

For people who have diabetes, carb counting and the plate method are two common ways to plan how much to eat or drink. Talk with your health care professional or health care team to find a method that works for you.

Carb counting

Carbohydrate counting , or carb counting, means planning and keeping track of the amount of carbs you eat and drink in each meal or snack. Not all people with diabetes need to count carbs. However, if you take insulin, counting carbs can help you know how much insulin to take.

Plate method

The plate method helps you control portion sizes  without counting and measuring. This method divides a 9-inch plate into the following three sections to help you choose the types and amounts of foods to eat for each meal.

• Nonstarchy vegetables—such as leafy greens, peppers, carrots, or green beans—should make up half of your plate.
• Carb foods that are high in fiber—such as brown rice, whole grains, beans, or fruits—should make up one-quarter of your plate.
• Protein foods—such as lean meats, fish, dairy, or tofu or other soy products—should make up one quarter of your plate.

If you are not taking insulin, you may not need to count carbs when using the plate method.

Work with your health care team to create a meal plan that works for you. You may want to have a diabetes educator  or a registered dietitian  on your team. A registered dietitian can provide medical nutrition therapy , which includes counseling to help you create and follow a meal plan. Your health care team may be able to recommend other resources, such as a healthy lifestyle coach, to help you with making changes. Ask your health care team or your insurance company if your benefits include medical nutrition therapy or other diabetes care resources.

Talk with your health care professional before taking dietary supplements

There is no clear proof that specific foods, herbs, spices, or dietary supplements —such as vitamins or minerals—can help manage diabetes. Your health care professional may ask you to take vitamins or minerals if you can’t get enough from foods. Talk with your health care professional before you take any supplements, because some may cause side effects or affect how well your diabetes medicines work.

Research shows that regular physical activity helps people manage their diabetes and stay healthy. Benefits of physical activity may include

• lower blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels
• better heart health
• healthier weight
• better mood and sleep
• better balance and memory

Talk with your health care professional before starting a new physical activity or changing how much physical activity you do. They may suggest types of activities based on your ability, schedule, meal plan, interests, and diabetes medicines. Your health care professional may also tell you the best times of day to be active or what to do if your blood glucose level goes out of the range recommended for you.

Do different types of physical activity

People with diabetes can be active, even if they take insulin or use technology such as insulin pumps .

Try to do different kinds of activities . While being more active may have more health benefits, any physical activity is better than none. Start slowly with activities you enjoy. You may be able to change your level of effort and try other activities over time. Having a friend or family member join you may help you stick to your routine.

The physical activities you do may need to be different if you are age 65 or older , are pregnant , or have a disability or health condition . Physical activities may also need to be different for children and teens . Ask your health care professional or health care team about activities that are safe for you.

Aerobic activities

Aerobic activities make you breathe harder and make your heart beat faster. You can try walking, dancing, wheelchair rolling, or swimming. Most adults should try to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. Aim to do 30 minutes a day on most days of the week. You don’t have to do all 30 minutes at one time. You can break up physical activity into small amounts during your day and still get the benefit. 1

Strength training or resistance training

Strength training or resistance training may make your muscles and bones stronger. You can try lifting weights or doing other exercises such as wall pushups or arm raises. Try to do this kind of training two times a week. 1

Balance and stretching activities

Balance and stretching activities may help you move better and have stronger muscles and bones. You may want to try standing on one leg or stretching your legs when sitting on the floor. Try to do these kinds of activities two or three times a week. 1

Some activities that need balance may be unsafe for people with nerve damage or vision problems caused by diabetes. Ask your health care professional or health care team about activities that are safe for you.

Stay safe during physical activity

Staying safe during physical activity is important. Here are some tips to keep in mind.

Drink liquids

Drinking liquids helps prevent dehydration , or the loss of too much water in your body. Drinking water is a way to stay hydrated. Sports drinks often have a lot of sugar and calories , and you don’t need them for most moderate physical activities.

Avoid low blood glucose

Check your blood glucose level before, during, and right after physical activity. Physical activity often lowers the level of glucose in your blood. Low blood glucose levels may last for hours or days after physical activity. You are most likely to have low blood glucose if you take insulin or some other diabetes medicines, such as sulfonylureas.

Ask your health care professional if you should take less insulin or eat carbs before, during, or after physical activity. Low blood glucose can be a serious medical emergency that must be treated right away. Take steps to protect yourself. You can learn how to treat low blood glucose , let other people know what to do if you need help, and use a medical alert bracelet.

Avoid high blood glucose and ketoacidosis

Taking less insulin before physical activity may help prevent low blood glucose, but it may also make you more likely to have high blood glucose. If your body does not have enough insulin, it can’t use glucose as a source of energy and will use fat instead. When your body uses fat for energy, your body makes chemicals called ketones .

High levels of ketones in your blood can lead to a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) . DKA is a medical emergency that should be treated right away. DKA is most common in people with type 1 diabetes . Occasionally, DKA may affect people with type 2 diabetes  who have lost their ability to produce insulin. Ask your health care professional how much insulin you should take before physical activity, whether you need to test your urine for ketones, and what level of ketones is dangerous for you.

Take care of your feet

People with diabetes may have problems with their feet because high blood glucose levels can damage blood vessels and nerves. To help prevent foot problems, wear comfortable and supportive shoes and take care of your feet  before, during, and after physical activity.

If you have diabetes, managing your weight  may bring you several health benefits. Ask your health care professional or health care team if you are at a healthy weight  or if you should try to lose weight.

If you are an adult with overweight or obesity, work with your health care team to create a weight-loss plan. Losing 5% to 7% of your current weight may help you prevent or improve some health problems  and manage your blood glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels. 2 If you are worried about your child’s weight  and they have diabetes, talk with their health care professional before your child starts a new weight-loss plan.

You may be able to reach and maintain a healthy weight by

• following a healthy meal plan
• consuming fewer calories
• being physically active
• getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night 3

If you have type 2 diabetes, your health care professional may recommend diabetes medicines that may help you lose weight.

Online tools such as the Body Weight Planner  may help you create eating and physical activity plans. You may want to talk with your health care professional about other options for managing your weight, including joining a weight-loss program  that can provide helpful information, support, and behavioral or lifestyle counseling. These options may have a cost, so make sure to check the details of the programs.

Your health care professional may recommend weight-loss surgery  if you aren’t able to reach a healthy weight with meal planning, physical activity, and taking diabetes medicines that help with weight loss.

If you are pregnant , trying to lose weight may not be healthy. However, you should ask your health care professional whether it makes sense to monitor or limit your weight gain during pregnancy.

Both diabetes and smoking —including using tobacco products and e-cigarettes—cause your blood vessels to narrow. Both diabetes and smoking increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke , nerve damage , kidney disease , eye disease , or amputation . Secondhand smoke can also affect the health of your family or others who live with you.

If you smoke or use other tobacco products, stop. Ask for help . You don’t have to do it alone.

Feeling stressed, sad, or angry can be common for people with diabetes. Managing diabetes or learning to cope with new information about your health can be hard. People with chronic illnesses such as diabetes may develop anxiety or other mental health conditions .

Learn healthy ways to lower your stress , and ask for help from your health care team or a mental health professional. While it may be uncomfortable to talk about your feelings, finding a health care professional whom you trust and want to talk with may help you

• lower your feelings of stress, depression, or anxiety
• manage problems sleeping or remembering things
• see how diabetes affects your family, school, work, or financial situation

Ask your health care team for mental health resources for people with diabetes.

Sleeping too much or too little may raise your blood glucose levels. Your sleep habits may also affect your mental health and vice versa. People with diabetes and overweight or obesity can also have other health conditions that affect sleep, such as sleep apnea , which can raise your blood pressure and risk of heart disease.

NIDDK conducts and supports clinical trials in many diseases and conditions, including diabetes. The trials look to find new ways to prevent, detect, or treat disease and improve quality of life.

What are clinical trials for healthy living with diabetes?

Clinical trials—and other types of clinical studies —are part of medical research and involve people like you. When you volunteer to take part in a clinical study, you help health care professionals and researchers learn more about disease and improve health care for people in the future.

Researchers are studying many aspects of healthy living for people with diabetes, such as

• how changing when you eat may affect body weight and metabolism
• how less access to healthy foods may affect diabetes management, other health problems, and risk of dying
• whether low-carbohydrate meal plans can help lower blood glucose levels
• which diabetes medicines are more likely to help people lose weight

Find out if clinical trials are right for you .

Watch a video of NIDDK Director Dr. Griffin P. Rodgers explaining the importance of participating in clinical trials.

What clinical trials for healthy living with diabetes are looking for participants?

You can view a filtered list of clinical studies on healthy living with diabetes that are federally funded, open, and recruiting at www.ClinicalTrials.gov . You can expand or narrow the list to include clinical studies from industry, universities, and individuals; however, the National Institutes of Health does not review these studies and cannot ensure they are safe for you. Always talk with your primary health care professional before you participate in a clinical study.

This content is provided as a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings to increase knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health professionals, and the public. Content produced by NIDDK is carefully reviewed by NIDDK scientists and other experts.

NIDDK would like to thank: Elizabeth M. Venditti, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.