How to foster practical learning in a rigid educational system

My son is a student of grade 5 at present. He is an intelligent boy who observes things keenly and raises questions about them. He is good at understanding various concepts of science and mathematics. He is also good at remembering information in domain of general knowledge. Nevertheless, he is a struggling pupil in terms of his academics.

There are certain issues with him that have negative impact on his grading. Writing is something he is not very keen of. Not only his writing speed is slow but the appearance of the writing is terrible. He often over-writes making his work more untidy and illegible. Moreover, he struggles with spellings too, and even messes up with easiest of the spellings, at times.

Further, drilling and parrot learning the answers word by word is not in his capabilities. Consequently, despite having grip on the topic and understanding the concept well, he fails to produce the exact answer in his written exam. He tries to present the answer in his own words, but because of being weak at English language (as it is not our mother tongue, nor we use it in our daily lives), he is unable to put his thoughts completely. As a result of misspellings and incomplete wordings of the answer his marks are deducted.

Since the campus of his school has changed, the problem has increased. In the previous campus, the examination of the student’s understanding was not solely dependent on the written exam. 40% of the grading was done via oral examination of the concepts. The icing on the cake was that they didn’t demand a word to word answer in English but allowed to present the knowledge partially in the mother tongue.

Moreover, the papers were designed in a way that assessed the grip of concepts more. In fact, rote learning was not of much help if the student did not understand the concept clearly. With this kind of assessment and examination system, my son was able to secure good grades.

Nonetheless , the change of the campus increased his academic challenges. Not only the oral assessment of concepts is absent but also he is required to produce answers in more accurate words in his written exams. The result was what I expected- a great drop in his acquired grades.

I am not sure why there is this much difference in the assessment system of two campuses of the same school. Perhaps, as the students are moving in higher classes, they are preparing the pupils to navigate in the traditional examination system that they have to ultimately face when they will reach matriculation level (grade 9 and 10).

Anyways, the academic circumstances of my son often put me in dilemma of how I should treat him. I am confused if I should learn to be satisfied with his C or D grades assuring that he has the grasp on the concepts and let him go without memorizing the answer, or I should stress him to do mechanical learning so he may achieve good grades too.

Contemplation on the outdated examination system in this era of technology makes me think how the improvement can be brought so that we may come out of the need of parrot emphasizing more on the practical application of what is taught in our books.

Firstly, I am not against a structured curriculum. Structure is essential for providing direction. Particularly in today's world where we are constantly bombarded with information, without a proper framework we are at a risk of being overwhelmed by endless choices. It is likely to lead us to confusion and inaction. That’s why, text books play a significant role in keeping courses focused and on track.

Nevertheless, textbooks should be designed in a way that are not merely the repositories of theories and facts. Instead they should be able to bridge gap between theory and application. By providing real-world examples, case studies and hands on exercises textbooks can encourage learning on a deeper level enhancing the understanding and retention.

However, updating textbooks alone is not sufficient. Teachers also need to be equipped with the skills to deliver knowledge and information in an interactive and engaging manner. When a subject is taught in a relatable way it becomes interesting and easier to absorb. Therefore, professional development for teachers should emphasize techniques that make learning interactive and accessible.

Teachers training and updating textbooks with an emphasis on practicality and real-world usage will open up the route for project based learning. This type of learning will give the opportunity to students to demonstrate the understanding of the subject in innovative and meaningful ways. It will shift the focus of learning from memorization to development of essential skills.

Currently, while such kind of project based learning may still be a part of co-curricular activities in several schools, their significance in the grading system is minimal. The scenario is not encouraging for most of the students. Looking at the little contribution of project based learning in their grades, students and their mentors prefer memorizing theories over hands-on projects.

In order to effectively integrate the project based learning in educational framework it is vital to give it equal weightage in grading system alongside traditional written exam.

Besides the integration of project based learning, I think that the improvement in educational framework can be brought by modifying the method of traditional written examination.

The questions in the written exam should be designed to asses the understanding of concepts instead of evaluating their ability to memorize information. For instance, it can be done by incorporating various question formats, such as open ended questions and real life scenarios. Instead of recalling a definition, the question can be designed to demonstrate its application.

In summary, while it is not possible to change the entire educational system all of a sudden, there is room for gradual improvement by enhancing the structure and functionality of already existing tools.

Updating text books and teachers training fostering the practical application of the theories may pave the way for project-based learning. By giving it equal weightage with written exam will encourage students to engage in their subjects more meaningfully.

Along with project based learning, an improvement in the traditional exam system by shifting the focus from memorization to critical thinking will also be of great help in making the educational framework more effective.