To be curious is to wish to discover and know more; it is the desire to learn. Jonathan Firth and Marc Smith stated (2018) that learning activities that combine novelty, curiosity and problem solving will stand a very good chance of being retained in memory, and we know the important role memory plays in the learning process.
Young children can appear to be very curious and inquisitive as they begin their learning journey, and are regularly discovering new things ranging from objects, vocabulary and more. However, curiosity isn’t limited to younger learners. American educator and economist George Lowenstein noted (1994): ‘curiosity has been consistently recognised as a critical motive that influences human behaviour in both positive and negative ways at all stages of the life cycle’, implying that students can be curious throughout all stages of their education. Cognitive scientist Daniel T. Willingham (2010) noted the following about curiosity,
People are naturally curious; curiosity prompts people to explore new ideas and problems, but when we do, we quickly evaluate how much mental work it will take to solve the problem. If it is too much or too little, we stop working on the problem if we can.
This point by Willingham suggests teachers should find the ‘sweet spot’ with curiosity, ensuring the level of challenge is appropriate and desirably difficult. Best-selling authors Chip and Dan Heath (2008) argue in their book ‘Made To Stick’ that for an idea to endure, we must generate interest and curiosity.
Promoting curiosity in the classroom, where learners are inspired, interested and intrigued, is something to strive for, but can be difficult to achieve. How can curiosity in the classroom transform from an abstract concept to a concrete example? How can teachers generate curiosity in the classroom? Below are some practical classroom ideas to trigger curiosity in the classroom.
Avoid spoilers
Do your lessons or lesson resources contain spoilers? An example can be a ‘Knowledge Organiser’ – a document that contains the core curriculum content that students will be required to understand, know and recall. It can be a good idea to give learners a Knowledge Organiser at the start of a unit, but this might not always be the best option as it might act as a spoiler. For example, in a Drama or English unit studying a play, a Knowledge Organiser might reveal the overview of the plot before students have had the opportunity to learn the plot for themselves as a reader or audience member (a classic example of this is students finding out what happens to the main character Lennie in ‘Of Mice and Men’ by John Steinbeck). The Knowledge Organiser, or any other resources and materials with spoilers, can be held back and shared with students later.
Key Questions
Key questions (also known in some schools as ‘Big Questions’) are used to communicate the learning intention or can be used to break down a unit into manageable chunks. A lesson can begin with a key question which will be explored and answered by the end of the lesson or over a series of lessons. This approach can spark curiosity early in the lesson or unit. Various questioning techniques can be used to promote curiosity, for example encouraging students to elaborate and extend their responses and answers or through students being able to ask questions related to the learning.
Interesting images
Sharing a relevant image with the class can act as a prompt for discussion and debate. A picture or photo can help to elicit what students already know and it can encourage learners to be inquisitive. The visual prompt could be replaced by a piece of text, a video or audio clip depending on the classroom context. Students can discuss the image in pairs and/or groups or can share their own individual reflections and responses. It is important that the image is explicitly connected to the learning intention. The ‘See. Think. Wonder.’ technique can be used with images, where learners must record what they see, record what they think about the image and then pose a question about what they would like to find out more about.
Classroom cliffhangers
As a history teacher this is a technique I have used many times in the classroom. This is where I purposely don’t reveal information until the next lesson (or a future lesson). For example, when students are learning about the events of 1066, I don’t tell the class all the main events that happened that year in the first lesson. Instead, I tease this out over a series of lessons. Students often ask me who became king in 1066, but I hold back and tell them they will find out soon. Some students do leave the lesson and their curiosity inspires them to find out the answer for themselves, but not all learners do this. This technique can be used with a question or problem asked in a lesson, where the answer is later shared with the class.
Curiosity can’t be measured or assessed, and every individual will be curious about some things and not possess the same level of curiosity about other things. However, there can be a place for curiosity in the classroom, in a way that can support teaching and long-term learning whilst provoking awe, wonder and enthusiasm.
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References:
Smith, M & Firth, J. (2018) Psychology in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to What Works. Abingdon, Oxfordshire: Routledge, p. 16.
Lowenstein, G. (1994) The Psychology of Curiosity: A review of reinterpretation’, Psychological Bulletin, 116(1), pp. 75-98.
Willingham, D, T. (2010) Why don’t students like school? A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works and What It Means for The Classroom. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, p. 13. 75
Heath, D & Heath, C. (2008) Made to Stick. London, England: Arrow, p. 16.
