VIRTUAL TOUR IN LEARNING SOCIAL SCIENCE AT STANDARD V- IS A BOON

G. Singravelu

INTRODUCTION

Primary Education is to be urgently revamped to achieve the competency of the young learners to acquire the suitable and desirable citizen by modifying their behaviours in the way of transacting the effective way of innovative teaching methods in the classroom. Learning Social science is necessary at primary stage to perceive the present situation of the politics, constitution of country, geographical knowledge, historical places, monuments, some famous temples, lakes. seas etc. Acquiring knowledge from books is not in effective for the young learners of standard V. Using albums, pictures and maps failed to achieve the goal of the learners at the younger stage. Everyday teacher endeavors to use activity oriented learning and play way methods in teaching Social science which were not fruitful to acquire the expected competency in social science. Sarva Siksha Abhiayan trains the teachers in effective manner to achieve the competency of the learners up to upper primary level. By the S.S.A programme, dropout rate should be reduced and education for all should be reached in nook and corner in India. Aim and goal of S.S.A. may get only through finding and implementing innovative methods.

Teachers of primary level are using different approaches in teaching Social science to the learners of standard V, which was not effective to achieve the expected competency. Arranging tour to the young children is the effective method for teaching Social science, in which children can enjoy the scenery and learn the subject matter with mixing of experience of their friends. Learners are able to learn everything in person through tour programme. Planning tour and executing in younger children is difficult to the teachers and administrators, the same visual amalgamated experience can be provided with in the four walls of the classroom by displaying DVD and video cassette. In the virtual learning, children can enjoy and learn whatever they learn in the real tour. It is suitable to the rural schools also and reduces physical and mental strain of the young learners and teachers. Hence the researcher found out the innovative method of Virtual Tour in the classroom of Social science at primary level.

OBJECTIVES

*To assess the problems of the young learners using the present methods of learning Social science at standard V in pooluvapatti panchayat union primary school,Coimbatore.

*To find out the significant difference between the post test of control group and post test of Experimental group in achievement mean scores of the pupils in Social science.

*To find out the significant difference between the pre test of Experimental group and post test of Experimental group in achievement mean scores of the pupils in Social science.

*To assess the impact of Virtual Tour in learning Social science.

HYPOTHESES

1. There is no significant difference between the post test of control group and post test experimental group in achievement mean scores of the pupil of standard V in Panchayat union primary school, Pooluvapatti

2. There is no significant difference between the pre test of Experimental group and post test of Experimental group in achievement mean scores of the pupils in Social science.

3. Learning Social science by using Virtual Tour is more effective than existing approaches.

OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS

Virtual Tour refers to use the Video cassettes in displaying in the class room, children need not go to the places, the real effect of the tour is created in the screen. Social science is a subject prescribed for the children of standard V.

METHOD OF STUDY

Experimental method (control group and experimental method)was adopted for the study.

Sample design

Eighty pupils of standard V from panchayat union primary school at Pooluvapatti in Coimbatore were selected as sample for the study.

Tools

The investigator’s self made Achievement test was used for the pretests and post tests of both control groups and experimental groups. The same question was used for both pre and post tests to evaluate the pupils’ skills in Social science through objective types of question which carried one mark for each question and contained 25 marks. Pupils could answer appropriately by using the virtual learning in learning Social science.

PROCEDURES

Phase 1: Identification of the problems of the learners of standard V in achieving mastery in Social science in existing methods through administering pretest.

Phase 2: The problem of the learners in learning Social science was discussed with the class teachers

Phase 3: Discussion about available educational technology in the school.

Phase 4: Preparation of the tool with the help of the class teacher

Phase 5: Administrating pretests to the both groups of the children in Social science and evaluating the test.

Phase 6: Preparation of taking snaps and collecting more information from internet in the format of DVD/Video cassette.

Phase 7: Editing the scenery.

Phase 8: Practicing the new methods in the classroom

Phase9: Evaluating the new method.

Phase 10: Administering the post test towards the learners of virtual learning.

Data collection

The researcher administered pretest to the pupils with the help of the teachers. The question paper and response sheets were given to the individual learners and collected and evaluated learning obstacles of the learners were identified by the pretest. The causes of low achievement by unsuitable methods were found out. The Virtual Tour was displayed in the classroom based on the subject matter. The posttest was administered and the effectiveness of the Virtual Tour was found.

Data Analysis

Statistical technique ‘t’ was applied for the study.

Hypothesis testing

Hypothesis 1: The calculated ‘t’ value is (9.65) greater than table value (1.99). Hence null hypothesis is rejected at 0.05 levels. Hence there is significant difference between the post test of control group and post test of experimental group in achievement mean scores of the learners in social science.

Hypothesis 2: The calculated ‘t’ value is (8.67) greater than table value (1.99). Hence null hypothesis is rejected at 0.05 levels. Hence there is significant difference between the pre test of Experimental group and post test experimental group in achievement mean scores of the learners in social science.

Hypothesis 3. The above findings prove and confirm the Virtual Tour is more effective than traditional approaches in learning social science at standard V.

FINDINGS

There is significance difference between the post test of control group and post test experimental group in achievement mean scores of the pupil of standard V in learning social science through Virtual Tour in panchayat union primary school, Pooluvapatti There is no significant difference between the pre test of Experimental group and post test of Experimental group in achievement mean scores of the pupils in Social science. Learning Social science by using Virtual Tour gives significant improvement in in learning social science.

EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS:

Virtual Tour can be extended to upper primary level secondary level and higher secondary level.

It can be encouraged to implement to use in adult education. It may be implemented in teachers education. It may be implemented in alternative school. Slow learners can improve by using it. It may be more supportive to promote Sarva Siksha abiyan in grass root level.

CONCLUSION

The study reveals that the learners of standard V at panchayat union, primary school of Pooluvapatti, had problems in learning social science by using traditional approaches. Hence it will be more supportive to promote primary education.