Students consider questions that allow them to find awe and wonder in various topics and to consider the connections between specific topics/skills and larger ideas.
Awe is described as a self-transcendent emotion, which helps us feel more connected to the natural world and to greater humanity. Awe is often accompanied by a sense of wonder, which is our response to curiosity and is elicited through exploration and by asking questions. In his book, Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life, awe scientist Dacher Keltner writes:
“As one historical example, Newton and Descartes were both awestruck by rainbows. In wonder, they asked: How is it that rainbows form when the sun’s light refracts through water molecules? What is the precise angle that produces this effect? What does this say about light? And our experience of color? This wonder for rainbows led these two scholars to some of their best work on mathematics, the physics of light, color theory, and sensation and perception.”
This practice uses awe to encourage greater curiosity and interest in students when learning about a new topic.
Dacher Keltner, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley
In a study of 447 high school students in a Midwestern state (56% White, 25% Black, 6% Hispanic-American, 3% Asian American, and 10% multi-ethnic; 54% middle class), researchers found that dispositional awe (the tendency to feel awe in general) predicted academic outcomes, i.e., work ethic, behavioral engagement, and academic self-efficacy, via curiosity. In other words, awe-inducing activities may improve academic performance.
Awe also increases our cognitive capacity to learn and reason. A study of U.S.-based adults (75% white) found that people who often feel awe show greater intellectual humility (the ability to recognize the limitations of our knowledge and beliefs) and wise reasoning (the ability to consider others’ perspectives and search for compromises).
Furthermore, a qualitative study with 34 public school teachers from the Southeastern U.S. (14 elementary school teachers and 20 middle school teachers; 74% White, 26% Black, .05% multi-racial) found that science teachers report using awe-invoking experiences in the classroom to facilitate learning outcomes and inspire long-term science interest. This included the use of hands-on opportunities for students to explore the concepts they were learning about or brief demonstrations by the teachers, such as demonstrations of chemical reactions. Teachers also identified a few individual factors that can influence how effective awe-inducing experiences are such as the childrens’ ages, prior experiences, initial interest levels, general curiosity, and the presence of other emotions.
In 2019, the New York Times asked students how to improve education. One student criticized the emphasis on standardized testing, stating, “That is not learning. That is learning how to memorize and become a robot that regurgitates answers instead of explaining ‘Why?’ or ‘How?’ that answer was found. If we spent more time in school learning the answers to those types of questions, we would become a nation where students are humans instead of a number.”
Awe is a natural part of learning and can help “humanize” the educational process. Indeed, as educators, we have the opportunity to create more spaces and places for joyful exploration, part of which includes awe. Awe can foster curiosity for learning and exploration, and help create learning environments that feel welcoming for all by reducing feelings of personal grandeur, allowing students to pay greater attention to each other’s needs.
Awe also inspires us, making us feel connected to something larger than ourselves and changing how we think about our place in the world. In other words, awe can help students find meaning in what they’re learning—a powerful tool for motivation and engagement.
Do you want to dive deeper into the science behind our GGIE practices? Enroll in one of our online courses for educators!
Comments