How to make learning Physics fun in schools

If You Know the Secret Sauce, Physics Can be Fun

Richard Feynman said, “Physics isn’t fun, the pleasure is in finding things out.”

Physics is based on a few concepts and fundamental relationships. But, before mastery of any of these comes the relevance of it as a subject. Until one understands how relevant something is to life, one’s desire to learn it is shallow.

When physics becomes relevant, you’re connected to it, touched by it and learn from it.

Now how do you make physics relevant? The short answer is by taking the students on a roller coaster ride of how, where and why physics is used in all areas of their lives.

So students can profoundly appreciate the fact that the universe is a stage and physics is a saga. How the actors triumphed over seemingly insurmountable obstacles to unravel the principles and laws governing nature and explain their effects upon our day to day lives.

This story of physics will change the perception of the students ever so slightly. It will make them think differently and that will be the turning point. Soon, learning physics becomes fun and not some mundane thing to study for grades alone.

Then, impress on them the tools of the trade to mastery. How important it is to cultivate an enquiring mind. This concerns the how and why of things and happenings around us.

Now, gently lead them to focus on looking beyond facts alone, living in the possibility mindset. Facts are the place to start with, but don’t stop just there! Encourage students to imagine what is possible as Albert Einstein had said, “imagination is more important than knowledge.”

Another skill to foster is conceptual thinking. Instead of looking at disparate things and leaving them there, it is endeavoring to connect them, for in the real world many things seem unrelated on the surface.

Isaac Newton said that concentrated thinking, another useful cultivated skill is the catalyst to uncovering the new. Deliberate focus till one is tired, then rest, then again refocus.

Now, the above holistic way of approach to physics will help students learn and remove the drudgery out of it. The fun part of it is designing programs and ways to incorporate the above mentioned skills. Learning physics is as much about pen and paper as it is using both your hands, involving your whole person, to build and take apart.

While many schools, what with their tight schedules and a syllabus to complete, cannot disseminate information in a different way to each student, there is help available.

There are numerous physical laboratories and workshops that enable the students to link their life situations in school to those outside the school to comprehend the complex concepts, shore up practical experience, and promote active learning and critical thinking.

Nischal Learning Solutions understands the place of relevance and holistic in learning physics. Our out of the box solutions remove the cloak of phobia surrounding it. With our methodologies, physics becomes fascinating and an enduring pleasure to learn

Schools, parents and students are welcome to come and explore the myriad ways how we make physics more memorable.