Learning Activities Aimed at Promoting Students’ Interest: Synthesis of Master Teachers’ Activity Organizing Methods via TV Media

AbstractTeachers’ learning activities should be innovative, interesting and attractive to students. This research analyzes learning activities that promote elementary students’ interest in the sciences and mathematics and their effects on learners. The research is divided into two phases. The first phase uses a synthesis of learning activities of master teachers of sciences and mathematics broadcast on public television in Thailand. Thirty activities by 25 master teachers were selected for this research. The second phase features interviews with five teachers who have implemented learning activities from master teachers’ broadcasts on TV in their teaching. The research instruments are observation records of learning activities by master teachers via TV and interview records. Data analysis is carried out using descriptive statistics and cross tabulation. It was found that the learning activities of the majority of master teachers (93%) that promote students’ interest involve the use of learning sources around schools, nature and items used in everyday life and integration of learning activities at each step (leading, teaching and concluding). Examples of activities are giving examples, playing games, experiments, posing questions that make students think, demonstration and practicing. As a result, students received knowledge through the thinking process, paid attention to their lessons, interacted with their classmates and teachers and participated in more learning activities