Why Science Must Be Taught Through Observation Skills

Hello everyone!

Today, I’d love to share some thoughts on a topic close to my heart: why science education should be rooted in observation rather than traditional lecture-based methods.

The Challenge in Today’s Classrooms

In many schools, science is taught with a strong focus on completing the syllabus and preparing students for exams. While this ensures coverage of topics, it often misses something essential — real understanding.

Many students today have short attention spans. Sitting through lectures for long hours can make science feel dry or difficult. Instead of exploring and enjoying the subject, students are often expected to memorize concepts and solve practice questions, even when the basic ideas aren’t fully clear.

This is not a criticism of teachers or schools. In fact, educators everywhere work incredibly hard. But the pressure to cover content and deliver high scores sometimes overshadows the joy of discovery that science is truly about.

Why Observation Matters in Science

If we look back at major scientific discoveries, most of them began with observation. Newton watched an apple fall. Darwin studied birds and plants on his journey. Observation is the first step to asking questions, forming ideas, and discovering new knowledge.

Unfortunately, many school routines keep students indoors from morning to evening. This limits their chance to observe the world around them — to notice, question, and wonder.

A Simple Example: Teaching Friction

Imagine you’re teaching the concept of friction. You could explain it as:

“Friction is a force that resists motion between two surfaces.”

Or — you could turn it into an activity.

Ask students to bring small toy cars. Provide different surfaces like smooth tiles, sandpaper, and cloth. Let them roll the cars and measure how far each one goes. Record the results. Ask them to guess why some cars travel further than others.

Through this process, students see and feel friction in action. They measure, calculate, and discuss. The learning becomes hands-on, fun, and unforgettable.

What the Data Tells Us

I recently came across a report from the State Policy Commission that studied student performance in Tamil Nadu. The findings were concerning:

• In Grade 8 Science, the average score was just 37% statewide.

• In Nagapattinam district, the average was even lower — 31%.

These numbers suggest that while students may do well in rote-based exams, they often struggle with questions that test conceptual understanding.

A Better Way Forward

The National Education Policy (NEP) encourages schools to adopt experiential and hands-on learning methods. This is a positive step. When students observe, explore, and experiment, they don’t just learn — they understand and remember.

Science should not be something to memorize for a test. It should be something to experience, to question, and to enjoy.

Let’s Reimagine Science Education

As educators, parents, and policymakers, we all share a common goal: to help children become curious, capable learners.

Let’s bring observation back into science teaching. Let’s take students beyond textbooks and into the world around them — where science truly comes alive.

Thank you for reading!