PROGRESS Stories

The meaning of fun

Attaching the word ‘fun’ to ‘learning’ sets off alarm bells for many. It tends to be heard as the opposite of ‘rigour’ and ‘standards’.

Students taking part in the PROGRESS Programme often tell us they would like their lessons to be more ‘fun’. Teachers will sometimes reply that they have a curriculum to cover and ‘learning cannot be all about fun’.

The resulting deadlock can lead to a decline in the quality of staff-student relationships and an increase in disruptive classroom behaviour.

Generally, students use the word ‘fun’ to describe interactive learning. They want their teachers to take an interest in what they already know about a topic. They also want ‘hands on’ experiences that engage their innate curiosity.

The students who work with us recognise that it is only through finding opportunities to shape their education that they can use their wisdom about how they will acquire knowledge most effectively and enjoyably.

Some schools taking part in the PROGRESS Programme have brought staff and students together into joint teaching and learning groups. Students will observe lessons and report back on what works best; when the learning is most focused and effective and when, by contrast, students switch off.

The distillation of this research has led to much better understanding of what goes on in classrooms to support or undermine learning. Out of that have emerged strategies for making teaching and learning as much ‘fun’ as possible for everyone involved.

Click here for more information on the PROGRESS Programme.

PROGRESS Stories