CC BY
0EURASIAN IOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
PHILOSOPHY AND CULTURE
EURASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, PHILOSOPHY AND CULTURE
Innovative Academy Research Support Center UIF = 8.2 | SJIF = 8.165 www.in-academy.uz
USING REALIA IN EDUCATION CAN PROVIDE A MULTITUDE OF BENEFITS FR BOTH EDUCATORS AND
LEARNERS Kulmamatova Aziza
Tashkent University of Applied Sciences Teacher of Department of Foreign Languages and Literature https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11618706
ARTICLE INFO
ABSTRACT
Received: 06th June 2024 Accepted: 11th June 2024 Online: 12th June 2024 KEYWORDS
Realia, education, benefits, educators, learners,
integration, multi-sensory, tangible learning.
This article explores the multifaceted benefits of incorporating realia, authentic real-world objects, into educational practices. Realia offers a tangible and multi-sensory approach to learning, engaging students in active exploration and deepening their understanding of complex concepts. By providing authentic context and promoting cultural understanding, realia enriches the educational experience, fostering student engagement and motivation. Drawing on research and practical examples, this article highlights the transformative potential of realia in education for both educators and learners.
Introduction
In the ever-evolving landscape of education, the integration of realia—authentic, real-world objects—has emerged as a powerful strategy to enhance learning experiences. From elementary classrooms to university lecture halls, educators are harnessing the potential of realia to engage students, deepen comprehension, and foster a love for learning. This article delves into the myriad benefits that realia offers for both educators and learners, shedding light on its transformative impact on the educational landscape. Realia is an instructional approach that enriches students' learning experiences by utilizing authentic things, artifacts, or materials. These items can range from commonplace goods like coins, maps, or newspapers to more specialist items like scientific apparatus or artifacts from a particular culture. Realia appeals to tactile and visual learners of all ages and strengthens language abilities. Realia are typically used by educators to illustrate vocabulary word meanings. Consider the distinction between teaching children fruit vocabulary and presenting the actual fruit and allowing them to guess its name. By using genuine materials, teachers can help students become more conversant in everyday circumstances and expose them to language outside of the classroom. Real resources have the potential to be more relevant to students' lives than textbooks used in the classroom. The study's conclusion is that teaching vocabulary with the realia technique is beneficial because the experimental group received higher average increment marks than the control group. Additionally, it is shown that the realia technique is comparatively more significant and helpful for primary school children.
Tangible Learning:
EURASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, PHILOSOPHY AND CULTURE
Innovative Academy Research Support Center UIF = 8.2 | SJIF = 8.165 www.in-academy.uz
One of the primary advantages of incorporating realia into educational settings is its ability to facilitate tangible learning experiences. Unlike abstract concepts presented solely through textbooks or lectures, realia provides students with physical objects they can touch, examine, and manipulate. Whether it's using math manipulatives to demonstrate geometric principles or handling historical artifacts in a social studies lesson, realia transforms learning from passive to active engagement, making complex concepts more accessible and tangible.
Multi-Sensory Engagement:
Realia engages multiple senses, offering a multi-sensory approach to learning that caters to diverse learning styles. When students interact with real-life objects, they not only see and hear but also touch, smell, and sometimes even taste, creating rich sensory experiences that deepen understanding and retention. From science experiments with laboratory equipment to language immersion through cultural artifacts, realia immerses students in the learning process, fostering connections that transcend traditional classroom boundaries.
Cultural Understanding:
Another invaluable benefit of realia in education is its capacity to promote cultural understanding and empathy. By incorporating artifacts, artworks, and cultural relics into lessons, educators provide students with firsthand experiences of diverse cultures and perspectives. Whether it's exploring traditional clothing in a world history class or sampling authentic cuisine in a foreign language lesson, realia fosters appreciation for cultural diversity and encourages students to embrace global citizenship.
Authentic Contextualization:
Realia offers authentic contextualization, grounding learning experiences in real-world relevance. By bringing authentic objects into the classroom, educators bridge the gap between theoretical concepts and practical applications, helping students understand how knowledge translates into everyday contexts. Whether it's using real-world maps in geography lessons or examining real fossils in a science lab, realia provides students with tangible connections to the world around them, sparking curiosity and fostering deeper engagement with the subject matter.
Enhanced Engagement and Motivation:
Perhaps most importantly, realia enhances student engagement and motivation, transforming learning into an exciting adventure. When students encounter real-life objects in the classroom, they are naturally drawn into the learning process, eager to explore, question, and discover. Whether it's conducting hands-on experiments in STEM subjects or role-playing historical events with authentic artifacts, realia captivates students' interest, making learning a dynamic and rewarding experience.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the integration of realia in education offers a multitude of benefits for both educators and learners alike. From tangible learning experiences and multi-sensory engagement to cultural understanding and authentic contextualization, realia enriches the educational experience in profound ways. By harnessing the power of real-world objects, educators can ignite students' curiosity, deepen comprehension, and inspire a lifelong passion for learning. As we continue to innovate and evolve in the field of education, realia stands as a testament to the transformative potential of hands-on, experiential learning.
EURASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, PHILOSOPHY AND CULTURE
Innovative Academy Research Support Center UIF = 8.2 | SJIF = 8.165 www.in-academy.uz
References:
1. Hall, K. (2010). Loris Malaguzzi and the Reggio Emilia Experience. Continuum International Publishing Group.
2. Horning, A. (1979). "Teaching as Performance." Journal of General Education, 31(3), 185194. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27796766.
3. Larson, J., and Marsh, J. (2014). Making Literacy Real: Theories and Practices for Learning and Teaching. SAGE Publications.
