Students’ Perceptions Of Experiential Learning Through Field Trips: A Case Study Of Tourism Majors, East Asia University Of Technology

Thi Xuyen Nguyen; Phuong Hao Lam

doi:10.65153/p18dg494

Các tác giả

Thi Xuyen Nguyen Faculty of Tourism, East Asia University of Technology Tác giả
Phuong Hao Lam Faculty of Tourism, East Asia University of Technology Tác giả

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.65153/p18dg494

Từ khóa:

Experiential learning, Field trips, Students’ perceptions, Tourism Education, Vietnam

Tóm tắt

Experiential learning is widely recognized as an effective pedagogical approach for bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and professional practice in tourism education. However, empirical evidence regarding tourism students’ perceptions of experiential learning through field trips remains limited, particularly in the Vietnamese higher education context. This study aims to examine students’ perceptions of experiential learning through student designed field trips in the Travel and Tourism Service Management program at East Asia University of Technology.

A mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining a questionnaire survey of 74 third-year tourism students with thematic analysis of reflective journals, course reports, and in-depth interviews. The field trips were incorporated into the Destinations, Travel Routes, and Internship course and involved visits to several tourism destinations in Northern Vietnam. Students actively participated in planning, organizing, and implementing the field trips under lecturer supervision, thereby creating a learner-centered experiential learning environment.

The findings indicate highly positive student perceptions of experiential learning. The highest rated dimensions were the importance of experiential learning (M = 4.47, SD = 0.76), perceived benefits (M = 4.46, SD = 0.77), and the importance of pre-trip preparation (M = 4.46, SD = 0.76). Qualitative evidence further revealed that field trips enhanced students’ practical skills, destination knowledge, teamwork, and understanding of tourism operations. Although students expressed positive views regarding program design, activity diversity, and assessment methods, the cost of field trips received comparatively lower evaluations (M = 3.32, SD = 1.07). The study contributes empirical evidence from Vietnam and highlights the value of student centered field trips in strengthening competency based tourism education.