Field Trip Survey Template

Find out whether students knew what to look for, could follow the visit, and had time to make useful observations. Use these seven field trip questions to plan a more focused next visit with SurveyLegend.

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Find out whether students knew what to look for, could follow the visit, and had time to make useful observations. Use these seven field trip questions to plan a more focused next visit with SurveyLegend.

Field Trip Survey

A memorable destination does not automatically make a clear learning experience. A student may enjoy a visit but miss the task because directions were hard to follow. This template separates preparation, movement around the site, activity pacing and reflection so the organizer can see where to investigate.

When to use this field trip survey

Use this questionnaire soon after an educational field trip with adult college students. Keep it about one visit, not the entire course or the destination's general appeal. If the decision concerns teaching across a semester, SurveyLegend's overview of student surveys explains broader feedback purposes. Participation in this feedback should not affect grades.

7 questions for your field trip survey

All seven questions are optional. Choose one answer where choices are listed; leave an irrelevant text field blank.

Respondent introduction: Think about the named field trip. Answer only from your own experience. Every question is optional. Do not include names, grades, medical details or private information about another person. Contact the organizer directly about anything needing a timely response.

Try the survey

A little feedback. A clearer picture.

Explore this 7-question example at your own pace. Every question is optional.

SurveyLegend demo Question 1 of 7

Field Trip Survey

01 Before the trip, how clear was what you were expected to observe or do?

Choose one answer, or skip this question.

02 How easy was it to find the locations needed for the planned activities?

Choose one answer, or skip this question.

03 How did the time available for the main learning activity feel?

Choose one answer, or skip this question.

04 Which part most helped you connect the visit with course material?

Choose one answer, or skip this question.

05 What most limited your participation in the planned activities?

Choose one answer, or skip this question.

06 What is one observation from the trip that connects with the course? Leave this blank if none comes to mind.

Share your answer, or skip this question.

07 What one change would most improve the next field trip? Please avoid names or personal details.

Share your answer, or skip this question.

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How to customize your field trip survey

Name the visit and its intended learning goal in the introduction. Replace the activity options only with things that actually happened, keeping an option for no useful connection. For a museum visit, distinguish observing exhibits from a guided discussion; for a site visit, distinguish observation from hands-on work. Pilot the questions with a few attendees before sending them widely. Keep the final open-ended questions short enough to answer without writing an assignment.

Printable field trip survey template

Use the printable questionnaire during a post-trip debrief or when attendees prefer to write their feedback. It contains the same seven questions and space for written answers. Before distributing it, tell participants where to return the form, who will review it and how it will be handled. Review paper responses separately or enter them manually through your own agreed process; they are not automatically added to online responses.

First page of the printable Field Trip Survey Template with questions and answer spaces
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AI prompt for a field trip survey

Turn the seven questions into a post-visit questionnaire about preparation, navigation and course connections. Copy this prompt into an AI assistant to draft the questions. Review the draft, then build and customize the survey in SurveyLegend before sharing.

Copy the prompt into an AI assistant to draft the questions, then build your survey in SurveyLegend.

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How to use the answers

Review unclear preparation separately from navigation difficulties. If directions were clear but time felt too short, changing the briefing may not solve the problem. Read the observation examples for evidence of the connections students describe, but do not grade them or equate self-reported clarity with learning achievement. Otten's 2018 study of a 25-day college study-abroad program found few statistically significant differences between full and minimal preparation, while suggesting some benefits of fuller preparation. The abstract states, “few statistically-significant differences were detected.” Read the field trip preparation study . That limited finding supports examining preparation and on-site experience separately; it does not validate this questionnaire or guarantee a better learning outcome. Report the number responding to each item and review the proposed change with the next trip's organizer.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a field trip permission form?

No. It collects feedback after a visit. Permission, emergency contacts, transport arrangements and accessibility planning require separate processes.

Can this survey measure learning?

It can collect students' accounts and examples of connections they made. It is not an achievement test, validated learning scale or substitute for an appropriately designed assessment.

Can schools use it with younger students?

This version is written for adults in college. A version for children needs age-appropriate language and the institution's participation, privacy and safeguarding review before use.