Connecting Science to Life — the Experience of Psychology Students in the "Nature, City, Emotion" Initiative

Yael Yaffe, a psychology and Bible teacher at Alliance High School in Haifa, pedagogical coordinator, and leader of the “Nature, City, Emotion” project for 11th-grade students.

When I first heard about the “Nature, City, Emotion” project, I knew it could be something special. As a psychology teacher, I’m always looking for ways to make learning meaningful and connect students to the real world.

The project not only allowed me to incorporate the alternative assessment required by the curriculum, but also opened a window for students into the world of academic research through an experiential and active approach, rather than just through theoretical reading. We began the process with a meeting with the project leader, who introduced the students to the principles of citizen science and explained how they too could participate. From the very first moment, their interest and enthusiasm were evident. Together, we connected the topic to the fields of positive psychology, mental well-being, and mental resilience. The students were introduced to the app that would be used to collect their data, and for two weeks they used it to document the characteristics of their environment and their emotional state. Of course, not everything went smoothly. There were technical challenges in entering the data, but the students didn’t give up, and in the end, they managed to collect over 120 measurements. When the data was presented in class, it was a significant moment. Suddenly, they saw real data about themselves and the entire class.

We discovered, for example, that many of them reported feeling calm at school, even though they usually describe their experience as stressful. This led to deep conversations about the limitations of research, the way we perceive ourselves, and the connections that can be explored within the data. Alongside the research work, I created personal journals for them, in which they decorated the first pages, shared their thoughts, and answered questions that encouraged self-awareness. Questions like “Where do I feel best?” accompanied them throughout the process. We also conducted self-awareness activities based on data analysis, such as an “Emotions Bingo” game which turned out to be a powerful tool for personal and social connection. Later, the students divided into groups and chose research topics from the collected data, for example, the impact of noise on mental well-being. They will conduct independent research, create summary posters, and draft proposals for activist actions that can make a real difference such as reaching out to local authorities or school administrators. This experience was meaningful for me as well. It was the first time I’d led something like this, and I’m always trying to innovate. The collaboration with academia was fascinating, and the students demonstrated just how much they can be active partners in a genuine research process. I learned that we shouldn’t be afraid of innovation, and that when you give students a task with real meaning, they happily take part in it. If I do this again, it will certainly be easier. I’m still in the process of reflecting, and I don’t yet know what adjustments I’d like to make next time. But one thing is certain, this was one of the most meaningful experiences for me as a teacher, and I take from it the importance of experiential learning, the connection to academia, and the realization that learning must have a real purpose for the students.