How to Develop Research and Presentation Skills During Schooling?

Information is power. When students develop the research skills they need, they gain the ability to know how to effectively seek out information and separate fact from fiction. It is a skill that will come in handy in academics, and also in their professional life. The same goes for presentation skills, which are equally an important and adjacent expertise that students will have to put into practice at school and in their careers. Curated for primary and nursery school students, these tips will help you improve your research and presentation skills.  

Learn to Discern Sources

A lot of student research takes place online today. While the world wide web has made for a vast and easily accessible resource, not all information on there is verifiable or true. As a matter of fact, unreliable information constitutes 62% of all data available online according to a CSO report.

As a student, you should learn how to analyze the quality or credibility of your sources if you are to build strong research skills. Here are a few pointers on doing that:

• Consider the author of the information. Are they subject matter experts? What authority do they have over the topic or niche?
• Examine what other sources say and if the information provided is in alignment with the information.
• Take into account whether the author has a conflict of interest.
• Consider as well if the information source backs up its claims with hard facts and stats from studies or surveys.

Practice Presenting Often

Once you’ve researched a topic, the next important know-how is presentation skills to help front your findings. But why do students need presentation skills? This is an important ability, with 7 in 10 US professionals confessing that it is a vital part of their everyday work. And besides, presentation improves language prowess and communication which are essential for school and career success.

The key to cracking how to improve presentation skills for students can be summed up in just four words: a lot of practice. Be sure to:

• Take up opportunities to speak in front of your class.
• Grab leadership chances during group assignments.
• Accept opportunities to demonstrate a concept or answer to your friends.
• Schedule presentations with your family members if chances are limited at school.

Schools on the other hand should increase the number of opportunities available for students to brush up on their presentation skills through more debates and discussions.

Sample a Rich Variety of Sources

Don’t just use the first source you get online as your only reference for the entirety of your research. Mix it up and sample different sources so you can be sure you have your facts right. Doing so is also necessary so you can get new information and perspectives on a topic.

So how many sources should you use when doing research? The general rule of thumb is to check out at least 5 trustworthy sources. But the bigger the scope of the project is, then the more sources you’ll need. Develop the research skills you need by sampling as many high-quality sources as you can.

Learn From Other Presentations

To gain more confidence and learn how it’s done firsthand, we also recommend participating in conferences featuring more accomplished presenters. If you can’t attend these events in person, watch videos online of how skilled presenters get it done.

When doing that, you should be paying attention to:

• The presenter’s use of body language.
• How they’re pacing their tone or speech.
• How they’re spacing out or emphasizing their words.
• The amount of information they cover within a slide.
• How the presenter engages with the audience.

Digging up past presentations on a topic you’d like to present on can give you some ideas on how to go about your own.

Join a Club Such as Toastmasters

What better way to get opportunities to hone your research and presentation skills than joining a club? Our school highly recommends joining groups such as Toastmasters International, for example. It is one of India’s oldest active clubs and has subsidiaries across the country that you can join.

This is a US-based organization with a global presence that continues to help millions of students and even working professionals bolster their public speaking and research skills. Furthermore, they are also a great option if you’d like to improve your leadership skills as well, in addition to creating networks that might just help you in your professional life later on.

But you don’t always need to look so far. Joining clubs within your school – and then taking up active roles therein – is the first place you should start.

Work on your Research Skills Now

No matter what career option you have in mind, chances are you will need to fall back on your research and presentation skills. These are the basic requirements of most 21^st century jobs so work on them today to secure your future tomorrow. You’ll also be able to reap the benefits right away with both skills being key for better academic performance.