My Scholarly Interests...One Semester Later

First of all, I can hardly believe a whole semester has already rushed by! It feels like just a few weeks ago, I started at Purdue. In that time, I've had some truly enlightening and engaging academic experiences. While my classes have played a significant role, it has been the workshops, seminars, and conferences that have felt truly transformative.

Seeing the contemporary world of research in education, especially science education, has helped me understand the current trends and deepen my global understanding of the issues. I still believe that the Indian context is unique and quite different from the Western context. The pace of development and globalization in India puts it on a trajectory where it will encounter many of the same challenges as the West. 

When I began this semester, my research interests were mostly focused on developing critical thinking through science education, supporting the process of modeling in sciences, especially chemistry, and enhancing student motivation in science education. One semester in, I haven't drastically changed my research goals, but they have been refined further. My primary research interest has always been the development of critical thinking skills through science education. My experiences and learnings over the semester, such as the AI in P-12 Education Conference and numerous seminars organized by the College of Education, have led to a narrowing down of my focus to the science teacher experience and teacher development. Reflecting on my experience at Mallya Aditi International School, I was always aware I had a privileged experience where I was given considerable freedom to interpret the curriculum in ways that supported much larger student learning outcomes than the common denominator of examination success across the country. Of course, the context in which I taught is significant since the students come from very socioeconomically privileged families. However, all teachers, to varying extents, are interpreters of the curriculum. They are the ones that animate curriculum, shaping it to their context and experiences. As a result, I believe that teacher development and training are crucial to  achieve real change on the ground. This has also been highlighted by research coming from India such as by Sharma (2017), Mashood and Singh (2019), Giri and Paily (2020), and by Sellars et al. (2018). All these researchers (and groups) have been unanimous in advocating for teacher training to improve the development of critical thinking skills in students. 

For any interventions to be meaningful and equitable, they must first capture the reality of the teacher experience in science classrooms. My initial foray into reading literature on Indian science education show a paucity of description of the existing landscape. Without understanding and describing the current system and factors, meaningful interventions cannot be made.

I believe I would like to engage in understanding the experiences, motivations, and identities of my fellow Indian science teachers. However, teacher training and reform is, I presently believe, my destination.

References

Giri, V., & Paily, M. U. (2020). Effect of Scientific Argumentation on the Development of Critical Thinking. Science & Education, 29(3), 673–690. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-020-00120-y

Mashood, K. K., & Singh, V. A. (2019). Preuniversity science education in India: Insights and cross cultural comparison. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 15(1), 013103. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.15.013103

Sellars, M., Fakirmohammad, R., Bui, L., Fishetti, J., Niyozov, S., Reynolds, R., Thapliyal, N., Liu-Smith, Y.-L., & Ali, N. (2018). Conversations on Critical Thinking: Can Critical Thinking Find Its Way Forward as the Skill Set and Mindset of the Century? Education Sciences, 8(4), 205.

Sharma, P., (2017). Learning Science in Classrooms, Nurturing Thinking Skills. Journal of Indian Education, Vol. XLII(1), pp. 66-84 https://www.ncert.nic.in/pdf/publication/journalsandperiodicals/journalofindianeducation/JIE_may_2016.pdf#page=68

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Beginning To Explore - Topical Readings On Critical Thinking In Indian Science Education

My primary research interest is the development of critical thinking skills through science education, especially positioned in my area of experience - India. While the term critical thinking has lost currency in the US (replaced by argumentation and sense-making most recently), the term is still much used in the Indian context alongside higher-order thinking skills (HOTS).

My readings have just begun but I decided to start with one research paper that captures the ground reality of the construct and a position paper by the organisation responsible for curriculum development in India.

1. Learning Science in Classrooms, Nurturing Thinking Skills by Priyanka Sharma

In this study, Sharma explored the goals of science teaching by Indian teachers teaching across K-12, how their understanding is operationalised in the classroom and how well classroom teaching of science aligns with the goals of science education as stated in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum. She sampled 98 teachers teaching across diverse conditions (urban context, language of instruction, educational qualification, gender and grade level), first through small focus groups and then through individual questionnaires. The most common reason for teaching science was identified to be the development of practical experimental skills followed by the development of comprehension of science concepts and then the acquisition of science knowledge. The teaching practices most used by teachers was either reading material from the textbook, or lecture using a blackboard. Other teaching practices such as demonstrations, experiments, use of multimedia were either very rarely (<25% of time) or never used. The use of questioning students as a teaching method was largely restricted to a means of awarding marks to students after a topic was taught and drew mostly from the textbook. Questioning as a means to encourage student thinking, identify background knowledge, engage students was done by only 7-13 teachers in the study and only a similar number drew on real life experiences of students as a source of questions. The researcher’s analysis of policy documents on science education shows a discrepancy between the stated goals of science education, namely the need for inculcating scientific inquiry and temper among school children (NCERT, 2006) and the practice of teaching science in the classroom. Teachers in the study opined that obstacles like large class sizes, lack of training in innovative teaching methods and administrative issues prevented them from using more inquiry based approaches.

The student experience of learning science remains limited to rote memorisation instead of actual comprehension of science knowledge and processes. There is limited to no discussion of the nature of science. There is a collusion between curriculum, assessment, teaching and educational administration that encourages the perpetuation of science education that is restricted to the transmission of science knowledge. It would have been good to have information about the exact cities the study participants were drawn from and the nature of the schools due to the large variation that exists in India. However, studies like this show that there is tremendous space and need for more sophisticated science education in India, especially in light of current education policy as stated by the National Council for Education Research and Technology (NCERT) in 2006.

2. Position Paper of National Focus Group on Teaching of Science by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)

The position paper, written in 2006, animates the current policy direction of the government of India on science education, especially at the school level. The National Education Policy 2020 clearly derives from many of the considerations and recommendations of the position paper. It notes how science education has been compulsory up to Class 10 but the curriculum lacks relevance and quality. It acknowledges the existence of isolated cases of excellence in science education and individuals who, despite the system, excel in science. The three main lacunae the authors identify are a failure to achieve equity in and through science education, a failure to foster innovation and creativity and the present system of examinations that stymie most interventions.

The position paper is interesting in its explicit and clear enunciation of scientific literacy as a stated goal of science education. The paper also recognises the importance of designing science education for the majority of students who would not pursue careers in science and technology. It has a focus on equity, sophistication and nuance in science education and recognises the critical role of teachers in enacting effective science education.

Teacher training is seen as crucial to any largescale improvement in science education. It suggests a complete overhaul of the current system of teacher education including modernisation of the syllabus and focus on science practices and the nature of science. It recognises the importance of teacher autonomy but quality control and oversight are required to ensure standards are maintained

It is critical of the current examination system which encourages rote learning, sacrifices student engagement and deep learning while creating an environment of anxiety and fear leading to poor student mental health; this is applicable to both the end of school Board examinations and the numerous entrance examinations required for admission to varied undergraduate programs. The quality of questions in Board examinations is also a topic of concern for the authors.

I find it surprising that this document written 18 years ago has a much broader and sophisticated conception of science education than I have seen enacted through curriculum or practice during my career as a teacher. The focus on equity and inquiry, the criticism of the examination system and the thrust to teacher training pre-service and in-service feel revolutionary, mostly since little has changed in the education landscape since then. Many of their criticisms still hold true, their recommendations still unenacted and their vision still relevant. However, the stated position of the NCERT being as mentioned above creates a space for continued research and design of solutions that are within the ambit of the existing system.

These two documents begin to reveal an interesting gap between policy and practice. Though the papers are not recent, my experience teaching in India suggests that very little has changed on the ground. There are areas of consonance such as the imperative for effective teacher training, and the re-evaluation and reform of the examination system. My future reading will be on newer studies that have been conducted, especially trying to understand why there is such slow progress in realising the NCERT goals of science education. It does however give me hope for future improvement and indicates a distinct research space I can occupy.  

References:

1.      Sharma, P., (2017). Learning Science in Classrooms, Nurturing Thinking Skills. Journal of Indian Education, Vol. XLII(1), pp. 66-84 https://www.ncert.nic.in/pdf/publication/journalsandperiodicals/journalofindianeducation/JIE_may_2016.pdf#page=68

NCERT, 2006. Position Paper of National Focus Group on Teaching of Science. National Council of Educational Research and Training. New Delhi.

My First International Conference...Or How I Caught the Bug.

        The first time I got in front of an international academic audience and presented my work was at the Barcelona Conference on Education, 2023 (BCE2023). This conference organised by the International Academic Forum (IAFOR) brought together education researchers, education leaders, education practitioners and other stakeholders in a 4 day conference. My colleague, Geeta (Mary Rita) Paul and I both believed that we had, independently and collaboratively, done quite a bit of novel, effective teaching that we owed to ourselves to share with the larger community.

        The Barcelona skyline overlooking the Mediterranean sea from Park Guell

        Looking back over the many projects we had worked on, we decided to present a large, interdisciplinary project we had created and ran over 2019-2020. The project, called Silk Roots, was a great example of place-based learning and could lead to a generalised design template that other schools could follow. I submitted our abstract on 9th July 2023. Several weeks passed and we got on with the 100 things teachers have to do every day. And then, it arrived in my inbox – our acceptance into the conference. We had a presentation to make at an international conference in less than three months. 

        Over several conversations, Geeta and I decided that we would like to present in-person at the conference in Barcelona. The opportunity to learn and network, the potential for international collaboration for our school and the lure of Barcelona itself was irresistible. Presenting online was kept as a backup plan, just in case. However, the inequities of international travel were still to be navigated. Indians have to jump through hoops to obtain visas to travel to Europe, and this requires considerable time and money. Multiple travel agents told us it would be nigh-impossible to get even an appointment for a Spanish visa and have it processed within two months. However, one resourceful agent suggested obtaining a French visa which was much more likely in the time available. This added considerable expense and time to our trip but seemed to be the only way we could make this happen. We had limited support from our school which enthusiastically sanctioned time away to make the presentation but could not financially support our travel. 

   

        Suffice to say, it worked. A few days before our departure, our visas arrived. 

        September swung around and it was time to leave. My colleague and I had got precious little done making our presentation for the conference but had identified the key themes and points to discuss. Off we went to Paris!

        Paris and Madrid were a wonderful time! We immersed ourselves in art, culture and food, and had a grand holiday. Not getting a visa to Spain directly proved to be quite serendipitous and led to memorable experiences for both of us. We spent our days exploring the sights, and our nights working on our presentation. We felt fully prepared for the conference by the time we arrived at the conference in Barcelona.

Geeta and I at the Louvre, Paris

        The conference itself was a rich learning experience. We drew the short straw – presenting after lunch on the last day of in-person presentations. However, we decided to make the most of attending the numerous presentations that we could. Over a year later, I still can recall the sessions I attended on the trap of perfectionism and education system reforms in Norway. One pleasant surprise was the opportunity to chair a session on multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary education. 

        It soon came time to take the stage and present our work. The many years of collaboration and the strong rapport Geeta and I have built helped us move seamlessly between the sections we presented. Starting from giving brief context on the education system and what constitutes a meaningful Project-based learning (PBL), we dove into how we applied the principles of Design Thinking to bring together a multidisciplinary team of teachers to engage students in interdisciplinary learning. We then used the Silk Roots project and our learnings from its creation, organisation and implementation to create an operational design sequence that schools could follow to achieve similar learning outcomes.

        Presenting at BCE2023

        Our focus on teacher learning and collaboration through this work as well as the place-based pedagogy were very well received. We were thrilled and gratified to receive kudos from professors of education from places as diverse as Nigeria and Malaysia who saw the relevance of our presentation even in their own contexts. The strongest impression both Geeta and I were left with was how ahead of the curve Mallya Aditi International School and many of the teachers’ practises were – it reaffirmed just what a unique and academically vibrant space the school has been. Hearing participants from around the world, I keenly felt the dearth of Indian voices. I personally knew of so much cutting-edge practice in education that was going on that was undocumented and therefore invisible to the world. The whole process of applying to the conference and presenting in person also highlighted how privileged and lucky I was to not only have the means and support to do so but have also had the opportunities to develop the skills and the exposure to be able to do so. The logistical obstacles are numerous and teachers don’t often identify themselves as knowledge-creators and knowledge-sharers outside the classroom. 

 That was when I caught the bug. 

        I knew then that I would not be satisfied with just teaching but I wanted to create and share knowledge on the process. At that point of time, I did not know I was a year away from starting my PhD at Purdue University, but it definitely lit a spark in me. I decided that I would present my own practice as a teacher and educational leader and work to document the rich, varied and considerable pedagogical innovation that takes place on the ground while continuing to teach and serve my students and school. One year later, my determination has not wavered, but I can see my learning at Purdue honing the skills I need to accomplish this goal. 

 Jayanth N., & Paul M. (2023) Silk Roots – A Design Template for Interdisciplinary Learning Projects ISSN: 2435-9467 – The Barcelona Conference on Education 2023: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 909-919) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2435-9467.2023.72

AI in P-12 Education - A reflection

 No discussion on education these days is complete without a reference to AI. Some venerate it, some demonise it, but we just can't seem to stop talking about it. World over individuals, institutions and companies make grandiose claims that AI has either consigned formal education to ignominy or saved it from obsolescence. While neither of these might be true in their entirety, it is true that AI has affected the educational landscape; it is the newest tool on the bench and like any tool, can either help or harm depending on how it is used or abused. Thankfully, conversations around AI are happening at all levels starting from teachers on the ground to national policy and this will help guide the use and put much-needed guardrails to help curb the abuse. 

As a teacher, I would consider myself an early adopter of technological innovation in teaching. I began exploring how to use AI to make my job more efficient and as Head of Department, helped pioneer department policy on how my teachers could leverage AI like ChatGPT (which so many of our students blindly used already) to foster better teaching and learning of critical thinking skills. I was therefore very excited to get an opportunity to attend the Purdue AI in P-12 Education Conference organised on 11 November, 2024. There is considerable research happening in Purdue itself on AI and how it interfaces with education, so I was sure this would be an illuminating and productive conference for me even if my main research interests don't have much to do with AI.

I chose to attend sessions that spanned the full range of themes - AI tools, AI education research, AI curriculum applications and AI ethics and policy - to get a broad overview of the issues. The keynote by Dr. Stephen J Aguilar, a philosopher by training, set the tone with having us consider the potential and also the limitations of AI. Jenna Lane ran a session on using AI to teach 21st century skills like critical thinking corroborated and validated the policy and outlines for use that I had setup at Mallya Aditi International School in 2022. The session on using AI to create personalised learning programs for gifted students did not quite hit the mark for me, with too little focus on the actual AI use and more about the summer program. Presentations by a series of doctoral student presenting diverse research showed the great quality of work being done by researchers at Purdue and similar universities. These consisted of rural teacher PD in AI tools, a systematic review of literature on AI in educational leadership and policy and a study of teachers' perspective on AI integration on education in South Korea. 

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The session I think I most enjoyed was on AI ethics and policy by Wesley Skym, a theatre and communication educator and a doctoral student in educational administration and leadership at UIUC. His session titled, "AI and HI-FIVES" looked at applying an established framework - HI-FIVES - to evaluate the need for the inclusion of any teaching tool into pedagogic practice. 

Wesley took us through a brief history of educational interventions from the past few decades - distance learning, flipped classrooms, asynchronous/synchronous classes, game based learning, Virtual reality and finally AI - discussing the benefits and concerns of each that have been documented in the literature. The large number of common benefits and concerns across all these tools was thought-provoking, but not entirely unsurprising. This led to an elaborate discussion of the HI-FIVES model that was constructed with inputs from both learning theories and computer-mediated communication theories. HI-FIVES essentially is a rubric to check any tool against to evaluate its merit for inclusion in a classroom. It stands for:

H - Hyperpersonal

I- Interactive

F- Foundation

I-Immediacy

V-Versatility

E-Empowerment

S-Support.

Wesley took the session attendees through each of these criteria and how we can understand and apply it. For example, when questioning if the tools is interactive, we see if it supplements and not fully replaces current practices and creates an engaging experience for teachers and students. This deep dive into each of the different criteria was insightful and helped me consider how I'd apply this to different AI tools I've encountered before. In the last few minutes, Wesley did a rough evaluation of Gimkit, a tool he uses abundantly in his classes, using the HI-FIVES framework and justified its use in his lessons. While I'm sure there may be concerns about how one could objectively measure the different metric required for HI-FIVES and how feasible it is to do perform this evaluation rigorously for every tool that may be considered for deployment in a classroom, it was eye-opening to see an established framework for this purpose. I also liked that it drew from diverse theoretical frameworks thereby creating a more robust synthesis.

One of the things I've come to enjoy in my first semester at Purdue is the breadth and variety of learning opportunities available here. This conference, my first in the US but far from the last, was just one more opportunity to broaden my mind's horizons in a long list I've enjoyed within just 3 months here. The diversity of perspectives, the quality and rigour of the content and the passion of the presenters and learners reminds me why I chose to come here and makes me thrilled to be a part of such a vibrant academic ecosystem!

My Scholarly Interests

It's the late 2010s and there I am, teaching Chemistry, Classical Singing and Critical Thinking. I had found something I was passionate about doing, found spaces I excelled in and that valued me and showed it, time and again. Despite the host of incredibly interesting things - unique courses, international projects and collaborations, STEAM workshops - I was doing, I still had the same nagging questions in the back of my mind. Not just to do, but to study; to see if things actually work the way we think they do; the how and the why of our practice as educators; how to make the teaching-learning experience better and more accessible. Plans of developing expertise in research resurfaced and given my areas of experience, Science Education seemed to be the most logical fit. That is how I came to be at Purdue, in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction pursuing my PhD in Science Education. I am here firstly to develop my skills in research in education. Secondly, I am here to understand the larger context in which education operates - the current discourse, future trends and proven best practice. Lastly, I am here to work alongside a wide range of educators and researchers to build my network. 

My academic muse is my own past experience. My inspiration for my research is the classroom - that space of fun, achievement, stress and occasional despair. When I reflect on my experiences as a teacher, I am slightly surprised by how much I was trusted and relied on to do, and how I did all of that and more. This diverse set of experiences exposed me to a range of practices, beliefs and limitations of the various stakeholders in the education system in India. I suppose I approach my research as both a scientist and engineer - describing, understanding and explaining existing features as well as identifying problems and solutions. Applying this compound lens to my experience brought me to my current interests:

1. Does teaching science actually teach critical thinking (an oft-stated goal)? How do we more explicitly develop this skill?

2. What challenges do scientific models of abstract entities, such as the atomic orbitals, pose to early learners? How do we make it easier for learners and create fewer misconceptions?

3. How do we leverage student intrinsic motivation and improve learning outcomes in content-heavy courses?

The first is the one I most strongly connect to and would like to pursue through this PhD program. Unfortunately, in both my experience and according to a cursory reading of the literature, science education does not translate into better critical thinking skills (Osborne & Pimentel, 2023). There is a tendency to reduce science to just a body of knowledge or a practice that is remote and inaccessible, instead of a way of thinking and operating in the world. Our global experience with COVID, and the anti-science furore that accompanied it is just one piece of evidence that suggests we need to do something differently. Statements made by senior government officials and statesmen in India highlight the issue back home (Bhattacharya, 2024).  Through this PhD I would like to explore how effective the present system in India is at building critical thinking through science education and how a better approach can be integrated into the existing system. Curricular reform is difficult in a byzantine system like the Indian bureaucracy, but teachers on the ground, interpreting and implementing curriculum are the one who hold the key, I believe. Whether this interest will stay with me through this PhD journey remains to be seen as I am confronted by new information, new perspectives and new opportunities. 

At this point of time, I do not know where this PhD journey will lead me, during or after. In all honesty, I do not even think I know the full range of possibilities that will be available to me after I complete my PhD. I would like, in some way, to contribute to the body of knowledge on science education in the Indian subcontinent - potentially through research. I am equally interested in getting back onto the battlefield by helping develop curricula or training teachers. I guess I will figure out which way my interest (and wallet) lead me as I navigate the next few years of graduate school.

 

Bhattacharya, S. (2024, August 14). Indian Government’s Intensifying Attack on Scientific Temperament Worries Scientists. The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2024/08/indian-governments-intensifying-attack-on-scientific-temperament-worries-scientists/

Osborne, J., & Pimentel, D. (2023). Science Education in an Age of Misinformation. Science Education, 107(3), 553–571. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21790

 

NIVEDH 101

Before we get into what I think and what I do, you should probably know a little bit about who I am. 

I'm Nivedh Jayanth. I've lived in Bangalore/Bengaluru, India for the past 35 years of my life and have now decided to move across the world to West Lafayette and pursue my PhD in Science Education at Purdue. This was not the result of premature mid-life crisis or a sudden aneuryism, but the next logical step (or so I tell myself) in my journey.

I have a Bachelors degree in Chemistry, Environmental Science and Zoology from St. Joseph's College (now St. Joseph's University), India, a Masters degree in Chemistry from the National Institute of Technology, Karnataka, India and a Bachelors degree in Education from Bangalore City University, India. I also picked up a DipLCM, a Diploma in Classical Singing from the London College of Music. 

Over the last little-more-than-a-decade, I've done a bunch of incredibly fun, cool and interesting things! I got into teaching High School Chemistry at Mallya Aditi International School, Bengaluru, straight after my Masters and taught for a year. I then worked at a research lab characterising graphene-polyaniline nanocomposites using Atomic Force Microscopy for a year; it was a great experience, but I found teaching was where my heart and soul were glad. 

So back I went to teaching at the same school and stuck with it for the next 10 years. I've taught several things over the years. Here's a brief list: 

• Chemistry for grades 8-12 
• an expirential science course through gardening for grade 5
• Thinking Skills for grades 9-10
•  and Global Perspectives and Research for grades 11-12. 
• Sexual health and wellness grades 9-12

Alongside my teaching responsibilities, I've been a Class Teacher with mentorship and pastoral care duties for about 9 years as well. I've guided students from grade 9-12, helping them work through their challenges and celebrating their triumphs through their teenage years. I've also enjoyed (yes, actually) working in leadership and administrative roles as the Head of Department for the critical thinking courses for a good 3 years. I've got up to a lot more at my job, but this should be enough to start with!

That's my Peter Parker side of life.

The rest of the time, I'm spiderman! 

Well, not quite, but the next best thing I think - I'm also a singer, been singing on stage since I've been about 5, maybe even younger. I trained as a singer formally in my early 20s, and fell in love with singing and performing on stage. The clip below is from a recording a friend took on 26th July, 2024 at a concert held at Mallya Aditi International School. 

 I've sung in several amazing choirs - the MMT choir, the Bangalore Chamber Singers and most recently, The Bangalore Men. Along the way, I've sung with a few bands as well - One Girl Shy, Retrograde and No Panic All Disco. I spent a brief 2 year stint as a Voice instructor at the Bangalore School of Music. I've had some incredible opportunities in this journey - singing for a Netflix show, performing alongside the Symphony Orchestra of India and other virtuoso international musicians, touring the country and simply having the best time of my life!

So why would I give all this up and come back to college for a PhD?

My esteemed vocal mentors - Jonas Olsson and Maria Forsstrom - have always said that as a singer we are simultaneously three things - the instrument, the performer of the instrument and the instrument builder. I have always felt the same as a teacher as well - I teach, I learn, but simultaneously I've also been standing apart watching how this entire process transacts and transpires. I have always had questions about why we do certain things, how effective our methods are and how the entire teaching-learning process takes place. A little casual reading of the literature was how I started digging deeper. I've also had the opportunity to present at several conferences and workshops, locally and internationally, where I've been able to interact with other teachers and education researchers and share thoughts, perspectives, experiences and praxis. 

One of my most recent experiences was presenting a paper at a conference alongside my colleague, Mary Rita Paul on the design of interdisciplinary learning projects. Our publication in the conference proceedings is linked below:

https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2435-9467.2023.72

I've been doing much more of these in the past years, slowly uncovering the desire to delve deeper into the process of education. This has now brought me here, on the threshold of new discoveries about myself and this wonderful world of science education that I dove into headfirst many years ago and have been equally intrigued, excited and satisfied by all these years.

I'll be using this blog to reflect on this whole process of doing a PhD in Science Education as well as my thoughts and perspectives on Science Education. My experience and expertise lies Secondary Chemistry Education in India and teaching Critical Thinking Skills, so expect a lot of rumination on these. Follow along and feel free to comment! I always love a good discussion!