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
