The Science Xpress

Science education has a purpose; it can be seen as:

1. Preparing students for this information age and knowledge society which requires a dynamic grasp of knowledge; with additions, subtractions and modifications on an on-going basis;
2. Encouraging sustainable living and understanding the social implications of science in the present times where we require scientifically and technologically informed citizens[1];
3. To identify, motivate and offer initial preparation for students who will pursue science as a career in the future[2].

Science is best learnt through doing and being aware of its presence in our everyday life. (Arguments supporting this line of thinking have been presented in the blogs: Discovery-Based Learning; Experiential Learning; Inquiry-Based Learning and Science is Fun!) With this basic understanding, we present some practical ideas on how we can help students learn science:

Real-life example for replication in our Science Education

A unique collaboration which can do wonders in our science educational milieu, if replicated even in part, is the example of: “The Urban Advantage programme”[3] which connects New York city’s middle schools to eight of New York’s leading cultural institutions, which include American Museum of Natural History; Brooklyn Botanic Garden; the New York Hall of Science; the Staten Island Zoo and similar institutes. The guiding principle of this collaboration is “learning science by doing science”. It supports schools, teachers, parents, families and of course the students! Classroom materials are provided for active engagement; professional learning courses are available for teachers; within the group there is access to partnership institutions for field visits and family trips; there are opportunities to conduct scientific investigations in different branches of science and much more! Since the programme is uniquely tailored for the schools; it is centred around the science curriculum of the school.[4] As per a study, by 2013-2014, the programme helped 33,000 students and more than 500 teachers in 1/3^rd of all New York middle schools.

Practical Implementation of a Collaboration

If this model was replicated at an independent state; district and block level in India– partnerships with informal science organizations or vocational institutes could be inked at a regional level and immediate opportunities made available for achieving the learning outcomes in science. Science Learning Outcomes such as: a) awareness and nurturing natural curiosity of immediate surroundings through experiences; b) developing process skills (observation, discussion, explanation, experimentation, reasoning through interaction with surroundings) and c) developing sensitivity for natural, physical and human resources[5] are easily achievable with this kind of a collaboration.

What is probably of deeper significance is to understand that schools can provide learning to a certain degree with given level of teacher competencies; how realistic is it to expect teachers across the board to upgrade their competencies in such a fast-changing and dynamic knowledge environment? Is it not more prudent to combine the thinking processes of different minds, different skill sets and competencies together; and provide the support to a school structure?

To this end, we also believe the support of research organizations, who would provide insights in the area of learning methodologies; technology; materials and much more would be crucial. Wouldn’t a research organization be all the more motivated in its endeavours if its findings are put to practical use; where else to test it but in the real world? Research organizations have another advantage of bringing to the forefront the latest educational reforms across the world. If our students are to stand with their head held high in their scientific literacy, we need to bring in such practicable reforms which are not behind the “developed nations”. An example is “Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research)” (HBCSE) which not only conducts research but is also involved in teacher education and Professional development. What a synergy such an alliance would generate! HBCSE and CBSE had one such tie-up in the previous decade; where HBCSE played an academic role in CBSE proficiency tests for science and mathematics.

An ideal collaboration at the national level, percolating to regional level, would be:

The Central Board of Education + Research (in Science Education) Organization + Local Cultural and Vocational Institutes or Informal Science Education Organizations

The Informal Science Organization could also be engaged to conduct residential summer programmes; as a reward for the student’s genuine interest and performance in science (which should be evaluated based on formative and not summative assessment). We have given an example of one such formative assessment further below. We suggest this as, residential summer programme is in the scheme of things in NEP, 2020 as well.

It can be operationalized in unique ways, but it is certainly achievable with clear accountability at different levels; with the help of large private organizations who could provide the funding (through their CSR arm); with a systematic pilot introduction and a small-scale introduction to begin with.

Here it is important to mention that NEP, 2020 lays particular focus on exposure to real situations and opportunities to engage in a vocation, in a 10-day bagless period.

A Practical Suggestion for Policy Implementation

Beyond just having laboratory space and a full-time lab assistant; ample provision for laboratory materials and equipment (with accompanied evidence of its use in a live classroom) can be additional criteria for granting Board affiliation. External agency evaluation of certain parameters can become a means to check whether schools are adhering to standards. Evaluation can be on areas such as:

1. laboratory standards;
2. extent of actual laboratory work and other field work;
3. In-class exploratory work;
4. Formative submissions with exploratory work outside of school

While affiliation to the board can be determined by on-going evaluation of the above nature; it represents an additional cost and therefore greater investment by industry in “education-related efforts” can bring about a huge change. Improved science education standards benefits industry the most, where many students get employed eventually. Interested stakeholders would do well to investigate about potential industry partners from biotech companies; engineering companies apart from multinationals; foreign and Indian socially responsible organizations, who can invest in such an evaluation.

Only an evaluation may not bring about the required change if school staff is not professionally equipped to implement “learn science by doing science”. Therefore, a thorough integration of “curriculum + instruction + assessment” is suggested for science education,[6] along with professional development opportunities for teachers.

The above suggestions stem from findings which show that: where schools had more resources and laboratory assistants due to funding; more hands-on inquiry learning occurred.[7]

Industry’s role can also involve engaging with students on a short-term basis; giving them exposure to real-life projects in their companies and providing scholarships to promising students.

Another collaborative model could be: engaging an external “informal science educator” to carry out all “science by doing activities” for a length of time (including professional training of teachers and lab assistants) and then handing back the reins to school science teachers, with periodical interventions.

A practical way of approaching science education is creating a “Learn Science by Doing Science” document. Imagine a supplementary text that guides teachers on a) exploratory activities, b) experiments, c) practical ways to conduct inquiry-based learning for each of the Science Units in the curriculum? Most teachers have several responsibilities in a school; how enthused would they be about spending even more time devising “experiential activities”? Also, when the onus is on teachers, the standards could vary across schools and impede student learning. Some teachers might be exemplary in experiential activities design, some others would need guidance on where to begin. One example of such a document is the “Earth’s Freshwater, Environmental Literacy Teacher Guide Series by National Geographic.” Can we get experts such as National Geographic; Indian Space Research Organization; Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research) to create such as document for science education in Indian schools?

Connecting school science with real-world begins with connecting school science with real science organizations! A wonderful demonstration of this is seen in the case of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) which offers much to students through “STEM engagement”, from contributing to NASA’s endeavours in exploration and discovery; to kits and internships and so much more! Can the Department of Space (Government of India) and Ministry of Education (Government of India) come together to make science education more real and interesting for science students?

Recommendations for Improving Science Education in school:

1. Identify science education purpose for each stage of schooling. In India, identifying that for foundational; preparatory; middle and secondary school. Thereafter, “curriculum designers work with teachers to identify content; methods of teaching and learning and assessment modes”[8].
2. Focus on how to provide able science teachers. If student science curriculum and teaching methodology is altered, the curriculum that is used to educate a science teacher (B.Ed and others) should also match this alteration, wherever required or professional development courses should first be offered before changes to school science teaching are implemented.
3. Since NEP, 2020 focuses on experiential learning and exploratory work; curriculum and assessment should fully support it. An example could be:
   1. The Supplementary text (and parts of the Main Text), should provide detailed structure to conduct a class with inquiry-based learning and experiential learning in each of the science units. It should be built into the whole design of the science unit/chapter. Autonomy should be given to the teacher to implement variations of it (for those who are adept in this type of pedagogy). With such examples, teachers will develop the confidence to put it into practice.
   1. Progress Cards should be altered with a grading or qualitative assessment (Descriptive Report) on: a) exploratory work outside school; b) field visit performance; c) performance in experimental activities (grading them on different standards: Did the child design the experiment himself with own materials; did child use given materials but did something new with it; did child successfully conduct experiment as given by teacher with materials given by teacher) and d) conceptual understanding.
4. Since NEP, 2020 focuses on art and sports education; how can art be leveraged in doing science. Examples could be:
   1. Creating attractive science models;
   1. Using scientific techniques in art work or sculpture
   1. How can biology and physics be used in sports education through a unique exhibition on practical application of biology and physics principles in sport. What can science tell me more about how to be a better sprinter?
   1. As a semester-long project; can students engage in science process skills and design games (eg: board games) with specific science themes (such as demonstrating the principles of light or energy). Children are particularly inventive at designing games; their creativity can be used to design science-related games
5. Medical sciences these days rely heavily on the use of technology. Education policy would do well to focus on “using technology; computers; modes of data representation” in the whole science pedagogical process to acclimatize children to this way of learning. It should not be about teaching physics and computer science in two different classes. But how do I leverage technology in the science classroom?
6. Encourage students to participate in global science competency tests, to understand where our students stand and if we are doing enough to help them be on par or beyond, the global standards. If we are not satisfied with any of the existing tests; the Ministry of Education can collaborate to have a test designed, which could be, going forward, a standard for Asia and even other regions. With the brightest minds coming from IITs; can one such test be designed by IIT, to further the cause of school science education?

We have only touched upon a few potential ways to help our children in science education; there is a lot more that can be done with the collaboration of the government; schools; teachers; parents; educators; researchers and students. Student representation in the framing of policy becomes crucial here; focus groups run with student voice coming to the fore; is critical for policy drafting and its implementation.

India is a vast country, with diverse boards; socio-economic groups and student community with varying access to resources. Even if there is one overarching policy; is there a need for more specific documents; recognizing each of these disparate groups; whose learning needs may be very different? Can we expect a child attending a government school in rural Bihar to achieve the same learning outcomes as a child attending a privileged private school in Mumbai? Does a learning trajectory need to be defined based on current state of affairs, with specific efforts to develop each unique group?

Where there is a will, truly there is a way. How serious are we about giving our children a science education, which will be inquiry-driven and steeped in real experiences (filled with fun), such that we prepare scientifically literate students, meeting global standards on science education. The need, for able science students, has never been felt more before; with unprecedented changes in our environment, explosion in the area of information and information technology and rise of concepts such as big data, artificial intelligence and various 4^th industrial revolution technologies. The recent pandemic has also reminded us on the importance of the biological sciences and contributions of research and vaccinations in this area. The effects of our past actions have thrown up diverse opportunities to explore the impact of science in our everyday life. The education system should make the child aware of this impact and bring science alive in the classrooms.

[1] Perth Declaration on Science and Technology Education, 2007 cited in P.J.Fensham, Science Education Policy

   Making – Eleven Emerging Issues, UNESCO, 2008

[2] ibid

[3] Urbanadvantagenyc.org

[4] M.Weinstein; E.R.Whitesell and A.E.Schwartz; Museums, Zoos and Gardens: How Formal Informal

   Partnerships Can Impact Urban Students’ Performance in Science, 2014

[5] Learning Outcomes at Elementary Stage, NCERT, 2017

[6] See blog on “Inquiry-Based Learning and How it Equates with the Standards” for elaboration on this

[7] P.J.Fensham; The Link between Policy and Practice in Science Education: The Role of Research; 2009

[8] P.J.Fensham, Science Education Policy Making – Eleven Emerging Issues, UNESCO, 2008