In the last week of August, Ria*, an IT professional in Bengaluru, was juggling too many plates, attending office meetings and helping her son (grade 4) complete school projects before the deadline. The science project was the most demanding, as her son had to create a three-dimensional model of the life cycle of an insect using clay. “I first had to look for ideas on Pinterest and YouTube to see what kind of project we could prepare, then get some materials from outside and help my son complete the project.”
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Manasi Bendre, a clinical research professional and a mother of two children – a son in grade 6 and a daughter in grade 3 – in Bengaluru, shares a similar story. Her son had to submit a 3D model of the human urinary system. “What novelty or creativity do you expect while modelling the human urinary system?” Manasi asks. She adds that projects are mere “arts and crafts activities with no scope for learning in science.” Both mothers feel that hands-on projects and real-life experiences would give a rich learning experience, sparking their curiosity rather than engaging them in repetitive content.
Many parents believe that the majority of school science projects require students recreating the concepts taught in different formats – charts, posters, booklets or models. Manasi’s daughter had once worked on the model of a house in grade 1. Another student from the same class got a beautifully designed house. “It’s hard to believe a six-year-old designed that structure. A parent had done it, or they might have purchased it,” she added. Students also feel pressured to produce “perfect and aesthetic” projects later showcased during science exhibitions or on science days when guests and parents visit schools.
How do teachers evaluate projects when they are entirely done by parents or purchased as readymade projects available in the market? “This has always been a challenge,” comments Sheetal*, a former high school science teacher in Mumbai. “Teachers can easily make out if a student presented a readymade project, but they also have to assume that the student took some effort.”
The commercially-available projects range from types of houses, farm models, rain-water harvesting system to those based on electronics, optics, etc. Some of these projects are marketed as Do-it-Yourself (DIY) kits, with instruction manuals on assembling the parts and testing the assembled tool. What do students learn beyond assembling the project based on a list of instructions?
Ideal project
What should an ideal project be like? Parag*, also formerly a high school teacher from the suburbs of Mumbai, explains that many teachers tend to use the Project-based learning (PBL) approach without clearly understanding its characteristics. Both Sheetal and Parag agree that the projects must be based on real-world problems, be student-centered, and involve collaboration. Real-world problems require research on identification, ways to solve them, and collaboration. For example, a project on oil spills can spark discussion among a group of high school students on the physical, chemical, environmental and economical aspects of oil spills, before they start working on it. What type of projects can be given to lower-class students to enhance their learning experience?
Prof. Jyotsna Vijapurkar, an astronomer and science educator (retd.) from the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), suggests younger students could collect butterfly larvae, feed them with leaves, observe which leaves they prefer, and watch them transform into butterflies. “Think of not just the learning but the sense of wonderment, engagement, and development of a relationship with nature through small steps!” she remarks. Projects like these require minimal resources from students’ immediate vicinity, and reduce parents’ involvement.
Prof. Vijapurkar suggests teachers should give sufficient time for planning, execution and observation in science projects. There should also be room for trial and error, as a lot of learning happens with mistakes. While evaluating a project, more importance should be given to ‘what the student learned’ than the appearance, neatness, and creativity of any project.
She strongly recommends all projects be done in the teachers’ presence. “This facilitates interactions with the teacher as the students work, and the teacher can provide guidance and encouragement.” The teacher can excite students and catch their enthusiasm in return, adds Prof. Vijapurkar.
* Names are changed
(The author is a science communicator, educator and facilitator. She has previously worked at HBCSE as a postdoctoral fellow in science education.)
Published - October 01, 2024 09:38 am IST
