Indian STEM education and the need for stronger Roots

 Indian STEM education and the need for stronger Roots

Despite his love for science and optimistic goals, Akshay oftentimes finds himself dumbfounded by school lessons, a struggle shared by countless students trapped in traditional, textbook-heavy education systems

Imagine a classroom where complex and fundamental processes like gene regulation are being taught, and you understand nothing. To deny FOMO, you just nod your head in agreement, and the class ends. This not-so-unique situation, where a student can't grasp important topics due to poor translation and pedagogical practices, is what our dear Akshay is going through.

Akshay is a 10th grader who loves biology and physics. He hopes to be a scientist and, inspired by many superhero movies, aspires to make a pollution-free world via synthetic bacteria. Despite his love for science and optimistic goals, he oftentimes finds himself dumbfounded by the school lessons, which focus on traditional and textbook-heavy explanations. Most of his classmates discuss questions on the topic being taught, while Akshay is still figuring out why a particular gene is being silenced by its own body while some are not even silenced through mutations. The root of his questions and self-doubts lies in the poor explanations he received in class.

The board examination is approaching. Many students are discussing JEE and NEET entrance exams for their university admissions, and Akshay is just nodding his head in agreement due to FOMO.

If only a more illustrative and inclusive approach was taken, the anxiety, self-doubt, and lack of clarity in concepts could have been avoided.

Akshay approached his older brother Kalam, who is a PhD student in cell biology. Upon explaining to him about his classes and how he is not able to cope with the concepts, his brother smiled and reassured him that it is totally normal to find oneself lost when it comes to science. After exchanging some chuckles, Kalam took Akshay to his room, and they both sat in front of the piano. Being irritated with Kalam's Mr. Miyagi-like antics, Akshay gasped.

Kalam played a tune and asked Akshay how and who decided what note would be played. Akshay promptly answered, "It was you who decided what would be played, and the combination of keys made the sound."

"Aha, Eureka!" Kalam replied and added, "Similarly, the piano, which represents the gene or genetic material, has lots of combinations (nitrogen bases/codons). It is us—or rather, our cellular signaling pathways—that decide which keys to play and in what combination to produce our desired song or the protein of interest."

Akshay leaned in with his eyebrows tucked and a face filled with amazement.

Kalam continued further, "Oftentimes, the keys (nitrogen bases) of the piano get damaged or don’t function normally (mutation), and this is how our song—or the protein, in our case—is not produced."

"So, the gene has sites that can be regulated (up or down) depending upon the cascade, and there are 'n' number of possibilities, Akshay. You'll be even more fascinated by how epigenetic modifications work—and that will be your homework."

Akshay nodded his head in agreement and smiled. Kalam stood up, and this fascinating way of communicating science marked a huge impact on Akshay.

Later, the very next day, Akshay asked a lot of questions, and his teacher was also intrigued by his approach. The teacher answered him accordingly.

But not every Akshay has a brother who's doing a PhD, and this is not a stand-alone story of Akshay but of many more students in Indian schools. Most of the education is focused on memorization-based approaches. While it can be somewhat effective, developing a scientific temper and ensuring a broader inclusion of all types of mental capacities requires a different strategy.

According to a study by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), there is a significant gap in the understanding of scientific concepts among students, with only 28% of Grade 8 students able to apply what they've learned to new situations (NCERT, 2019). This fact, along with the lack of an interdisciplinary approach to education, is also an alarming situation. An article published in The Hindu titled "What It Will Take to Make Sure Science Communication Works for India" mentions that only 10% of CBSE schools are blending science, math, and humanities.

If Akshay needs to understand how lung capacities work or how lung pressure functions, a mix of physics and biology needs to be illustrated for better understanding. However this is a major approach that Indian schools lack. The root of all issues can be attributed to the one-dimensional pipeline for education, the segregation of biology and mathematics, the lack of quality literature, and the reward system based on rote memorization in terms of tests.

UNICEF India (2023) reports that many Indian schools still rely heavily on memorization, with 80% of classroom time spent on lectures rather than interactive learning. To achieve a self-sustaining education channel, barriers to understanding must be removed. Science can be communicated via regional languages, common analogies, and fun, simple illustrations. Only then can the dream of a better society be achieved.

The one and only way of eradicating families from poverty is through providing education to them. If one person fixes themselves, the rest of the family will be self-sustained spontaneously. For sure Indian school system needs better planning for mental health issues, thought blocks, language gaps, and lack of opportunities for all. Science if dealt with compassion is a remedy for all world problems.

This Article is under copyright of IndiaBioscience which is to be publish by mid of 2025. This won me the write on 2025 competition and was listed as commendable entry of masters category

Refrences –

1. NCERT. (n.d.). https://www.ncert.nic.in/result-framework-doc.php?ln=en

2. Iftikhar, F. (2021, September 9). Unicef survey: 80% adolescents reported lower learning during online classes amid Covid pandemic. Hindustan Times. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/unicef-survey-80-adolescents-reported-lower-learning-during-online-classes-amid-covid-pandemic-101631211655762.html