25Mon
Coordinator: Dean's Office
PhD Thesis Seminar - Zoom Meeting Link:
https://hbcse-tifr-res-in.zoom.us/j/92146773527?pwd=qEHB2tvxYdD7u5cxykR2q9pm4jsB2P.1
921 4677 3527
732838
Mr. Chaitanya Ursekar
Investigating Interactions between Teachers and Curriculum Materials: The Role of Values and Valuing
Present-day scholarship in science education sees teachers and curriculum materials as 'participating' together to construct the enacted curriculum. It is necessary to understand the ways in which teachers interact with and use curriculum materials, and the factors affecting these interactions. This thesis explores how values and processes of valuing influence teachers' engagement with curriculum materials.
In the talk, I provide a theoretical overview of values, highlighting the dynamic and context-dependent nature of values, the multiple ways of understanding 'valuing', and the importance of investigating it.
To study how values play a role in teachers' interaction with curriculum material, the Vigyan Pratibha (VP) programme, a national level student nurture and teacher capacity building programme, was chosen as a site of study. In one study, a teacher's classroom enactment of VP learning units was observed, along with pre- and post-unit interviews to understand her decision-making and practice. In a second study, teachers participated in discussions with VP facilitators to design an outline for a VP learning unit. These discussions were analysed to reveal teachers' values underlying the design decisions, as well as how these values were negotiated with peers and facilitators.
From these studies, I provide a description of teachers' values and valuing process. I also identify contextual factors which can influence this process. I discuss my findings using theoretical lenses on values and valuing. I then connect this analysis with the scholarship on teacher-curriculum material interaction and provide some recommendations for curriculum design and teacher professional development.