Coordinator: Dean's Office
Required Courses:
Course Number: SCE111.2
Instructor: Dr. Aswathy Raveendran
Course Day and Time: Wednesday (3 PM to 5 PM)
Starting from August 13, 2025
06Sat
Coordinator: Prof. Prithwijit De
10Wed
Coordinator: Centre Director's Office
As part of the faculty recruitment process, Dr. Moupiya Maji will be delivering two seminars, first on December 8, 2025 at 14:30 Hrs and second on December 10, 2025 at 14:30 Hrs both in NIUS G4, HBCSE. The details of which are as follows:
Dr. Moupiya Maji (Ph.D. 2018, Pennsylvania State University) is currently a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the IAU - Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE) Center India.
Improving astronomy education in Indian schools
This talk presents a comprehensive research and development agenda aimed at strengthening astronomy education across Indian schools. Prior studies of students' and teachers' understanding of astronomy have highlighted persistent conceptual gaps and widespread misconceptions. These findings underscore the absence of systematic diagnostic mechanisms and the need for high-quality instructional supports.
In response, I propose the development of a Concept Inventory for the Sun–Earth–Moon system, designed to generate reliable evidence on students' conceptual models and to illuminate patterns of reasoning that hinder learning. This instrument will serve both as a diagnostic framework and as a foundation for targeted pedagogical interventions.
Complementing this assessment effort, I propose to develop a suite of research-informed astronomy education resources for Classes 5–12, including a handbook of astronomy from classes 5-8, an astronomy elective course for Grades 9–10, and a project-based data analysis course for senior secondary students utilising real astronomical datasets.
Collectively, this programme aims to advance conceptual understanding, strengthen teacher practice, and contribute to sustained, evidence-based improvements in science education.