Kesla Middle School Science Initiative

Kesla Science Initiative

We often find a gap between school culture and students’ home culture, which needs to be bridged for meaningful and relevant learning to happen in the classroom. This gap is wider for students from marginalized backgrounds, such as those from tribal communities, whose culture, language, and knowledge systems are undervalued and looked down upon. In order to address such issues, we intend to explore the possibilities of a culturally relevant, meaningful, and transformative science education in a tribal context.

Towards this aim, we work closely with students and community members in the context of twelve community-based learning centers in the Kesla block of Hoshangabad district, Madhya Pradesh which has a sizable population of tribal communities (mostly Gond and Korku). The centers facilitate students’ learning, help us build rapport with the community and gain insights into their funds of knowledge. Providing local teachers and community volunteers with necessary academic support and building a network for collective reflection on classroom practices are essential components of the program. Research is an integral part of all these strands of work. Through this work, we propose to develop learning modules at the middle school level that will help to link students’ academic learning with their lived experiences.

1. Ongoing work in learning centres 
2. Research article published in Sage Journals https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/09731849231213159  
   Title: Yeh Toh Ulto Hi Ho Gayo! Juxtaposing Educational Discourse on Forests and Conservation with Everyday Discourses of Adivasi Communities of Central India
   Abstract: Researchers often point out a wide rift between school culture and students’ home culture, especially for Adivasi students whose culture, language and knowledge systems are played down by the mainstream discourse. We believe that such deficit perspectives must be countered to work towards an equal and just society. For this purpose, in this study, we explored the funds of knowledge of Adivasi communities of Central India with regard to forests and conservation. We also examined school textbooks from the standpoint of these communities to understand how connected or disconnected they are to the life-worlds of Adivasi students. The study adopted a participatory design and drew upon the principles of critical ethnography. For data collection, we used a strategic combination of ethnographic observations, informal interactions, focus group discussions, personal interviews and field notes. The findings indicate a strong need for developing learning material that is contextually relevant, meaningful and transformative for students.
3. The film: "Reflections on the Research Journey"
4. The learning module - Our Forests and Us (Draft)