Figuring the 'Making' With Indian Teachers: Can We Reimagine STEM Learning?

Abstract

There is a recent interest among education researchers and a push by policymakers towards making, due to a converging acknowledgement of its potential in improving learning. In India too, there is a push in creating maker spaces in schools. However, there is a limited realisation of the potential possibly due to the limited understanding of this in the teachers. Here, we attempt to engage with the teachers in a meaningful way. This paper captures the initial understanding of making in a cohort of 21 science and 19 mathematics teachers of government schools in India. Further, it highlights the nuances in the understanding of the making culture (developing a framework) and its broader implications after reflecting on the video prompt and collective discussion with the teachers. Using this evidence of teachers eliciting subtleties of learning and making culture, we argue for a greater possibility of and a need for meaningful teacher-researcher engagement for reimagining learning.