Aisha Kawalkar

My doctoral thesis project aims to explore the outcomes of teaching science through inquiry. It focuses on the affective changes in students such as their level of engagement, quality and amount of participation in class as a consequence of undergoing inquiry teaching. As part of the thesis, I also intend to detail and characterise the classroom practices that make such a transaction of science possible.

Research interests:

  • Inquiry-oriented Science Teaching
  • Classroom Interactions
  • Affective Outcomes of Learning Science
  • Biology Education
Publications:

In Journal:

Kawalkar, A. and Vijapurkar, J. (2011) Scaffolding science talk: The role of teachers' questions in the inquiry classroom, International Journal of Science Education, DOI: 10.1080/09500693.2011.604684.

In Proceedings:

Kawalkar, A. & Vijapurkar, J. (2013) Aspects of learning science in inquiry and traditional classes: what students' diaries reveal. In Nagarjuna G., Jamakhandi, A. and Sam, E. (eds.)Proceedings of epiSTEME 5 -- International Conference to Review Research on Science, Technology and Mathematics Education, India: Cinnamonteal. p.220-226

Kawalkar, A. & Vijapurkar, J. (2011) Several Lines of Inquiry Into Inquiry Teaching and Learning: Exploring the Affective Outcomes of Inquiry-Oriented Science Teaching. In D. Mogari, A. Mji and U. I. Ogbonnaya (Eds.), Proceedings of ISTE International Conference on Mathematics , Science and Technology Education, p. 265-276. South Africa:  University of South Africa.

Kawalkar, A. & Vijapurkar, J. (2011) Science Talk in the Inquiry Classroom: An Analysis of Teachers' Questions and Purposes. In S. Chunawala & M. Kharatmal (Eds.) Proceedings of epiSTEME 4 -- International Conference to Review Research on Science, Technology and Mathematics Education, p. 144-149. India: Macmillan.


Kawalkar, A. and Vijapurkar J. (2009) What do cells really look like? Confronting children's resistance to accepting a 3-D model. In K. Subramaniam and Majumdar, A. (Eds.), Proceedings of epiSTEME 3 - International Conference to Review Research on Science, Technology and Mathematics, Education, p.187-193. India: Macmillan.

 

Book:

Ramadas, J., Kawalkar, A. & Mathai, S. (2004) Small Science Class 1 and 2 Teacher's Book, Mumbai: Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education.

 

Work Experience:

  • Project Assistant at the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) for 2 years during 2002-2004 for the Small Science Project - Aided in developing learning material, taught during classroom testing and co-authored a Teacher's book for Classes 1 and 2 under the Small Science curriculum, conducted teacher training workshops.
  • Sub-Editor at Navneet Publishing for a children's weekly news magazine for 2 months
  • Project Assistant at the at the HBCSE for a year from Nov 2004 to Nov 2005 for the Middle School Curriculum development project - Aided in development and classroom trials of  teaching units for classes 6, 7 and 8
  • On Short-term assignment at the Zonal Institute of Education and Training, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan to work on developing material on Computer Aided Teaching, to be used in Kendriya Vidyalayas during Dec 2005 to Feb 2006
  • Short-term visitor at HBCSE for aiding in teaching, research and development as part of Middle School Curriculum project  during Mar and May 2006
  • Content writer in Praxis Interactive Technologies Pvt. Ltd. from June to Aug 2006, developed content for e-learning at the elementary level for maths , science and English

 

Publications:
Thesis advisor: