Papers by Chitra Natarajan
The conceptual pre-requisites for teaching about the environment are embedded in several existing... more The conceptual pre-requisites for teaching about the environment are embedded in several existing school subjects. However, the teaching of subjects like Science and Social Studies does not address all the linkages needed for environmental education. Topics related to current environmental concerns that are inadequately addressed in classrooms include energy, its fl ow through organisms, especially in relation to human life. We developed a short course on energy and environment, in which students of Class VIII engaged in a large variety of activities designed to explore their understanding of energy and its fl ow through life forms, with special emphasis on the link between humans, energy and the environment. This paper reports some of our insights gained through a variety of interactions with students and their implications for teaching.
The words design and technology (D&T) denote ideas and objects as well as processes and activitie... more The words design and technology (D&T) denote ideas and objects as well as processes and activities, thus integrating knowledge and action. Two factors contribute to the exclusion of hands-on activities like D&T from classrooms: the existing epistemetechne divide and lack of schemes for integrating activities in Indian schools.
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The paper presents an investigation of middle school students' naïve ideas about design and desig... more The paper presents an investigation of middle school students' naïve ideas about design and designers and details of the trial of design-related activities aimed at sensitizing students to issues of design. Twenty five students studying in class 7 participated in the study conducted over a period of 5 days. A questionnaire was administered to all students at two occasions, pre and post intervention and a few students (eight) were interviewed in the pre-intervention stage. The activities ranged from analyzing familiar and unfamiliar artefacts to designing artefacts. Preliminary analysis of the survey revealed students' intuitive ideas about design and designer. Most students stated that animals are also designers and referred to nest and home building activities. However, when referring to humans they focused mainly on aesthetic aspects of design. In the designing activity students generated various creative solutions to a given reallife problem. The present study would provide opportunities to develop and try out more and different activities with students and even with teachers.
Design and Technology …, Jan 1, 2011
This paper reports on an investigation into middle school students' naïve ideas about, and attitu... more This paper reports on an investigation into middle school students' naïve ideas about, and attitudes towards design and designers. The sample for the survey consisted of students from Classes 7 to 9 from a school located in Mumbai. The data were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively to look for trends in students' responses. Results show that Indian middle school students, who had no experience in design and technology education, demonstrated an incomplete understanding of what design is and what designers do. Most students considered design as some artistic rendering process where the designer is engaged in decorating or making things look attractive. Very few students suggested design as planning before making. Students demonstrated a good understanding of the skills associated with designers and showed a positive attitude towards designers and design learning. Insights from the study have implications for design curriculum development at the school level.
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This paper reports a study of students' understanding of artefacts through their drawings and des... more This paper reports a study of students' understanding of artefacts through their drawings and descriptions. The experimental design of the study carried out with 12 middle school students (ages 11-13 years) involved four stages: pre-test, intervention and post-test, followed by a semi-structured interview of each student. The intervention activities engaged students in filling a questionnaire by estimating and measuring dimensions of a variety of artefacts of common shapes and sizes, writing their descriptions, and in repairing a bicycle. The study analysed students' paper-pencil productions in the tests and the questionnaire, and audio and video data collected during the intervention and interviews. The effect of the intervention on the nature of depictions of proportions and dimensional attributes in the drawings depended on the context of problem solving. Interviews helped to make explicit the meanings ascribed by students to the descriptions and the strategies used by them in their object depictions. The study highlights the importance of engaging students in authentic contexts of problem solving, and making drawings in such contexts.
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... Exploring the Confusions: Bar Graphs. Susan Hillman. Saginaw Valley State University, Bay Cit... more ... Exploring the Confusions: Bar Graphs. Susan Hillman. Saginaw Valley State University, Bay City, USA. ... This study explored how high school students addressed the audience when they wrote mathematically. ... What are some strategies that instructors may use in the process? ...
epiSTEME-1, Jan 1, 2004
Over the last thirty years, science, technology and mathematics education have emerged as lively ... more Over the last thirty years, science, technology and mathematics education have emerged as lively new research areas. This research, inspired by issues of learning and teaching, has clear uniting themes in the cognitive, pedagogical, historical, philosophical and socio-cultural aspects of the sciences. The name epiSTEME connotes, at one level, a systematic study of knowledge, while as acronym it suggests a meta-view of science, technology and mathematics education.
Design and Technology Education, Jan 1, 2011
epiSTEME-1, Jan 1, 2004
Over the last thirty years, science, technology and mathematics education have emerged as lively ... more Over the last thirty years, science, technology and mathematics education have emerged as lively new research areas. This research, inspired by issues of learning and teaching, has clear uniting themes in the cognitive, pedagogical, historical, philosophical and socio-cultural aspects of the sciences. The name epiSTEME connotes, at one level, a systematic study of knowledge, while as acronym it suggests a meta-view of science, technology and mathematics education.
Design and Technology …, Jan 1, 2009
This paper presents the strategies employed by Indian middle-school students working in groups to... more This paper presents the strategies employed by Indian middle-school students working in groups to identify three unfamiliar artefacts. The activity described in this paper was aimed at sensitising students to the close link between form and function and to bring a certain amount of uncertainty in the tasks before the actual design task. It was part of a larger study (Ara et al 2009) that explored students' ideas about design and designers before and after they engaged in design related activities. Twenty two students of class 7 worked in six groups of three or four members and the entire exchange was video-recorded. The verbatim transcription of the conversation within the groups and the actions and gestures executed by students were categorised. Groups came up with various accidental functions for the three artefacts and only three groups were successful in identifying the intended functions of all three artefacts. All groups utilised similar strategies while trying to identify the artefacts however they differed in the frequency of use of these strategies. Cognitive strategies included active discussions within the group and handling strategies involved manipulation of the artefacts by the group members. Groups which were less interactive, less critical of others ideas and less defensive of their own ideas were unsuccessful in identifying the intended functions of the artefacts.
ABSTRACT The Surface Extended Energy Loss Fine Structure (SEELFS) technique is complementary to t... more ABSTRACT The Surface Extended Energy Loss Fine Structure (SEELFS) technique is complementary to the Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) technique for determination of local structural parameters, such as bond length and coordination. It was used in the determination of local structural parameters for carbon in the form of diamond, graphite and a graphite suspension. Three silicon samples and (alpha)- and (beta)-silicon carbide have also been investigated using the SEELFS technique. An Auger electron spectrometer (double pass cylindrical mirror analyzer) was used to obtain energy loss spectra for SEELFS analysis and the Auger spectra to monitor the surface cleanliness of the samples. The phase and envelope references required for the SEELFS determination of coordination and bond length were obtained from a standard sample of known structure. First shell coordination and bond lengths were determined for pyrolytic graphite and Aguadag('TM) (graphite particle suspension) samples using a single crystal diamond as the standard. One of the silicon samples was used as standard to determine the phase and envelope functions. These were then used to determine the nearest neighbor bond length and coordination in the remaining two samples. The local structure parameters in (alpha)-silicon carbide were determined using (beta)-SiC as the standard. The coordination and radius determined by the SEELFS technique agree with known values to within uncertainties estimated. The factors contributing to uncertainties in the determination of bond length and coordination are probed. The validity of some of the theoretical assumptions is also discussed.
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Understanding students' ideas is a key step towards meaningful learning. Perception and attitudin... more Understanding students' ideas is a key step towards meaningful learning. Perception and attitudinal studies in education have been used to unravel crucial aspects about a particular issue, concept or an idea. Technology is a construct little explored in the Indian context. The paper reports development of an instrument and study of students' perceptions of technology and attitudes toward it. Some salient findings from the study are reported. The study brings out the influence of urban and rural settings, medium of learning and gender differences on the several items probed. The differences highlight the necessity to incorporate some of the ideas in developing units for technology education. Insights from the study can be channelled to making technology education units more inclusive and interesting.
International Journal of Technology and Design …, Jan 1, 2008
A handbook serves several purposes. It documents the evolution of a subject area over a specific ... more A handbook serves several purposes. It documents the evolution of a subject area over a specific period and consolidates its existing knowledge. It gives beginners in the field a perspective on the key successes and challenges, and highlights the knowledge gaps and research potential. It gives a bird's eye view of the global scenario; the people and institutions working on different aspects of the field, their perspectives and standpoints.
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Working together in a group or teamwork is a soft skill that is highly valued in the job market. ... more Working together in a group or teamwork is a soft skill that is highly valued in the job market. Technology tasks provide an opportunity where teamwork could be encouraged, not merely for completing a project with pre-determined goals but also for learning to work and operate as a team. The paper focuses on the results of a study (that was part of a larger project) conducted with middle school students in three different socio-cultural settings in India. This paper will report the evidences of collaborative learning that occurred while the students engaged in the design and technology units.
Rethinking science and …, Jan 1, 2002
Students' alternative conceptions arise out of an interconnected system of beliefs: about the nat... more Students' alternative conceptions arise out of an interconnected system of beliefs: about the nature of science, of learning, of the natural and social world. Cross-cultural perspectives on these world views are therefore essential. This study probed middle school students' conceptions about plants.
International Journal of …, Jan 1, 2007
The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. All in-text references underlined in b... more The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. All in-text references underlined in blue are added to the original document and are linked to publications on ResearchGate, letting you access and read them immediately.
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Papers by Chitra Natarajan