| Name: | Moupiya Maji |
| Affiliation: | Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics |
| Conference ID : | ASI2024_374 |
| Title : | Status of Astronomy Education in India: A Baseline Survey |
| Authors : | Moupiya Maji, Surhud More, Aniket Sule |
| Authors Affiliation: | Moupiya Maji, Surhud More (Inter-University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune - 411007, India)
Aniket Sule (Homi Bhabha Center for Science Education, Mumbai - 400088, India) |
| Mode of Presentation: | Oral |
| Abstract Category : | Education, Outreach and Heritage |
| Abstract : | As a first step towards improving astronomy education in schools, we at the OAE (Office of Astronomy for Education) India Center are conducting a baseline survey to understand the status of astronomy education in India.
The survey instrument consists of 16 questions that can be categorised into five sections, addressing astronomy in the curriculum, general astronomy knowledge, cultural connections, exposure to astronomy, and further interest. Spanning 11 states and conducted in 10 languages, the survey encompassed approximately 2000 class IX students from a variety of environments.
The survey unveiled that although students generally like astronomy, they struggle with fundamental astronomical concepts, such as understanding mass and distance scales and moon phases. For example, only about 32% of students correctly ordered celestial bodies by their proximity to Earth and just about 9% accurately identified images of all moon phases.
On the other hand, 70% of respondents correctly identified festivals corresponding to Full Moon and New Moon Days, while a significant 76% of students expressed disbelief in astrology. Access to astronomy resources primarily relied on online platforms, with limited availability of telescopes (34%) and planetariums (23%) for students. Finally, a large fraction of students (76%) are interested in learning more about astronomy in higher classes, and about half the students want to become astronomers although almost none of them knows the career path to do so.
Our data underscored the inadequate grasp of basic astronomy concepts among students and emphasised the scarcity of guidance and resources within the field. In further investigations, we aim to explore potential correlations between survey outcomes and student's gender and socioeconomic backgrounds. Results from this survey will help us to identify the gaps in student understanding and thus guide us to design effective teacher training programs and improved astronomy curricula. |
